Posts by: Fernando

Design by Analysis in the harmonized standards of the Pressure Equipment Directive

The use of Finite Element Calculations in Pressure Equipment Design has now become a standard procedure either in USA or in Europe, in all cases where the traditional “Design by Formulae” is not able to provide a specific solution. Such calculations are in fact much cheaper now than they were…

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The future of CEN harmonized Pressure Equipment standards – The role of EPERC, the European Pressure Equipment Research Council

What is the procedure to prepare harmonized standards for pressure equipment? As all the “New Approach” directives, the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) cannot be applied without standards that are capable to translate into detailed instructions the Essential Safety Requirements contained in the Directive. In fact, the Directive itself doesn’t contain…

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What is the tube temperature to be considered in the calculation of shell and tube heat exchangers?

This question comes out many times in the work of heat exchanger designers. The answer is needed whichever is the pressure vessel standard to be used. The normal situation in which the engineer charged of the mechanical design of shell and tube heat exchangers finds himself is the following: a…

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Why do we need a European Standard on Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers?

When I started working for an important Italian Pressure Vessel and Heat Exchangers manufacturer (around 50 years ago) I only knew that a shell and tube heat exchanger was some kind of metallic container, generally filled with tubes, with two fluids coming into it: a cold fluid, which should come…

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New working method for the drafting, approval and publication of the amendments to EN 13445 (unfired pressure vessels) and EN 13480 (piping)

It is now more than 30 years that I have the honour of being the president (sorry! I meant the coordinator) of Working Group 53 (Design and Calculation) of CEN Technical Committee 54, which is in charge of the most important of all the harmonized standards of the PED Directive:…

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