Civil Engineering Association

A quick guide to API 510 certified pressure vessel inspector syllabus: Example questions and worked answers >> By C Matthews, Matthews Engineering Training Limited, UK

- provides simple, accessible and well-structured guidance for anyone studying the API 510 Certified Pressure Vessel Inspector syllabus
- summarizes the syllabus and provides the user with multiple example questions and worked answers
- technical standards are referenced from the API ‘body of knowledge’ for the examination

The API Individual Certification Programs (ICPs) are well established worldwide in the oil, gas, and petroleum industries. This Quick Guide is unique in providing simple, accessible and well-structured guidance for anyone studying the API 510 Certified Pressure Vessel Inspector syllabus by summarizing and helping them through the syllabus and providing multiple example questions and worked answers.

Technical standards are referenced from the API ‘body of knowledge’ for the examination, i.e. API 510 Pressure vessel inspection, alteration, rerating; API 572 Pressure vessel inspection; API RP 571 Damage mechanisms; API RP 577 Welding; ASMEVIII Vessel design; ASMEV NDE; and ASME IX Welding qualifications.

About the author

Clifford Matthews CEng, FIMechE is Director of Matthews Engineering Training Limited, UK, which runs training courses in API 510/570/653, plant inspection, code design, pressure relief equipment and related subjects: over 4000 delegates have been trained in the past 10 years. He has worldwide experience in various industries and is the author of several books on topics relating to inspection. Matthews Training’s approach to teaching API subjects has achieved a first-time examination pass rate in the region of 90%.The company is an authorised global training provider to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Contents

Interpreting ASME and API Codes
- Codes and the real world
- ASME construction codes
- API inspection codes
- Code revisions
- Code illustrations
- New construction versus repair activity
- Conclusion: interpreting API and ASME codes

An Introduction to API 510 (Sections 1–4)
- Introduction
- Section 1: scope
- Section 3: definitions
- Section 4: owner/user/inspector organization
- API 510 sections 1–4 familiarization questions

API 510 Inspection Practices (Section 5)
- Introduction to API 510 section 5: inspection practices
- Inspection types and planning
- Condition monitoring locations (CMLs)
- Section 5.8: pressure testing
- API 510 section 5 familiarization questions

API 510 Frequency and Data Evaluation (Sections 6 and 7)
- Introduction
- The contents of section 6
- API 510 section 6 familiarization questions
- Section 7: inspection data evaluation, analysis and recording
- API 510 section 7 familiarization questions

API 510 Repair, Alteration, Re-rating (Section 8)
- Definitions
- Re-rating
- Repairs
- API 510 section 8 familiarization questions

API 572 Inspection of Pressure Vessels
- API 572 introduction
- API 572 section 4: types of pressure vessels
- API 572 section 4.3: materials of construction
- API 572 sections 5, 6 and 7
- API 572 section 8: corrosion mechanisms
- API 572 section 9: frequency and time of inspection
- API 572 section 10: inspection methods and limitations
- API 572 section 10 familiarization questions

API 571 Damage Mechanisms
- API 571 introduction
- The first group of DMs
- API 571 familiarization questions (set 1)
- The second group of DMs
- API 571 familiarization questions (set 2)
- The third group of DMs

API 576 Inspection of Pressure-Relieving Devices
- Introduction to API 576
- API 576 sections 3 and 4: types (definitions) of pressure-relieving devices
- Types of pressure-relieving device
- API 576 section 5: causes of improper performance
- API 576 section 6: inspection and testing
- API 576 familiarization questions

ASME VIII Pressure Design
- The role of ASME VIII in the API 510 syllabus
- How much of ASME VIII is in the API 510 syllabus?
- ASME VIII clause numbering
- Shell calculations: internal pressure
- Head calculations: internal pressure
- Set 1: shells/heads under internal pressure familiarization questions
- ASME VIII: MAWP and pressure testing
- Set 2: MAWP and pressure testing familiarization questions
- External pressure shell calculations
- Set 3: vessels under external pressure familiarization questions
- Nozzle design

ASME VIII Welding and NDE
- Introduction
- Sections UW-1 to UW-5: about joint design
- UW-12: joint efficiencies
- UW-11: RT and UT examinations
- UW-9: design of welded joints
- ASME VIII section UW-11 familiarization questions (set 1)
- Welding requirements of ASME VIII section UW-16
- ASME VIII section UW-16 familiarization questions (set 2)
- RT requirements of ASME VIII sections UW-51 and UW-52
- ASME VIII section UW-51/52 familiarization questions (set 3)

ASME VIII and API 510 Heat Treatment
- ASME requirements for PWHT
- What is in UCS-56?
- API 510 PWHT overrides
- ASME VIII sections UCS-56 and UW-40: PWHT familiarization questions

Impact Testing
- Avoiding brittle fracture
- Impact exemption UCS-66
- ASME VIII section UCS-66: impact test
- exemption familiarization questions

Introduction to Welding/API 577
- Module introduction
- Welding processes
- Welding consumables
- Welding process familiarization questions
- Welding consumables familiarization questions

Welding Qualifications and ASME IX
- Module introduction
- Formulating the qualification requirements
- Welding documentation reviews: the exam questions
- ASME IX article I
- Section QW-140 types and purposes of tests and examinations
- ASME IX article II
- ASME IX articles I and II familiarization questions
- ASME IX article III
- ASME IX article IV
- ASME IX articles III and IV familiarization questions
- The ASME IX review methodology
- ASME IX WPS/PQR review: worked example

The NDE Requirements of API 510 and API 577
- NDE requirements of API 510 and API 577
- API 510 NDE requirements

NDE Requirements of ASME V
- Introduction
- ASME V article 1: general requirements
- ASME V article 2: radiographic examination
- ASME V article 6: penetrant testing (PT)
- ASME V articles 1, 2 and 6: familiarization questions
- ASME V article 7: magnetic testing (MT)
- ASME V article 23: ultrasonic thickness checking
- ASME V articles 7 and 23 familiarization questions

Thirty Open-Book Sample Questions

Answers
- Familiarization answers
- Open-book sample questions answers

The Final Word on Exam Questions
- All exams anywhere: some statistical nuts and bolts for non-mathematicians
- Exam questions and the three principles of whatever (the universal conundrum of randomness versus balance)
- Exam selectivity

Appendix
- Publications effectivity sheet for API 510 Exam
- Administration: 2 June 2010