Pressure Vessels

Type
Riveted or bolted
Welded

ChE 523
Equipment Design

Standards

Pressure Vessels
Storage Vessels

Variable

ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code

British Code or British Standards (BS)
(West) German Code (A. D. Merkbltter)
Working or Operating
Design

Design Consideration

Design Consideration

Pressure

Design Loads

Internal
External

Major
Subsidiary

Temperature
Material of Construction
Design Stress
Welded Joint Efficiency
Corrosion Allowance

Minimum Practical Wall Thickness

Design Pressure

Design Temperature

Difference between internal and external

pressure
Under internal pressure

Strength decreases with temperature

Maximum allowable design stress based on
maximum operating temperature
No uncertainty allowable for predicted
vessel wall temperature

Set pressure of relief device

5 to 10% above working pressure
Hydrostatic pressure added (if significant)

Under external pressure

Maximum differential pressure
For vacuum service, design pressure is 15 psig

Material of Construction

Design Stress

Usual materials

a.k.a

Carbon steel
Low and high alloy steels
Alloys
Clad plate
Reinforced plastics

Ease of fabrication particularly welding

Compatibility with process environment

Nominal design strength

Maximum allowable stress

Design Stress Factor or Factor of Safety

Applied to maximum stress
Allowance for uncertainty in

Design methods
Loading
Quality of materials
Workmanship

Samples of Pressure Vessels

Samples of Pressure Vessels

Design Stress

Design Stress

Design Stress Factor or Factor of Safety

For materials not subjected to high

temperature

1.5 to 4 (usually 4)

Design Stress =

Yield Strength
Factor of Safety

Yield or Proof stress

Tensile strength or ultimate tensile stress

For materials subjected to creep

Average stress to produce rupture after 105 hrs
Average stress to produce 1% strain after 105
hrs

Welded Joint Efficiency

Welded Joint Efficiency

Strength depends on

Single-welded butt joint with bonding strips

Type of Joint
Quality of weld

Soundness of weld checked

Visual inspection
Non-destructive test (radiographic)

Joint Efficiency
EJ =

Strength of welded plate

Strength of unwelded virgin plate

0.90 for fully radiographed

0.80 for spot examined (radiographed)
0.65 if not radiographed

Double-welded butt joints

1.00 for fully radiographed
0.85 for spot examined (radiographed)
0.70 if not radiographed

Welded Joint Efficiency

Corrosion Allowance

In general, for spot examined (in the

absence of available precise data)

For carbon and low alloy steel

0.85 for electric resistance weld

0.80 for lap welded
0.60 for single-butt welded

2 mm min. where severe corrosion is not

expected
4 mm min. for severe corrosion

1.0 for seamless shells and heads

Most design codes and standards specify 1

mm min.

Design Loads

Design Loads

Major loads

Subsidiary loads

Design pressure
Static head of liquid
Max wt of vessel and contents under operating
conditions
Max wt of vessel and contents under hydraulic test
conditions
Wind loads
Earthquake or seismic load
Supported load

Local stresses caused by supports, internals and

connecting pipes
Shock loads caused by water hammer or surging of
vessel contents
Bending moments caused by eccentricity of the center
of working pressure relative to vessel neutral axis
Stresses due to temperature difference
Loads caused by fluctuations in temperature and
pressure

Minimum Practical Wall

Thickness

Minimum Wall Thickness

Wall thickness should withstand

General guide

Its own weight

Incidental loads

> 2.40 mm for welded or brazed construction

> 4.80 mm for riveted construction
> 6.35 mm for unfired steam boilers

General guide
6.4 mm for 1 m diameter and under
8.1 mm for 11.5 m diameter
9.7 mm for over 1.5 m diameter

Design Equations

Design Equations

Shells

Domed

Cylindrical
Spherical

Heads/Closures/Ends
Flat
Plates
Formed ends

Hemispherical
Ellipsoidal
Torispherical (or dished ends)
Conical

Domed
Types
Pierced
Unpierced

Design Equations (Internal P)

