INTERNATIONAL ISO

STANDARD 23876

First edition
2022-06

Gas cylinders — Cylinders and tubes

of composite construction — Acoustic
emission examination (AT) for
periodic inspection and testing
Bouteilles à gaz — Bouteilles et tubes composites — Essai par
émission acoustique (EA) pour les contrôles et les essais périodiques

Reference number
ISO 23876:2022(E)

© ISO 2022
ISO 23876:2022(E)

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© ISO 2022
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 ISO 23876:2022(E)

Contents Page

Foreword......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... iv
Introduction..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................v
1 Scope.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
2 Normative references...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
3 Terms and definitions..................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
4 General operational principles of acoustic emission..................................................................................................... 3
5 Personnel qualification................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
6 Test validity (input instructions)........................................................................................................................................................ 4
7 Acoustic emission testing calibration and testing equipment............................................................................ 4
7.1 Acoustic emission equipment and settings.................................................................................................................... 4
7.1.1 Acoustic emission instrumentation................................................................................................................... 4
7.1.2 Sensors......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
7.1.3 Preamplifiers.......................................................................................................................................................................... 4
7.1.4 Filter............................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
7.1.5 Settings........................................................................................................................................................................................ 5
7.2 Acoustic emission examination calibration and equipment verification............................................ 5
7.2.1 Calibration................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
7.2.2 Determination and check of sensor installation layout.................................................................... 5
7.2.3 Procedure.................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
7.2.4 Pressurization test methods.................................................................................................................................... 8
7.2.5 Analysis of AE criteria.................................................................................................................................................... 9
8 Verification of rejection criteria using actual cylinders............................................................................................ 9
9 Test report................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
10 Rejection and rendering cylinders unserviceable......................................................................................................... 10
Annex A (informative) Example of verification tests performed on cylinders to detect
damage resulting from mechanical impacts or other types of damage................................................. 11
Annex B (informative) Examples of rejection criteria.................................................................................................................... 14
Bibliography.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 15

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ISO 23876:2022(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see
www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 58, Gas cylinders, Subcommittee SC 4,
Operational requirements for gas cylinders.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

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 ISO 23876:2022(E)

Introduction
In recent years, new non-destructive examination (NDE) techniques have been successfully introduced
as an alternative for part of the conventional testing procedures for gas cylinders and tubes at the time
of periodic inspection and testing.
One of the NDE alternative methods for certain applications is acoustic emission examination (AT),
which in several countries has proven to be an acceptable testing method applied during periodic
inspection.
This AT method for Type 1 cylinders is described in ISO 16148, which allows pneumatic pressurization
to a value of at least 110 % of the cylinder’s normal working pressure or hydraulic pressurization to
a value equal to the cylinder’s test pressure. ISO 16148 was developed for periodic inspection and
testing of monolithic materials (seamless steel and aluminium-alloy cylinders [Type 1]) and includes
modal acoustic emission. ISO 16148 is not adapted to test composite cylinders. For composite cylinders,
further details on the use of modal acoustic emission are described in ISO/TS 19016.
ISO 11623 provides requirements for the periodic inspection of composite cylinders based on the
hydraulic test and visual inspection.
AT was used recently (HyPactor Project[10]) to detect loss of performance of composite cylinders due to
mechanical impact. These tests have shown that this method can be used successfully to detect defects
in composite cylinders, provided that appropriate verification criteria using performance tests and
pressurization tests for cylinders and tubes with or without damage are used as outlined in Annex A.
This document also gives other requirements concerning preparation, finishing and maintenance of
composite cylinders and tubes as well as the safety precautions for the personnel performing this work.
These requirements can be mandatory under other regulations.

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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 23876:2022(E)

Gas cylinders — Cylinders and tubes of composite

construction — Acoustic emission examination (AT) for
periodic inspection and testing
CAUTION — Some of the tests specified in this document involve the use of processes that could
lead to a hazardous situation.

1 Scope
This document specifies the use of acoustic emission examination (AT) during periodic inspection
and testing of hoop wrapped (Type 2) and fully wrapped (Types 3 and 4) composite transportable gas
cylinders and tubes of water capacity up to 3 000 l, with aluminium-alloy, steel or non-metallic liner or
of linerless construction (Type 5), intended for compressed and liquefied gases under pressure.
It is applicable to only the verification of the composite material. Additional inspection such as internal
visual inspection of the liner does not apply to this document (see ISO 11623).
NOTE Unless noted by exception, the use of the word “cylinder” in this document refers to both cylinders
and tubes.

