Simple pressure vessels to the SPVD Directive 2014/29/EU

SPVD 2014/29/EU

Simple pressure vessels manufactured to Directive 2014/29/EU (SPVD) — 33 air receivers from 5 to 720 litres for compressed air. They include small vessels up to 50 l, vessels from 100 to 720 l for 11 or 16 bar and fully equipped vessels from 100 to 720 l with the fittings already mounted.

This covers standard air receivers for compressors: vertical vessels, horizontal vessels with feet and small horizontal vessels without feet for building in, all made of carbon steel. The Italian Baglioni group makes them painted in blue RAL 5015, hot-dip galvanised or with an ALM internal coating for contact with food. You will find vessels from 1000 l, stainless steel and vacuum vessels in our full range of pressure vessels and air receivers.

Three categories of simple pressure vessels

Small vessels, vessels from 100 to 720 l and fully equipped vessels each have their own category with tables of dimensions and connections. Here you can see them side by side; the individual vessels are shown in the product listing below this description.

Four vessels are rated for 16 bar, the vertical and horizontal 270 l and 500 l vessels; the others have a working pressure of 11 bar. Among the small vessels, besides the painted ones, there is also a horizontal 24 l vessel with no coating.

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What a simple pressure vessel is

Directive 2014/29/EU applies to simple pressure vessels for which the product of the maximum working pressure in bar and the volume in litres does not exceed 10000. Standard air receivers for compressors stay below this limit: a 720 l vessel for 11 bar has a product of 7920, and a 500 l vessel for 16 bar 8000.

That is why the SPVD series ends at a volume of 720 l, and from 1000 l the range continues with vessels to Directive 2014/68/EU on pressure equipment (PED). The fully equipped vessels are divided in the same way: those from 100 to 720 l are made to the SPVD, those from 1000 l to the PED. Stainless steel vessels are made to the PED even in small and medium volumes, as are high-pressure and oxygen vessels.

Small, medium-sized or fully equipped vessel

Small vessels from 5 to 50 l for 11 bar cover peak demand at a tool or machine, increase the reserve downstream of a smaller compressor or serve in your own assembly. A vertical one takes up the least floor space, a horizontal one with feet can be bolted to a frame or placed under a table, and a horizontal one without feet can be built into a cabinet or machine.

Vessels from 100 to 720 l serve as the main air receiver downstream of the compressor and come in vertical and horizontal designs. An 11-bar vessel suits compressors up to 10 bar, and a compressor that cuts out above 10 bar needs a 16-bar vessel. The size based on the compressor output and air demand can be worked out with the help of our advice centre on choosing a pressure vessel.

Choose the finish according to the environment. A painted vessel has a RAL 5015 powder coating on the outside and bare steel inside, and it belongs in dry, heated rooms. A hot-dip galvanised one is protected inside and out, which makes it suitable for damp conditions and operations with a lot of condensate. Vessels with the ALM internal epoxy coating are intended for operations where the air comes into contact with food.

The fully equipped vessels from 100 to 720 l arrive with ball valves, a condensate drain valve, a pressure gauge and a safety valve set to 10.5 bar already mounted, and with TÜV certification of the pressure assembly. They are intended for compressors that cut out at no more than 10 bar.

Documents, testing and inspections

The vessel bears the CE marking under Directive 2014/29/EU and comes with a declaration of conformity stating its data-plate details, together with the instructions for use and maintenance. For small vessels, these also state the minimum permissible thickness of the shell and ends: if corrosion thins the wall below this value, the vessel must no longer be used. During manufacture, the vessels from 100 to 720 l undergo a hydrostatic pressure test at one and a half times the pressure on their data plate.

Which inspections a vessel needs, and how often, is set by national regulations according to its volume and pressure. An operator’s obligations in the Czech Republic are summarised in our article on pressure vessels and Czech law, and the inspection intervals in our article on pressure vessel inspection.

Where next: PED, pressures, designs and volumes

Large and special vessels to the PED, vacuum vessels, and pages where simple pressure vessels appear next to other vessels of the same pressure, design, finish or volume.

What does SPVD mean?

Directive 2014/29/EU on simple pressure vessels; SPVD stands for Simple Pressure Vessels Directive. Standard air receivers for which the product of pressure in bar and volume in litres does not exceed 10000 are manufactured to it.

Can I use the vessel for nitrogen?

The small vessels up to 50 l and the vessels from 100 to 720 l are designed for both compressed air and nitrogen. The fully equipped vessels are designed for compressed air.

Is a simple pressure vessel worse than a PED vessel?

No, it is a matter of the type of vessel, not of quality. A standard air receiver up to 720 l falls under the SPVD, and a large or stainless steel one under the PED. Choose the vessel by volume, compressor pressure and environment.

Why do the SPVD vessels stop at 720 l?

The vessels from 1000 l in our range exceed the limit of 10000 for the product of pressure in bar and volume in litres; for example, a 1500 l vessel for 12 bar comes to 18000. That is why they are manufactured to the PED.

Does a simple pressure vessel need regular inspections?

Depending on its volume and pressure, yes. Which inspections apply, and at what intervals, is set by national regulations; links to the details are in the section on documents.

Not sure whether a simple pressure vessel is enough for you? Tell us which compressor you have and how much air you use, and we will be glad to help you choose.