Is a water cooling annulus an ASME pressure vessel?

[SteveEdwards]

We are contimplating buying a vacuum furnace which has a water cooling annulus on the outside.

The furnace would be a cylindrical shape with belled ends. The vacuum chamber pressure would never go above 0 PSIG. The double walled cooling annulus around the vacuum chamber would have circulating cooling water which could be as high as 25 PSIG.

My question is: Is the cooling chamber a pressure vessel under ASME Section VIII, Div 1?

Steve

 

[PVinspector]

From U-1(c)(2) of 2007 ASME Section VIII, describing items that are EXEMPT from the ASME Code:

(f) a vessel for containing water under pressure, including those containing air the compression of which serves only as a cushion, when none of the following limitations are exceeded:
(1) a design pressure of 300 psi (2 MPa);
(2) a design temperature of 210 deg. F (99 deg. C);


Based on the above, I believe the cooling chamber would be exempt from ASME Section VIII requirement, but each jurisdiction has the option to modify the exclusion, so check with the installed jurisdiction to be sure.