2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 9712, Non-destructive testing — Qualification and certification of NDT personnel
ISO 10286, Gas cylinders — Vocabulary
ISO/IEC 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
ASTM E1106-12, Standard Test Method for Primary Calibration of Acoustic Emission Sensors
EN 13477 (all parts), Non-destructive testing — Acoustic emission — Equipment characterisation
EN 13554, Non-destructive testing — Acoustic emission testing — General principles
EN 14584, Non-destructive testing — Acoustic emission testing — Examination of metallic pressure
equipment during proof testing — Planar location of AE sources
EN 15495, Non Destructive testing — Acoustic emission — Examination of metallic pressure equipment
during proof testing — Zone location of AE sources
EN 15857, Non-destructive testing — Acoustic emission — Testing of fibre-reinforced polymers — Specific
methodology and general evaluation criteria

3 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 10286 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://​w ww​.iso​.org/​obp

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ISO 23876:2022(E)

— IEC Electropedia: available at https://​w ww​.electropedia​.org/​

3.1
acoustic emission
AE
class of phenomena whereby transient elastic waves are generated by the rapid release of energy from
localized sources within a material, or the transient waves so generated
Note 1 to entry: Acoustic emission is the recommended term for general use. Other terms that have been used in
AE literature include:

a) stress wave emission;

b) microseismic activity;

c) emission or acoustic emission with other qualifying modifiers.

Note 2 to entry: For composite materials, elastic waves can also be generated by delamination, fibre (3.11)
breakage or matrix (3.12) debonding.

[SOURCE: ISO 12716:2001 2.1, modified — Note 2 to entry added.]

3.2
acoustic emission detection threshold
voltage level that must be exceeded in order to detect an acoustic emission (3.1) signal
3.3
acoustic emission evaluation threshold
threshold value used for analysis of the test data
3.4
acoustic emission examination
AT
testing of a test object during controlled stimulation using acoustic emission (3.1) instrumentation to
detect and analyse sources of acoustic emission
3.5
anisotropy
property of a material to have different physical properties in different directions
3.6
background noise
acoustic emission (3.1) signal that originates from sources other than defects
3.7
composite overwrap
fibres (3.11) and matrix (3.12) taken together as a combined unit
3.8
cylinder test pressure
marked value on the cylinder at which it is pressure tested
3.9
developed pressure
pressure developed by the gas contents in a cylinder at a uniform temperature of Tmax
Note 1 to entry: Tmax is the expected maximum uniform temperature in normal service as specified in
international or national cylinder filling regulations.

[SOURCE: ISO 10286:2021, 3.5.27]

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3.10
Felicity ratio
load at which the “onset of significant emission” (based on the rejection criteria) occurs during the
reload portion of load/reload cycles, divided by the previous maximum load of that cycle
Note 1 to entry: The onset of significant emission is derived from an AE characteristic parameter and its
quantitative value, for all channels and/or most active channel.

3.11
fibre
load-carrying part of the composite overwrap (3.7)
EXAMPLE Glass, aramid or carbon.

3.12
matrix
material used to bind and hold the fibres (3.11) in place
Note 1 to entry: The matrix is sometimes called “resin”.

3.13
working pressure
settled pressure of a compressed gas at a uniform reference temperature of 15 °C in a full gas cylinder
Note 1 to entry: In North America, service pressure is often used to indicate a similar condition, usually at 21,1 °C
(70 °F).

Note 2 to entry: In East Asia, service pressure is often used to indicate a similar condition, usually at 35 °C.

[SOURCE: ISO 10286:2021, 3.5.30, modified — Note 3 to entry deleted.]

