Strength Evaluation for Pressure-Containing Parts of Ultra-High-Pressure Compressor by Using Standards of Ultra-High-Pressure Gas Equipment

The Japanese standard “KHK-S-0220” (KHK-code) and the American standard “Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Sec.8 Div.3” (ASME-code) concerning ultra-high-pressure gas equipment were applied to Hitachi’s ultra-high-pressure compressor, and a series of strength evaluations were carried out. Hitachi produces and maintains ultra-high-pressure reciprocating compressors with a design pressure over 200 MPa. In Japan, ultra-high pressure gas equipment over 100 MPa must be designed according to KHK-code established by the High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan. This Japanese standard was applied to an ultra-high-pressure compressor, and design pressure limits, shakedown limits, required absorbed energy of materials, leak-before-break (LBB), and fatigue strength were evaluated. ASME-code was also applied to the compressor, and strength evaluations like the above were carried out. As a result, it was found that KHK-code and ASME-code gave conservative evaluation of fatigue strength for an ultra-high-pressure compressor.© 2011 ASME