1.1This European Standard specifies the requirements for materials, design, manufacture, testing inspection, safety systems and documentation (including instructions for first operation), for commonly-used types of gas-loaded accumulators and gas bottles for fluid power applications (see 1.2).
1.2This European Standard applies to the following types of components, defined as the pressure-containing envelope of gas-loaded accumulators:
- bladder type;
- diaphragm type;
- piston type;
- transfer type;
- gas bottlesused to provide additional gas capacity.
They consist of one or several parts joined together by a variety of mechanical means and by welding.
1.3This European Standard applies to gas-loaded accumulators which operate with the following conditions:
- subject to an internal gauge pressure greater than 0,5 bar;
- working temperature of not lower than –50 °C and not higher than +200 °C;
- containing Group 2 liquids and gases as defined in the Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EC.
It does not apply to:
- accumulators for use with dangerous fluids (see NOTE 1).
NOTE 1 Fluid power applications utilize non-dangerous fluids as categorized in ISO 6743-4 in addition to an inert gas (e.g. nitrogen) which is used as the pre-charging medium.
NOTE 2 There are no design limits to the volume of the accumulator.