4 General operational principles of acoustic emission

When a composite cylinder containing flaws is pressurized, transient elastic waves can be generated by
several different sources (e.g. fibre breakage, matrix cracking, delamination). These waves are defined
as acoustic emissions (AEs). AEs resulting from major flaws such as delamination or fibre bundle
breakage start at a pressure less than or equal to the AT test pressure. The internal pressure causes
stress in the composite overwrap, which can result in AE that propagate throughout the structure as
plate waves.
Piezoelectric sensors mounted on a cylinder surface respond to plate waves that propagate throughout
the structure. They are connected to a signal processor via a preamplifier, which records the signal
parameters associated with the motion under the sensor surface. Using at least two sensors, one
mounted at each end of a cylinder, allows the operator to determine a linear location (while a minimum
of three sensors are required for planar/geodesic location). The approximate location of event sources
can be derived from the measured arrival time of sound waves at the sensors.
The general principle of this document is to perform some AE tests followed by destructive tests on
undamaged cylinders, cylinders with acceptable damage, and cylinders with unacceptable damage in
order to validate and choose the relevant parameters and rejection criteria for each cylinder type and/
or size. However, once rejection criteria are selected for a design type, then these criteria shall be used
for the cylinders of the same type.
If, for the parameters and rejection criteria selected, it is not possible to differentiate between damaged
and undamaged cylinders, then another rejection criterion shall be selected. If the rejection criteria
do not allow a differentiation, then AT shall not be used. Annex A gives an example of verification tests
performed on cylinders to detect damage resulting from mechanical impacts or other types of damage.
In all cases, the potential failure modes of the cylinder design and the related effect analysis shall be
assessed.

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5 Personnel qualification
The AT equipment shall be operated by, and its operation supervised by, qualified and experienced
personnel only, certified in accordance with ISO 9712 or equivalent (e.g. ASNT SNT-TC-1A). The operator
shall be certified to at least Level I and this individual shall be supervised by a Level II or a Level III
person who offers an interpretation of the results. The testing organization shall retain a Level III
(company employee or a third party) to oversee the organization’s entire AT programme.

6 Test validity (input instructions)

The type of construction of the cylinder (e.g. Type 2, 3, 4 or 5), the type of liner, the type of fibre (e.g.
carbon, glass, aramid) and the resin (e.g. epoxy) shall be recorded.
Further information shall include as a minimum the name of the cylinder manufacturer, the cylinder’s
water capacity (minimal or nominal), its outside nominal diameter and its working pressure (see
Annex A).

7 Acoustic emission testing calibration and testing equipment

7.1 Acoustic emission equipment and settings

7.1.1 Acoustic emission instrumentation

Damage in composite structures usually generates a transient AE, similar to a burst, but with a strong
activity that can resemble a continuous emission. The AE instrumentation used shall have sufficient
performance to allow real-time acquisition and processing of the numerous AE sources emitted by this
type of material without saturation of the acquisition system.

7.1.2 Sensors

The sensors shall have a minimum sensitivity of +60 dB ref. V/m (transient source) at the resonant
frequency in accordance with ASTM E1106-12 or equivalent. They shall be stable in terms of sensitivity,
without cross-talk, in the temperature range of the test. The frequency range used shall be within the
100 kHz to 200 kHz frequency band.
Low-frequency sensors (e.g. 30 kHz to 75 kHz) shall not be used to replace high-frequency sensors
(100 kHz to 200 kHz).
The characteristics of the sensors shall be monitored and recorded at the start of the procedure and
during the duration of the procedure in accordance with EN 13477-2 or equivalent.
NOTE The procedure given in EN 13477-2 allows rapid comparison of the sensitivity of sensors. Deterioration
of the sensors can result from several sources, e.g. mechanical shock, exposure to high temperature, high ionizing
radiation or a corrosive environment, water ingress or a damaged connector or cable.

7.1.3 Preamplifiers

The preamplifiers may be integrated to the sensors or installed in a remote location. The gain of the
preamplifiers shall be known. The minimum dynamic range shall be at least 66 dBAE .

7.1.4 Filter

The overall filtering (preamplifier + system) shall have a minimum slope of 24 dB/octave outside the
110 kHz to 300 kHz band. The acquisition frequency band shall consider the frequency of the sensor
used.
For the low frequency sensor, the bandwidth shall be between 20 kHz and 45 kHz.

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7.1.5 Settings

The value of the acoustic emission detection threshold shall be at least 6 dB above the background
noise. In all cases, this value shall be less than or equal to the acoustic emission evaluation threshold.
The background noise shall be below 30 dBAE .
The rearming time of the system (defined as the minimum time between two consecutive bursts)
shall be less than or equal to 200 µs. The acoustic activity is very high (risk of burst overlapping) and
the reflection is dramatically reduced due to the significant attenuation of the cylinder’s materials of
construction. The rearming time of the system shall be adapted to the propagation conditions and shall
ensure optimum detectability.
A written procedure shall be available and applied for the adjustment of its instrumentation settings.
This procedure shall allow to define, on-site, the signal acquisition, conditioning and processing
conditions in accordance with EN 13554, EN 13477-1 and EN 13477-2, EN 14584, EN 15495, EN 15857
or equivalent.

