Pressure Vessel Research Committee

In 1945, the Pressure Vessel Research Committee (PVRC) was organized by engineers associated with the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Committee. Its purpose was to seek answers to pressing questions concerning materials, design and fabrication of pressure vessels. 

Sponsored by the Pressure Vessel Research Committee of the Welding Research Council, the Nippon Steel Corporation, and the National Science Foundation. 

The counsel and assistance of the members of the Pressure Vessel Research Committee of the Welding Research Council and the work of N. Murayama of the Nippon Steel Company, who performed much of the research as part of his graduate program at Lehigh University, is gratefully acknowledged. 

A. The material used to manufacture the flywheel of the reactor coolant pump motor will be produced by a commercially acceptable process that minimizes flaws, such as the vacuum melt and degassing process. This provides adequate fracture toughness properties under reactor operating conditions. The acceptance criteria for flywheel design will be compatible with the safety philosophy of the Pressure Vessel Research Committee (PVRC) of the Welding Research Council (WRC) primary coolant pressure boundary criteria as appropriate considering the inherent design and functional requirement differences between the pressure boundary and the flywheel. 

The Pressure Vessel Research Committee (PVRC) recommended an interim position on damping values that are dependent on piping modal fre(juency. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) incorporated the PVRC damping position (Code Case N-411) in Section III of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (Reference 4). 

Under the sponsorship of the Pressure Vessel Research Committee, an extensive limit design analysis of perforated cylindrical shells with uniform patterns of openings was completed. This limit design analysis was used to determine the upper and lower bounds of limit pressure. A 2 1 ratio of stress held was considered and the shell plate curvature was not included. From this analysis, the basic lower bound equation was developed into... 

When a fatigue evaluation is required, it is necessary to determine the peak stresses around the openings. The current methods are the stress index method, experimental tests and measurements, or a theoretical analysis procedure such as a finite element analysis. The stress index method is the easiest method and is allowed by the ASME Code, III-l and VIII-2. The stress index method was developed from reviewing a large amount of experimental and analytical data determined in a program conducted by the Pressure Vessel Research Committee. 

Engineering guidelines produced by Factory Mutual (FM) to help reduce the risk of property loss due to fire, weather, and/or electrical or mechanical equipment failure. They are based on input from loss experience, research results, consensus standards committees, equipment manufacturers, and other interested participants. The subjects covered include construction, sprinklers, water supply, extinguishing equipment, electrical equipment, boilers and industrial heating equipment, hazards, storage, miscellaneous, human factors, systems instrumentation and control, pressure vessels, mechanical, welding, and boiler and machinery. They may also be referred to as FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets. See also Factory Mutual (FM). 

In 1964 a failure occurred near the nil ductility transition temperature of a large heat exchanger, under test by the Foster Wheeler Corporation. As a result of this failure and concerns raised in 1964-1965 by British researchers, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards issued a November 24, 1965 letter. While acknowledging the low probability of reactor pressure vessel failure, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards expressed concern for the... 

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