Pressure Vessels for Human Occupation (PVHO)

[Colin]

I have recently been asked by an ex-client of mine if I knew anything about pressure vessels for human occupation (PVHO). It appears that there is an ASME standard PVHO-1-2007 and also reference to standard BS EN 14931:2006.

I know nothing about the topic and so will not be 'getting my hands dirty' but I would be interested to hear if anyone has come across this standard, to find out more information for my colleague if anyone out there can help.

 

[Ronen E]

I would assume they are considered medical devices, at least in the US and EU. Did they say what they're used for?

 

[Miner]

A quick search found the following for the ASME standard:

• The standard is now at 2016
• "This Standard provides requirements for the design, fabrication, inspection, testing, marking, and stamping of pressure vessels for human occupancy, having an internal or external pressure differential exceeding 2 psi. This Standard also provides requirements for the design, fabrication, inspection, testing, cleaning, and certification of piping systems for PVHOs. A PVHO is a pressure vessel that encloses a human being within its pressure boundary while it is under internal or external pressure that exceeds a 2 psi differential pressure. PVHOs include, but are not limited to, submersibles, diving bells, personnel transfer capsules, decompression chambers, recompression chambers, hyperbaric chambers, high altitude chambers, and medical hyperbaric oxygenation facilities. This does not include nuclear reactor containments, pressurized airplane and aerospace vehicle cabins, and caissons."

The BS EN standard appears to be limited to hyperbaric chambers.

 

[Colin]

I would assume they are considered medical devices, at least in the US and EU. Did they say what they're used for?

Sorry for the delay in responding - I think they make 'plastic bubbles' for use on submersible vessels - you know, the kind of thing that James Bond gets chased by every time he puts on a pair of flippers!

 

[Ronen E]

Sorry for the delay in responding - I think they make 'plastic bubbles' for use on submersible vessels - you know, the kind of thing that James Bond gets chased by every time he puts on a pair of flippers!

Oh.