7.2 Acoustic emission examination calibration and equipment verification

7.2.1 Calibration

The pressure sensors shall be calibrated at least annually in accordance with the requirements of
ISO/IEC 17025. The sensors shall be verified monthly by a competent person in accordance with an
appropriate standard, e.g. ASTM E2191/E2191M-16.
The competency of personnel is defined in ISO 16148:2016, Clause 5.
NOTE This does not prohibit calibration of the pressure sensors off-site from the laboratory, e.g. at the
machine location.

The performance of the complete AT system shall be checked, at least annually, according to a
recognized standard, e.g. EN 13477-2, ASTM E1419/E1419M-15a, and shall be adjusted so it conforms to
the equipment manufacturer’s specifications.

7.2.2 Determination and check of sensor installation layout

7.2.2.1 Velocity and attenuation measurement

Due to their composition, composite materials are heterogeneous and anisotropic materials. Anisotropy
mainly results from the volume and orientation of the fibres; it affects the propagation of the acoustic
extensional waves in terms of velocity and attenuation. Therefore, the attenuation shall be measured,
especially for high-frequency sensors, in all directions and then considered in the worst condition found
(e.g. circumference + line at 45° in relation to the circumference).

7.2.2.2 Number of sensors

The number of sensors shall allow the overall examination of the entire tested structure, with zonal,
linear and/or planar location analysis (if applicable). If access to the cylinder wall is not possible,
then other possible solution(s) with their limits (if any) shall be proposed to perform the overall
examination of the structure (permanently installed sensors or installation of access shafts, e.g. at time
of manufacturing) in accordance with this document.

7.2.2.3 Sensor-to-sensor distance

The check of the performance of the acquisition system shall usually be carried out using a 2H graphite
pencil lead, with a diameter of 0,5 mm and a length of 3,0 mm ± 0,5 mm, held by a suitable end piece
(Hsu-Nielsen method).

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The attenuation curve is determined by measuring in at least in two directions at 45° angles, one
direction being preferably the hoop direction or the axial direction, on at least six points distributed
over the detection distance of a high-frequency sensor, with at least three lead breaks per point.
For each evaluated direction, the amplitude of each lead break shall be recorded to determine the
maximum detection sensor distance, which corresponds to the intersection between the attenuation
curve and the acoustic emission detection threshold. The number of sensors shall then be determined
based on the maximum detection distance and the type of location.
In addition, a pencil lead break should be performed in-plane as well as out-of-plane to verify the correct
attenuation measurement.

7.2.2.4 Zonal location

The quantity and position of the sensors shall allow the detection of any Hsu-Nielsen simulation on
the structure by at least one sensor, with a measured amplitude greater than the value of the acoustic
emission evaluation threshold (maximum value of the fixed acquisition threshold). The maximum
distance between sensors shall not exceed 1,5 times the detection distance of the sensor at the detection
threshold.
The same location algorithm used for each type of cylinder shall be reported to allow repetition of
similar types of cylinder tests.

7.2.3 Procedure

7.2.3.1 Sensor coupling

Since the surface of a composite material is not regular at the scale of a sensor, the sensors shall be
placed in an area that is as flat as possible. The coupling agent used shall ensure adequate acoustic
wave transmission and shall be compatible with the inspected material in order to prevent any damage
to the material (e.g. chemical reaction).
To avoid any entrapment of air, the sensors should be held in place with adhesive tape or with rubber
bands and securing rings bonded to the examined structure, or by using any other means (e.g. hot
plastic glue guns). Sensor coupling shall remain stable throughout the test and the attachment of the
sensors shall not generate any acoustic interference.
When using hot plastic glue guns, precautions should be taken to avoid heat damage of the sensor and
the cylinder.

