Hydro-pneumatic Accumulators Information Hydac
Together with the global leader in the Hydraulic industry, Hydac, Flotek wish to share some recently released information about the regulations and requirements for hydro-pneumatic accumulators.
This following data will supply you with all the answers you have to ensure your pressure vessel meets the current standards required in Australia:
‘There is a national standard covering pressure vessels AS1210 & there is an additional requirement for in service inspections AS3788. There are individual certification and compliance bodies in each state and there is often a lot of confusion. This paper is designed as a brief overview and a layman’s guide to understanding the standards, regulations and ongoing requirements for use of Hydro-pneumatic Accumulators in Australia today.
Question: Does my Accumulator need approval ? Answer: It depends on Hazard Level How can I calculate the Hazard Level of my pressure Vessel?
The hazard level of a pressure vessel can be evaluated using the Australian standard “AS4343-2005”. To determine the hazard level, the vessel “PV Value” has to be calculated. “PV Value” is the result of multiplying the Vessel Design Pressure in Vessel Volume.
Do I Need to Register My Pressure Vessel Design?
While Hazard level can be defined following the method as per described in AS4343-2005, the necessity of having the pressure vessel design registered is outlined in “National Standard for Plant, NOHSC: 1010 (1994)” Following the guidelines of “Schedule 1, NOHSC: 1010 (1994)”, pressure equipment, other than pressure piping, and categorised as hazard level A, B, C or D requires the registration of the design.
Do I need To Register the Pressure Vessel as the item of plant?
Following the guidelines of “Schedule 1, NOHSC: 1010 (1994)”, pressure vessels categorised as hazard level A, B or C, require Registration as Item of plant. It is the responsibility of the owner of pressure vessel to make sure that the pressure vessel is registered as the item of plant.
Do I need to run an inspection on my pressure vessels? How often?
A registered item of plant requires periodical inspections. The inspection has to be done by certified inspection personnel. It is the responsibility of the owner to take the ownership of the documents required for inspection.
Summary
In Australia you MUST comply with the Australian Standards, no other standards are acceptable. (some state authorities will accept individual items as “fit for use” after “an official design review”, this is case by case specific and has to be checked with the state authority. Unfortunately, Hydac can not assist with this).
Pressure equipment with foreign certification is difficult to “re-certify” to AS1210 and the cost of such work and approval often exceeds the replacement cost of the unit.
Australia has “National Standards” these are usually prefixed by “AS” (eg. AS1210). Unfortunately, due to State bureaucracy and inefficiency, and with each state competing with the others, some states will not recognise approvals issued by other states. To further complicate things, the list of who is accepted and who is not accepted has changed from time to time. Only in Australia !
Hydac design and certify all units with internationally recognised partner inspection companies like TŰV, Lloyds, DNV, ABS and others. All Hydac approvals to AS1210 are recognised by all states and territories.
International standards like CE, ABS, ASME, DNV and others are available in addition to AS 1210 for special projects that operate offshore or are for export. Hydac generally obtain “local certification” to AS1210 through South Australia Workcover or through NSW Workcover, these approvals are presently accepted by all other states.’