Design Equations (Internal P)

Cylindrical Shells

Spherical Shells

t=

P ri
+ Cc
SE J 0.6 P

SE + P 2
ri + Cc
t = ri J
SE J P

where

t 0.5ri

or P 0.385SE J

where

t > 0.5ri

or P > 0.385SE J

t=

P ri
+ Cc
2SE J 0.2 P

2 SE J + 2 P
t = ri
2 SE J P

where

t 0.356ri

or P 0.665 SEJ

3
ri + C c

where

t > 0.356ri

or P > 0.665 SEJ

Design Equations (Internal P)

Design Equations (Internal P)

Hemispherical Head (formula of spherical

shell can be used)
Ellipsoidal Head (for 2:1 ratio)
PDa
t=
+ Cc
2SE J 0.2 P

Torispherical Head

t=

0.885 PLa
+ Cc
SE J 0.1P
where

Knuckle radius 6% Crown radius

3t

Design Equations (Internal P)

Design Equations (Internal P)

Conical Head (for any point on a cone)

Conical Head (at cone-cylinder junction)

t=

1
PDc

+ Cc
2SE J P cos

t =

Cs

C s PD c
+ Cc
2 SE J P
20o
1.00

30o
1.35

45o
2.05

60o
3.20

Nomenclature

Nomenclature

Cc
Cs
Da
Dc
Ej
La

ri = inside radius of shell

S = maximum allowable stress
P = design pressure or stress; i.e. the
differential between internal and
external pressure
t = thickness

= half the cone apex angle

= corrosion allowance
= stress concentration factor
= major axis of ellipse
= diameter of the cone at the apex
= joint efficiency
= crown radius

Rules of Thumb (Heuristics)

Design Pressure

Design Pressure
Design Temperature
Corrosion Allowance

Allowance is either 10% of max operating P or

70175 kPa which ever is greater. Design P =
max operating P + Allowance
When no data is available for max operating P,
Design P = normal operating P + 175 kPa
For vessels operating at 0.321 atm and 316
538oC, Design P = 377 kPa
For vacuum operation, design P is 200 kPa outside
and full vacuum inside

Design Temperature

Corrosion Allowance

For operating temperature between 30 to

350oC, Design T = Operating T + 30oC
Below 30oC, special steel required
Above 350oC, allowable design stress falls
sharply

0.250.38 mm/yr or 3 mm for 10 yr life

9 mm for vessel in contact with corrosive
fluids
3 mm for noncorrosive fluids
For steam and air service, corrosion
allowance is 1.5 mm

Storage Vessels

Design Equations

Orientation

For Liquid Storage Tanks (Hydrostatic

Pressure Only)

Vertical
Horizontal

Roof Type
Floating or Expansion
Fixed

t=

L H L gD t
2000 PE J

+ Cc

Nomenclature

Rules of Thumb (Heuristics)

L
Dt
EJ
HL
g
P
t

Orientation
Sizing

= liquid density, kg/m3

= tank inside diameter, m
= joint efficiency (if applicable)
= liquid depth, m
= gravitational acceleration, 9.81 m/s2
= design pressure/stress of tank material, MPa
= minimum tank thickness required at depth
HL, mm

Orientation

Sizing

Vertical

Freeboard or Free Space

On tank legs for volume < 4 m3

On concrete pads for volume > 40 m3

Horizontal

15% of volume below 1.9 m3

10% for volume above 1.9 m3

Storage capacity

On concrete supports for 440 m3

Often specified on a 30day capacity

Connecting transportation schedules

At least 1.5 times that of connecting

transportation equipment

Example 1

Solution

Calculate for the thickness of the spherical vessel with

inside diameter of 10 m. that would be made from
carbon steel at 30oC and normal operating pressure
of 400 kPa (gage). Type of joint is buttweld with
backing strip and assume no corrosion allowance is
needed.