7.2.3.2 Channel sensitivity check

Before and after the examination, the performance of the complete AT equipment (coupling agent,
sensors, preamplifier and processors) shall be verified for the cylinder to be tested, as indicated below.
The response of each sensor with the adjoining measurement chain and source location accuracy
shall be verified by measuring the response with reference to an artificial, induced AE signal. The
preferred technique for conducting this verification check is the Hsu-Nielsen source (see ISO 12716 or
ASTM E2374).
The diameter of the pencil lead, the distance to the sensors and the expected peak amplitude response
are interrelated; they shall be specified in the written test instructions. The verification shall be
performed at a distance where the obtained peak amplitude is within the dynamic range of the
measurement chain. The maximum variation allowed shall be ± 3 dB between all channels, i.e. 6 dB
for the complete AT equipment. Any deviation outside the allowed range shall be corrected (e.g. by
improving the coupling, changing a sensor).
The use of an electronic pulser to check that there is no subsequent change in sensitivity, by comparison
with that obtained prior to the examination, is an acceptable alternative to the Hsu-Nielsen source
check (see 7.2.2.3). If the pulser is used, an approved procedure shall be provided that clarifies its use

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and calibration. For the testing of similar cylinders, the electronic pulser may also be used for the first
sensitivity check based on prior performed examinations.

7.2.3.3 Detectability and location tests

A detectability test shall be carried out in every area of the equipment, and more particularly in
the supporting areas (i.e. where the cylinder is supported during testing) using the Hsu-Nielsen
method (breaking of graphite pencil leads), to ensure that the entire structure is covered. This test
shall be recorded. If a zonal and/or planar location is considered, it shall also be tested to meet these
requirements. This check shall be recorded. When necessary, more sensors shall be added.
The accuracy of the source location and the distance between the sensors shall be adjusted in accordance
with the cylinder dimensions (e.g. diameter). The attenuation of the signal shall be considered.
NOTE The purpose of this operation is to validate the sensor installation layout.

7.2.3.4 Check of the background noise value

The value of the background noise shall be checked and recorded over a minimum period of 15 min, just
before applying the load to the equipment, to ensure that it is less than the acquisition threshold, i.e.
reduced by at least 6 dB.
All external or internal interference sources shall be reduced or eliminated. In particular, it shall be
ensured that the conditions of connection to the equipment are suitable so that the background noise
generated when filling or pressurizing the equipment remains within acceptable limits. The AE created
by the background noise shall be significantly lower than the AE created by a cylinder defect. This can
be verified by performing tests on undamaged cylinders. Annex A gives an example of verification tests
performed on cylinders to detect damage resulting from mechanical impacts or other types of damage.
In the event of testing on series production equipment and in a known environment, the background
noise monitoring time may be reduced to a minimum value of 5 min, provided that substantiation is
given in the procedure.
Furthermore, the total duration of these detected bursts shall be less than 1 % of the test duration.
EXAMPLE For a 15-min test, the total duration of the detected burst is 9 s.

Excess background noise can distort AE data or render them useless. Users shall be aware of the
following common sources of background noise (when the AT is performed):
— high gas fill rate (measurable flow noise);
— mechanical contact with the vessel by objects;
— leaks at pipe or hose connections.
Other sources of external background noise include:
— airborne sand particles, insects, rain drops or snow, etc.;
— electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference from nearby broadcasting facilities.
Interference sources that cannot be eliminated (fluid flow, internal sources, etc.) shall be characterized
and considered in the data analysis and interpretation. A referenced data filtering and processing
methodology shall be included in the written procedure.
AT shall not be used if background noise cannot be eliminated or sufficiently controlled.

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7.2.4 Pressurization test methods

7.2.4.1 General

WARNING — When performing AT (especially pneumatically), safety precautions shall be

taken to protect personnel carrying out the examination because of the considerable damage
potential from the stored energy that can be released. Additionally, since AE equipment is not
always explosion-proof, precautions shall be taken when the pneumatic pressurization gas is
flammable.
There are two pressurization methods that may be used during AT. Both Method A and Method B, which
are described in 7.2.4.2 and 7.2.4.3, respectively, are suitable for the periodic inspection and testing of
composite cylinders. Each method has its own benefits. For example, Method A can provide additional
information about structural integrity for cylinders that have a very high burst-to-cylinder test
pressure ratio; while by using Method B, since water is not used as a pressurizing medium, some types
of packaged cylinders (e.g. multiple element gas containers (MEGCs)) do not need to be dismantled.
Additional inspection may need to be performed on the liner.
The cylinder that is used for AT shall be instrumented in accordance with 7.2.2 and 7.2.3 and then
pressurized by either Method A or Method B.
Monitor and record the AE during the entire test. If detected indications suggest that the cylinder could
rupture, the pressure shall be released immediately.
NOTE Repeated pressurizations above the AT test pressure affect the AT result.

