LESER Pressure tank tests
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Pressure tank tests successfully completed

Three compressors supply the required test air, which can be stored in seven pressure tanks located outside the building. The tanks have a combined capacity of roughly 83,000 liters. The maximum operating pressure of six of the tanks is 100 bar; the seventh can handle as much as 245 bar.
The German Operational Safety Regulation requires pressure vessels to be tested periodically. This means that every pressure tank needs to undergo an internal visual inspectionevery five years, and an additional hydrostatic pressure test every 10 years. These inspections are performend by the official inspection agency. The test pressure is determined according to the Technical Regulations for Operational Safety, specifically “Tests and Checks for Steam and Pressure Hazards”.

Five weeks of work on the pressure tanks

The test pressure is increased slowly, with holding periods in between, to protect the material and monitor for structural abnormalities. The technical inspection agency (TÜV) monitors the pressure increase until the target pressure is reached. Then the maximum test pressure must be held for 30 minutes. In addition to the mandatory tests, the most important welds on the pressure tanks were subjected to ultrasonic and magnetic particle inspections. Sound level meters were attached to three of the tanks during the hydrostatic pressure test to detect and assess minute material expansions. In the event that the sound feedback does not match the pressure increase, the TÜV inspector can abort the test before cracks form and spread.

During the entire five-week project, specialized companies and mechanics were present using special equipment. They opened the pressure tanks, prepared them for testing and cleaned them for internal visual inspection. Then the tanks were closed again for the hydrostatic pressure test. When all tests were finished, the LESER equipment was returned to operation-ready status. All pressure vessels successfully passed the inspections!