A Pressure vessel for human occupancy is a container that is intended to be occupied by one or more persons at a pressure which differs from ambient by at least . Since 1977, the

American Society of Mechanical Engineers The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via " continuing ...

PVHO committee has published standards governing the construction of a number of structures which are defined as Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy. The current standard is PVHO-1-2019. Similar standards are published by a range of national and international standards organisations.

List of PVHO types

decompression chamber A diving chamber is a vessel for human occupation, which may have an entrance that can be sealed to hold an internal pressure significantly higher than ambient pressure, a pressurised gas system to control the internal pressure, and a supply o ...

s * Closed diving bells, also known as dry bells or personnel transfer capsules * High altitude chambers *

hyperbaric chamber A diving chamber is a vessel for human occupation, which may have an entrance that can be sealed to hold an internal pressure significantly higher than ambient pressure, a pressurised gas system to control the internal pressure, and a supply of ...

s * hyperbaric stretchers * medical hyperbaric oxygenation facilities *

recompression chamber A diving chamber is a vessel for human occupation, which may have an entrance that can be sealed to hold an internal pressure significantly higher than ambient pressure, a pressurised gas system to control the internal pressure, and a supply of ...

s *

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

s * Manned submersibles *

Atmospheric diving suit An atmospheric diving suit (ADS) is a small one-person articulated submersible which resembles a suit of armour, with elaborate pressure joints to allow articulation while maintaining an internal pressure of one atmosphere. An ADS can enable di ...

Nuclear reactor A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a fission nuclear chain reaction or nuclear fusion reactions. Nuclear reactors are used at nuclear power plants for electricity generation and in nuclear marine propulsion. Heat fr ...

containments, aerospace cabins, caissons or mild hyperbaric chambers are not considered to be PVHOs according to the standard.

References

American Society of Mechanical Engineers Diving support equipment Decompression equipment {{Engineering-stub