During AT, if a cylinder fails a test method, it is not permissible to use a different periodic inspection
and testing method such as a hydraulic proof pressure test to retest the cylinder.

7.2.4.2 Method A (hydraulic)

AT test pressure is equal to the cylinder test pressure. Each cylinder shall be subjected to a hydraulic
pressurization from 0 bar to the cylinder test pressure, at which point a pressure-hold period of 10 min
will commence.
If the Felicity ratio is used, the cylinder shall be pressurized to the same pressure as above and the
pressure is decreased (e.g. down to 70 % of this pressure) and then re-pressurized to the same pressure
level as mentioned above.
NOTE This allows the Felicity ratio to be calculated.

The fill rate shall be less than the rate at which flow noise first appears. If at any time during fill, the fill
rate is too high so that it causes flow noise, decrease the fill rate until the flow noise disappears.
After depressurization, conduct a post-test channel sensitivity check (pencil lead breaks as described
in 7.2.3.2) and record and save the data.
If the post-test verification does not meet the requirements of 7.2.3.2, the test is invalid.

7.2.4.3 Method B (pneumatic)

If the previous maximum developed pressure experienced by the cylinder is not known, the AT test
pressure is equal to either 76 % of the cylinder test pressure or 5 % above the cylinder’s maximum
allowable developed pressure at 65 °C, whichever is greater. Each cylinder shall be subjected to a
pneumatic pressurization with a gas compatible with the cylinder material from 0 bar to the AT test
pressure, at which point a pressure-hold period of 10 min will commence.

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If the Felicity ratio is used, the cylinder shall be pressurized to the same pressure as above and the
pressure is decreased (e.g. down to 70 % of this pressure) and then re-pressurized to the same pressure
level as mentioned above.
NOTE This allows the Felicity ratio to be calculated.

The fill rate shall be less than the rate at which flow noise first appears. If at any time during fill, the fill
rate is too high so that it causes flow noise, decrease the fill rate until the flow noise disappears.
After depressurization, conduct a post-test channel sensitivity check (pencil lead breaks as described
in 7.2.3.2) and record and save the data.
If the post-test verification does not meet the requirements of 7.2.3.2, the test is invalid.

7.2.5 Analysis of AE criteria

For the analysis of AE criteria, the following may be used:

— Felicity ratio;
— number of counts, Na;
— minimum duration of the bursts attributed to delamination, Dm;
— location clusters;
— energy;
— background evolution;
— AE activity during the hold period.
An example using AE criteria is given in Annex B.

8 Verification of rejection criteria using actual cylinders

AT tests shall be verified using cylinders of the same type/geometry/pressure (as the one to be tested)
with different defects (e.g. due to mechanical impacts).
For this purpose, cylinders of the same type shall be damaged in a controlled way and before performing
the AT tests. It shall be verified (e.g. by burst or pressure cycling tests) if the results are consistent with
the results of the destructive tests. Tests shall also be performed on undamaged cylinders (or cylinders
with acceptable damage) to verify that they pass the acceptance criteria.
An example of the verification of the rejection criteria is given in Annex A.

9 Test report
The test report shall contain the following information:
a) name(s) of owner(s) of cylinders;
b) serial number(s) and manufacturer(s);
c) examination date and location;
d) previous examination date and previous test pressure; if the operator is aware of situations where
the cylinder was subjected to pressure that exceeded its normal filling pressure, these situations
shall be described in the report;

