Structural Analysis, Design,
and Implementation of Safety Access
to High Pressure Helium Gas Storage
Vessels at IPR
Rajiv Sharma and Vipul Tanna
Abstract There are six numbers of helium gas high pressure vessels installed of gas
storage for operation of Steady State Superconducting Tokamak (SST-1). In order to
comply with the requirement of the Chief Controller of Explosive (CCOE), Nagpur, it
is mandatory requirement that vessels needs to be regularly and periodically tested for
hydraulic pressure and inspection under Static and Mobile Pressure Vessel (Unfired)
SMPV (U) rule 19. Apart from hydro test, every year safety valves which are installed
on the top of the vessel also have to qualify the performance test under Rule 18.
To carry out these mandatory tests, cryo division crew members have to go along
with instruments to the middle and top of the vessels for regular and breakdown
maintenance purpose for helium leak testing, pressure testing, safety valve, rupture
disk, etc. Inbuilt monkey straight ladder was used for climbing to vessels. In order to
get the operation license approval and renewal of the operation of these vessels at IPR,
there is a need of new spiral ladder for ease of climbing-up and descending of vessels.
A design, fabrication, installation, and testing has been done as per Petroleum and
Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) norms with prior approval of design drawing.
This spiral ladder and joint platform structure which facilitate movement of personnel
on to any one of the four vessels by a single spiral ladder was designed, fabricated,
and installed. The technical challenges were the installation work at 13 meter height,
heavy weight of structure, prickling heat, and assembly with existing structure of
vessels. In this paper, the innovation solution, design, fabrication, installation, and
testing of structure will be presented.
Keywords Pressure vessels · Maintenance · Access · Platform metal structure
R. Sharma (B) · V. Tanna
Institute for Plasma Research, Near Indira Bridge, Bhat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382428, India
e-mail: rajivs@ipr.res.in
V. Tanna
Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400085,
India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
A. K. Parwani et al. (eds.), Recent Advances in Mechanical Infrastructure,
Lecture Notes in Intelligent Transportation and Infrastructure,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4176-0_38
443
and Implementation of Safety Access
to High Pressure Helium Gas Storage
Vessels at IPR
Rajiv Sharma and Vipul Tanna
Abstract There are six numbers of helium gas high pressure vessels installed of gas
storage for operation of Steady State Superconducting Tokamak (SST-1). In order to
comply with the requirement of the Chief Controller of Explosive (CCOE), Nagpur, it
is mandatory requirement that vessels needs to be regularly and periodically tested for
hydraulic pressure and inspection under Static and Mobile Pressure Vessel (Unfired)
SMPV (U) rule 19. Apart from hydro test, every year safety valves which are installed
on the top of the vessel also have to qualify the performance test under Rule 18.
To carry out these mandatory tests, cryo division crew members have to go along
with instruments to the middle and top of the vessels for regular and breakdown
maintenance purpose for helium leak testing, pressure testing, safety valve, rupture
disk, etc. Inbuilt monkey straight ladder was used for climbing to vessels. In order to
get the operation license approval and renewal of the operation of these vessels at IPR,
there is a need of new spiral ladder for ease of climbing-up and descending of vessels.
A design, fabrication, installation, and testing has been done as per Petroleum and
Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) norms with prior approval of design drawing.
This spiral ladder and joint platform structure which facilitate movement of personnel
on to any one of the four vessels by a single spiral ladder was designed, fabricated,
and installed. The technical challenges were the installation work at 13 meter height,
heavy weight of structure, prickling heat, and assembly with existing structure of
vessels. In this paper, the innovation solution, design, fabrication, installation, and
testing of structure will be presented.
Keywords Pressure vessels · Maintenance · Access · Platform metal structure
R. Sharma (B) · V. Tanna
Institute for Plasma Research, Near Indira Bridge, Bhat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382428, India
e-mail: rajivs@ipr.res.in
V. Tanna
Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400085,
India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
A. K. Parwani et al. (eds.), Recent Advances in Mechanical Infrastructure,
Lecture Notes in Intelligent Transportation and Infrastructure,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4176-0_38
443