58

Revised Second Class Course Section A1 SI Units

OBJECTIVE O BJECTIVE 3 2
Calculate the ligament efficiency method for two or more openings in the pressure boundary of a pressure vessel.

INTRODUCTION
The tubesheet of a firetube boiler is usually a flat plate. The tubesheet of a watertube boiler is part of the boiler drum. Single openings in circular vessels have been covered in Module 1. Multiple openings, such as to be found in a tubesheet, present a different case and are covered by ligament rules to be found in Section I Paragraph PG-52, Section IV Paragraph HG-350 and Section VIII Paragraph UG-53. The ligament rules only consider the material between the holes and do not consider the tube material wall thickness. The value of the ligament efficiency found by these rules is used in the determination of the minimum required thickness and/or the maximum allowable working pressure for cylindrical components under internal pressure found in Paragraph PG-27 and Paragraph UG-27

LIGAMENTS
A ligament is the area of metal between the holes in a tubesheet. The three types of ligaments are: Longitudinal: located between the front and lengthwise holes along the drum. Circumferential: located between the holes and encircle the drum. Diagonal: a special case because they are located between the holes and are offset at an angle to each other. The rules of ligaments are applicable to groups of openings in cylindricalpressure parts that form a definite pattern. These rules also apply to openings not spaced to exceed two diameters centre to centre.

Conforms with the 2004 ASME Extract Revised 03/06

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59

The following symbols are used in the formulae for calculating ligament efficiency: P = longitudinal pitch of adjacent openings (mm) p/ = diagonal pitch of adjacent openings (mm) p1 = pitch between corresponding openings in a series of symmetrical groups of openings (mm) d = diameter of openings (mm) n = number of openings in length p1 E = ligament efficiency Use the formula:

p - d p when the pitch of the tubes on every row is equal (Fig. 1). E =
Use the formula:

(2.1)

p1 - nd p1 when the pitch of the tubes on any one row is unequal (Figs. 2 and 3). E =

(2.2)

For tube holes drilled along a diagonal, as shown in Fig. 4, use the diagram in Fig. PG-52-1 to obtain the ligament efficiency. (Fig. UG-53.5, Section VIII-1) Note: For holes along a diagonal, Section IV, paragraph HG-350.4 provides the following formula:
E
=

p/ - d p/ F

(2.3)

where F is obtained from the chart in Fig. HG-321. This method gives a higher efficiency than that obtained in Section I or Section VIII-1.
140 140 140 140 140 140 140

FIGURE 1 Example of tube spacing with hole pitch equal in every row

Longitudinal Line

Conforms with the 2004 ASME Extract Revised 03/06

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Revised Second Class Course Section A1 SI Units

FIGURE 2 Example of tube spacing with hole pitch unequal in every second row

130 140 130 140 130 140 130 140

270 mm Longitudinal Line

FIGURE 3 Example of tube spacing with hole pitch varying in every second and third row

130 130 140 130 140 130 130 140 130

670 mm Longitudinal Line

FIGURE 4 Example of tube spacing with tube holes on diagonal lines

140 mm Longitudinal Line

160 mm

Example 5: Thickness of drum tubesheet Using the rule in Section I, determine the minimum thickness of a 920 mm I.D. (internal diameter) cylindrical drum that has a series of openings in the pattern shown in Fig.4 above and in Fig. 5 below. The openings are 63.5 mm diameter on a staggered pattern of three longitudinal rows on 76 mm circumferential spacing and 116 mm longitudinal spacing. The maximum allowable working pressure is 4100 kPa at a temperature of 250 C. Drum material is SA-516-55 and the tube material is SA-209-T1. The openings are not located in or near any butt-welded joint.

Conforms with the 2004 ASME Extract Revised 03/06

Chapter 2 SME Code Calculations: Stayed Surfaces, Safety Valves, Furnaces

61

Solution

116 mm

116 mm

FIGURE 5 Solution - Thickness of a drum tubesheet

76 X 76

58 58 Longitudinal Line

Diagonal pitch X = = = =

582 + 762 3364 + 5776 9140 95.6 mm

Hole diameter (d) = 63.5 mm Longitudinal pitch (p) = 116 mm Use equation 2.1 p - d E= p 116 - 63.5 = 116 = 0.4526
p/ p = = 95.6 116 0.824

The point corresponding to these values on the diagram in Fig. PG-52.1, read from the y-axis, is 38%. As the point falls below the line of equal efficiency for the diagonal and longitudinal ligaments, the diagonal ligament is the weaker.

Conforms with the 2004 ASME Extract Revised 03/06

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Revised Second Class Course Section A1 SI Units

Section I, paragraph PG-27.2.2. (2001)

t = PR + C SE - (1 - y ) P

(2.4)

P = 4100 kPa or 4.1 MPa R = 460 mm S = 108 MPa at 250 C for SA-516-55 E = 0.38 as determined above C=0 y = 0.4 for ferritic steel below 480 C

= = = = =

PR + C SE - (1 - y ) P 4.1 460 108 0.38 - (1 - 0.4 ) 4.1 1886 41.04 - 2.46 1886 38.58 48.885 mm (Ans.)

The minimum thickness of the drum shell would be 48.885 mm without any allowance for manufacture or corrosion. Note: The minimum thickness of this drum, plain, without being drilled for tubes would be 17.836 mm. Therefore, the drum could be manufactured from two half shells; the tube sheet half being 48.885 mm thick, and the drum half being 17.836 mm thick as shown in Fig. 6. Each half would meet the conditions of rule PG-27.2.2.

FIGURE 6
DRUM

Example: Thickness of drum tubesheet Drum manufactured from two half shells
TUBESHEET

Conforms with the 2004 ASME Extract Revised 03/06