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e) specified filling pressure, if any (to be supplied by the cylinder owner) and marked “working
pressure”;
f) pressurization medium used for the test;
g) pressurization rate(s);
h) pressure at which data acquisition started;
i) AT pressure;
j) location of AT sensors;
k) locations (areas) of AE sources that exceed rejection criteria, including estimated distance from the
end of the cylinder that bears the serial number (usually this is stamped on the cylinder);
l) any variation to the threshold detection (dBAE), preamplifier gain (dB) or rearming time (µs);
m) stacking chart that shows relative locations of cylinders and associated channel number, if
appropriate;
n) sketch with dimensions showing sensor and simulated source locations;
o) AT results including:
1) events versus location plot for each cylinder;
2) cumulative events versus pressure (or time) plot for each channel of each cylinder;
3) cumulative energy versus pressure plot for each channel of each cylinder or energy distribution
histograms for each channel;
4) distance-corrected amplitudes versus location plot of each cylinder;
p) examination procedure and revision number;
q) type of AT equipment (instrument, sensors, etc.);
r) results of system verifications including documentation on achieved location accuracy;
s) final result of the periodic inspection (pass or fail);
t) name, qualification and signature of examination operator.
In addition, it is recommended to report any other relevant examination performed during the periodic
inspection, including visual examination of the liner and external visual examination of the cylinder
(e.g. ISO 11623).

10 Rejection and rendering cylinders unserviceable

The decision to reject a cylinder may be taken at any stage during the periodic inspection and testing
procedure. If it is not possible to recover a rejected cylinder, the testing facility shall, at the discretion of
the owner, condemn the cylinder by rendering it unserviceable for holding gas under pressure so that it
cannot be reissued into service.
One of the following methods shall be used to render the cylinder unserviceable:
— crushing the cylinder using mechanical means;
— cutting the neck off the cylinder;
— cutting of the cylinder in two or more irregular pieces.

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 ISO 23876:2022(E)

Annex A
(informative)

Example of verification tests performed on cylinders to detect

damage resulting from mechanical impacts or other types of
damage

WARNING — When performing AT (especially pneumatically), safety precautions shall be

taken to protect personnel carrying out the examination because of the considerable damage
potential from the stored energy that can be released. Additionally, since AE equipment is not
always explosion-proof, precautions shall be taken when the pneumatic pressurization gas is
flammable.

A.1 General
The verification tests listed in this annex are not adapted to detect some types of defects such as
ageing, fire damage, etc. For such defects, other verification test procedures should be developed. The
principles in this annex may be applied for testing cylinders with external physical defects such as
notches and scratches.
The verification programme may include:
— mechanical impact testing on cylinders (or testing on cylinders with other types of damage) at levels
of energy in relevance with the one estimated using Formula (A.1) and in accordance with cylinder
application (see A.2);
— demonstration by burst tests and cycling tests that cylinders have still no reduction in performance
compared to the batch results from new and undamaged cylinders;
— demonstration that AT criteria allow differentiating a cylinder that has a loss of performance (burst
pressure reduction or residual number of cycles not compatible with cylinder application) from a
cylinder with no loss of performance.
NOTE Additional testing with higher impact energy can be beneficial for the evaluation of impacted cylinders
in service and will help refining the acoustic emission evaluation threshold, thus providing data for inspection
verification.

A.2 Impact test set-up

The following provides a recommended set-up for the impact test:
— Boundary conditions:
— testing on empty cylinders is more conservative than on pressurized cylinders;
— testing on the cylindrical part provides the best reproducible test results.
— Impactor shape:
— testing to be performed with hemispherical impactor shape to obtain most challenging footprint
and reproducible results.
— Impactor parameters:
— diameter 56 mm – steel;

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ISO 23876:2022(E)

— take precautions to avoid secondary impacts due to rebounds on the vessel;

— impacts generated by a pneumatic cannon or from a drop tower create equal effects to the
structural composite;
— recording impact and rebound speeds, e.g. with a high-speed camera, can be helpful to analyse
absorbed energy.
Concerning the use of AT, tests have proven that AT rejection criteria are relevant no matter the length
of the cycling period after impact. Some AT tests performed using gas as the test medium instead of
water have shown that AT criteria remain efficient in gas pressurization; however, particular attention
should be paid to filtering out background noise. Also, as with AT tests for metallic cylinders, AT criteria
interpretation requires an overpressurization of the cylinder to ensure the detection of damage that is
created at high internal pressure.
An example using AE criteria is given in Annex B.

A.3 Verification
Verification of rejection criteria shall be performed for each vessel design and compared with a
reduction in the cylinder’s performance.
AT was used on Type 4 fully wrapped composite transportable gas cylinders (with plastic liners) in
recent European projects, to gather AT rejection criteria on cylinders subjected to mechanical impacts.
These tests allowed a methodology to be proposed to verify the AT rejection criteria based on the burst
pressure reduction curve with respect to impact energy (see Figure A.1). It was demonstrated that the
energy at which residual burst pressure starts to decrease is a relevant threshold to define a critical
defect limit where rejection criteria have to be efficient.
Variations in burst pressures from batch to batch need to be considered.
It was also demonstrated that for these Type 4 cylinders, the burst pressure reduction is the major
failure mode and fatigue has less influence on tested cylinders.

