European Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) 97/23/EG
The Pressure Equipment Directive pertains to pressure devices (steam or hot water generators, pressure vessels, pipes, equipment parts) and assemblies of pressure devices with a maximum permitted pressure greater than 0.5 bar above atmospheric pressure. Application of the PED is required by law since May 29th, 2002.
The Pressure Equipment Directive covers the lay-out, production and conformity assessment of pressure equipment with respect to its intended use and expected operation.
See also:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/pressure_equipment/ped/index_en.html
Application of the Pressure Equipment Directive to level and pressure sensors
Independent of the level of the max. permitted pressure, sensors with flange or threaded fitting whose housing is not subject to pressure don't fall under the Pressure Equipment Directive. Sensors with a pressurised housing can be classified as pressure retaining equipment according to the Pressure Equipment Directive.
When the max. permitted pressure is ≤ 200 bar and the pressure retaining volume of the sensor is ≤ 0.1 litre, the device is in fact subject to the Pressure Equipment Directive, but no CE Marking may be issued. (DGRL Art. 3, Par. 3) An exception to this are sensors that are part of safety arrangements for protecting pipes or containers from exceeding permissible limits (equipment component with safety function acc. to the Pressure Equipment Directive, Article 1 2.1.3). Such equipment has to be considered separately.
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Steam or hot water generator (steam boiler)
Pressure equipment that is vulnerable to overheating, due to its use for producing steam or hot water at a temperature of more than 110° degrees Celsius and with a volume of more than 2 litres, is subject to the Pressure Equipment Directive (Art. 3, Par. 1.2)
This pressure equipment has to be designed, evaluated and built so that the risk of a significant failure of pressure retaining parts due to overheating is avoided or minimised. Where applicable, it is particularly important that suitable protective devices are provided, so that operating parameters such as liquid levels can be limited in order to avoid the risk of local or general overheating. (Appendix 1, Par. 5)
Sensors serving as limiters of liquid levels in steam or hot water generators are therefore equipment components with a safety function; they come under Category 4 of the Pressure Equipment Directive. For this equipment, the conformity evaluation method has to be applied. At present, there are no instruments from VEGA that fulfil these requirements.
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