Compressed Gas Cylinders Store Bottled Gases

Compressed gas cylinders are defined as vessels used to store gases at high pressure and the gas that is stored in this way is referred to as bottled gases. Throughout industry, gases are used in a multitude of situations and the easiest and most convenient way to store and transport these gases is with the aid of compressed gas cylinders.

Compressed Gas Cylinders Information

The Transportation And Handling Of Compressed Gas Cylinders

When gases are supplied in compressed gas cylinders, the cylinders have a stop angle valve at the end on top through which the compressed air can be released. Often, compressed gas cylinders are designed to be long and thin with a flattened bottom section and a curved top section to which the stop angle valve is attached. During storage, transportation, and handling when the gas is not in use, a cap may be screwed over the protruding valve to protect it from damage or breaking off in case of jostling or falling over en route. Instead of a cap, cylinders commonly have a protective collar or neck ring around the service valve assembly. Compressed gas cylinder sizes vary depending on make and application.

Gas Cylinder's Important Information

Compressed gas cylinders house gases under very high pressures and in order to maintain correct workplace conduct and ensure nobody is injured, compressed gas cylinder safety stipulations need to be adhered to. Important information pertaining to the cylinder and the safe use thereof can usually be found stamped on the side of the cylinder. The information will generally include:

  • The type of cylinder

  • The working or service pressure

  • The serial number

  • The test pressure

Gas cylinder storage plays a big part in compressed gas safety. Always be mindful of the type of gas you are storing, e.g. don't store oxygen cylinders close to open flames as this could result in an explosion.

Color Coded Gas Cylinders

Gas cylinders are often color coded, but the codes are not standard across different jurisdictions, and sometimes are not regulated. Therefore, when identifying gases, cylinder color should not be used for positive product identification:

  • Cylinders have labels which identify the gas they contain and the label alone should be used for positive identification.

  • When the identification provided by the label is dubious, it should be marked "Contents Unknown" and the manufacturer or distributor should be contacted to assist in identifying the cylinder contents.

Compressed Gas Cylinder Certification

When compressed gas cylinders are transported from country to country, it is often a matter of law for the equipment being brought in to have compressed gas cylinder certification. A country with particularly stringent certification procedures is New Zealand. All cylinders imported into New Zealand for filling with compressed gases are required to be certified. The three predominant steps include:

  • Design verification certification

  • Pre-commissioning certification

  • Import clearance certification

These are undertaken by test certifiers (like hydrostatic pressure testing) approved for each type of certification. A register of approved test certifiers for independent countries can generally be found on the government website. Fire extinguishers can often have different procedures for certification than generic compressed gas cylinders.

In order to ensure continued safe handling of high pressured compressed gas cylinders, tests should be run periodically on gas cylinders that are used more than once (which the majority of them are). The testing and inspecting can either be undertaken hydro statically or ultrasonically tested and will also include a visual examination every few years. In the U.S., hydrostatic/ultrasonic testing is required either every five years or every ten years, depending on the compressed gas cylinder and its service.