Key
Y burst pressure 1 acceptance (pass) area
X energy 2 rejection (fail) area

Figure A.1 — Burst pressure reduction curve with respect to incident impact energy

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 ISO 23876:2022(E)

When data from the manufacturer does not exist, an estimation of energy threshold (inflexion point of
Figure A.1) is given by Formula (A.1)[10]:

Eincident = ( Pburst × Ri ) × 30 , 10−6 / 0 , 65 (A.1)

where

Eincident incident energy (impactor total energy);

P burst burst pressure of cylinder with no loss of performance;

Ri inner vessel radius.

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ISO 23876:2022(E)

Annex B
(informative)

Examples of rejection criteria

This annex provides examples of rejection criteria, as given in Table B.1. The parameters to be selected
depend on the cylinder’s type of construction, its sizes, etc., following the principles given in Annex A.
Attenuation of signals shall also be considered (see 7.2.2.1). The velocity of the acoustic waves also
depends on the propagation direction measured. It is not always possible to use the planar location
technique, except in reduced-dimension meshing with small sensor-to-sensor distances (usually in
the range 0,25 m to 0,6 m depending on the characteristics of the source and the acoustic emission
detection threshold).

Table B.1 — Examples of rejection criteria

Example Alarm Shutdown
Nsa ≥ 100 ≥ 150
Ncb ≥ 10 ≥ 50
a Ns: number of signals per zone with an amplitude higher or equal to the acoustic emission evaluation threshold. (The
AE recorded per zone considers the signals detected by the first hit sensor.) Used with carbon composite cylinder. Detected
by the first sensor when the amplitude is higher to or equal to the threshold.
b Nc: cluster triggering threshold in activity, set to five localized events.
The size of the clusters shall be defined (e.g. a square of a dimension of 10 % of the distance between sensors).

NOTE In the HyPactor Project[10], the use of AE activity during the hold period was particularly efficient
criteria for the AE evaluation of 36 l cylinders.

For the HyPactor Project[10], Ns signals were recorded during all pressurization cycles including the
holding time, while Nc signals were recorded only during the holding time.
In this example, the holding time was 10 min and the pressurization rate was 40 bar/min. It is
recommended that the pressurization rate does not exceed 1 % per minute of the maximum test
pressure for a pneumatic test and 5 % per minute for a hydraulic test.

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 ISO 23876:2022(E)

Bibliography

[1] ISO 11623, Gas cylinders — Composite construction — Periodic inspection and testing
[2] ISO 12716:2001, Non-destructive testing — Acoustic emission inspection — Vocabulary
[3] ISO 16148:2016, Gas cylinders — Refillable seamless steel gas cylinders and tubes — Acoustic
emission examination (AT) and follow-up ultrasonic examination (UT) for periodic inspection and
testing
[4] ISO/TS 19016, Gas cylinders — Cylinders and tubes of composite construction — Modal acoustic
emission (MAE) testing for periodic inspection and testing
[5] EN 1330-9, Non-destructive testing — Terminology — Part 9: Terms used in acoustic emission
testing
[6] ASNT SNT-TC-1A, Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A: Personnel Qualification and Certification
in Nondestructive Testing
[7] ASTM E1419/E1419M-15a, Standard Practice for Examination of Seamless, Gas-Filled, Pressure
Vessels Using Acoustic Emission
[8] ASTM E2191/E2191M-16, Standard Practice for Examination of Gas-Filled Filament-Wound
Composite Pressure Vessels Using Acoustic Emission
[9] ASTM E2374, Standard Guide for Acoustic Emission System Performance Verification
[10] HyPactor Project [online]. Available at: https://​cordis​.europa​.eu/​project/​id/​621194/​reporting
[11] Blanc-Vannet P. et al. Residual performance of composite pressure vessels submitted to mechanical
impacts. Paper no. 136. Seventh International Conference on Hydrogen Safety, 2017

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ISO 23876:2022(E)

ICS 23.020.35
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