Calculate for design temperature

Since operating temperature is between
30oC to 350oC,
Design T = 30oC + 30oC = 60oC
Since T range of 29oC to 343oC, S =
94,500 kPa for carbon steel
Single butt-weld and assume no inspection
EJ = 0.65

Given:
Pnormal = 400 kPa (gage)
ri = 5 m

T = 30oC
Cc = 0

Solution

Solution

Calculate for design pressure

Pnormal = 400 kPa
Design P = 400 + 175 = 575 kPa
Check P conditions
0.665 SEJ = 94,500 * 0.65*0.665
= 40,848 kPa

1st equation for spherical shell will be used since

P < 0.665 SEJ
t = 0.023 m = 0.92 in
~ 1 in (standard size)
Answer is okay since calculated t < 0.356 ri
If in case t > 0.356 ri then the 2nd formula should
be used. Both conditions should be satisfied

Example 2

Solution

Calculate for the thickness of the cylindrical vessel

with 1.5 m diameter to operate at a maximum
internal pressure of 14 bar (abs) and temperature
of 400oC. Material of construction is plain carbon
steel. Vessel is double butt-weld and fully
radiographed. Corrosion allowance is 2 mm.

Calculate for design temperature

Assume a 10% allowance on temperature,
Design T = 400oC + 40oC = 440oC
S for carbon steel,
S, MPa
T,oC
29 to 343
94.5
399
82.7
454
57.2

Solution:
Optg P = 14 bar (abs)
Optg T = 400oC

ri = 0.75 m
Cc = 2 mm

Solution

Solution

Use S at 454oC since it would be safe to use the

higher temperature, S = 57.2 MPa
Double butt-weld and fully radiographed
EJ = 1.0
Operating P = Internal P External P
Assume external P to be 1 atm
Operating P = 1,400 101.325 = 1298.675 kPa
10% of allowance
= 1299 * 0.1
= 129.9 kPa

Calculate for design pressure

Since 129.9 kPa is within the 70-170 kPa range
then the 10% can be used
Design P = 1.299 + 0.1299 = 1.4289 kPa
Check P conditions
0.385 SEJ = 57.2 * 1.0 * 0.385 = 22 MPa
1st equation for cylindrical shell will be used
since P < 0.385 SEJ
t = 21.02 mm or 0.8276 in

Solution
Answer is okay already since calculated t < 0.5 ri

If in case t > 0.5 ri then the 2nd formula

should be used. Both conditions should be
satisfied

Vessel Costing
Fig 12-52 to 12-57 of [4]
Table 12-12 of [4]
From Handbook [6]
Fig 10-164
Fig 10-176
Fig 10-184
Fig 10-185
Fig 10-188
Fig 10-189

Reading Assignment

Problem

p 552-557 of [4]
From Handbook [6]

Calculate for the thickness of

(a) Torispherical Head

Standard wire and plate sizes Table 1-13

p 10-138 to10-142
p 10-148 to 10-151

(b) Standard Ellipsoidal Head (2:1)

Use all relevant data from Example 2

References

References

1.

Backhurst, J. R. and J. H. Harker. Process Plant

Design. London: Heinemann Education Books Ltd.,
1973.

4.

Peters, M. S., K. D. Timmerhaus and R. E. West. Plant

Design and Economics for Chemical Engineers. 5th
ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Inc., 2004.

2.

Coulson, Richardson and Sinnott. Chemical

Engineering Vol 6: An Introduction to Chemical
Engineering Design. London: Pergamon Press, 1986.

5.

Walas, S. M. Chemical Process Equipment: Selection

and Design. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1990.

6.
3.

Hesse, H. C. and J. H. Rushton. Process Equipment

Design. New Jersey: D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., 1945.

Perry, R. H., D. W. Green and J. O. Maloney. Perrys

Chemical Engineers Handbook. 7th ed. New York:
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1997.