Application of Indian Boiler Regulations (IBR) to Equipment and Pipelines

1.     Vessels:

                                          i.    Any closed vessel exceeding 22.75 liters (5 gallons) in capacity which is used exclusively for generating steam under any pressure and include any mounting or other fittings attached to such vessels, which is wholly or partly under pressure when steam is shut-off.

                                         ii.    Any equipment which receives steam condensate to produce flash steam that is used in Process, will fall under IBR purview, irrespective of pressure and quantity of steam produced.

                                        iii.    Any equipment which receives steam condensate to produce flash steam that is vented to atmosphere (without isolation), will not fall under IBR purview irrespective of pressure and quantity of steam produced. 

2. Piping:

                                          i.    Steam pipeline for which the design pressure excceds 3.5 kg/cm²g.

                                         ii.    Pipe size exceeds 254 mm internal diameter ( for any steam pressure).

                                       iii.    All steam / condensate pipelines interconnecting equipment under IBR purview, irrespective of pressures.

                                        iv.    BFW pipelines from BFW pumps to Boilers.

3. Following are not in IBR scope –

                                          i.    Steam Tracing piping

                                         ii.    Heating Coils

                                        iii.    Heating Tubes in Tanks

                                        iv.    Steam Jacketed Piping

4.  All steam users (heat exchangers, vessels, condensate pots etc) where outlet condensate is drained to atmosphere or flashed to atmospheric pressure (as in a Deaerator) and vented (without isolation) do not fall under IBR purview. The IBR specification break in such cases is done at last isolation valve on the steam line upstream of equipment. 
5. All steam users where the outlet condensate piping is connected to an IBR equipment are covered under IBR. In case of steam turbines even if the condensate is connected to an IBR equipment, the steam turbine is not covered under IBR. 
6. Deaerator operating at 1.05 kg/cm²a pressure and the BFW pumps do not fall under IBR purview. The BFW pump discharge pipeline to boiler falls under IBR purview. 
7. Safety valves/ relief valves on IBR system do not have isolation valve. 
8. Flash steam drums have to be provided a PSV without any upstream or downstream isolation valve.
9. Main steam headers shall be protected from overpressure by provision of a set of 2 PSVs and also a PIC control valve.
10. If a pressure reducing station or a desuperheater is provided in a steam line then the downstream of this pipeline after the desuperheater shall be protected by a set of PSVs. Set for lower pressure conditions, to take care of the possibility of malfunctioning of Pressure reducing station / desuperheater station which would result in high pressure steam being carried into lower pressure system.