ASEN 3112 - Structures

Thin Walled
Pressure Vessels

ASEN 3112 Lecture 3 Slide 1

ASEN 3112 - Structures

Spherical and Cylindrical Pressure Vessels

ASEN 3112 Lecture 3 Slide 2

ASEN 3112 - Structures

Thin Wall Cylindrical Pressure Vessel:

Wall Stress Assumptions
Wall thickness t

2R

Free surface: rr = 0, rx = 0, r = 0
rr inside body neglected since
it varies from p to 0 over wall,
which is << & << xx

Zero because of thin

body and xr = rx

xr

xx : axial stress

Zero because of
axisymmetry and
x
no torque
Zero because
No tangential forces
r = r : hoop (a.k.a. Zero

because because r = 0 & rx =0

circumferential) =
x
x
stress
C

ASEN 3112 Lecture 3 Slide 3

ASEN 3112 - Structures

Thin Wall Cylindrical Pressure Vessel:

Free Body Diagrams for Hoop and Axial Stress

(a)
xx

(b)

xx

dx

(c)
t

t dx

xx (2R t)

~2R
x

p 2R dx
t dx

p(R 2 )
Both interior and exterior
vessel radii can be taken
as R, since t << R

ASEN 3112 Lecture 3 Slide 4

ASEN 3112 - Structures

Thin Wall Cylindrical Pressure Vessel:

Result for Wall Stress Distribution
Stress matrix at any wall point in cylidrical coordinates (x , , r ):

x x
0
0

0
0
0

Note: this is a
plane stress
state

Nonzero wall stress component in terms of the data (p,R,t)

=

pR
t

x x =

pR
=
2t

1
2

Hoop stress is twice axial stress, and will control the design

ASEN 3112 Lecture 3 Slide 5

ASEN 3112 - Structures

Thin Wall Spherical Pressure Vessel:

Free Body Diagram for Wall Stress
z

(2R t)

~2R

p (R2 )
x

ASEN 3112 Lecture 3 Slide 6

ASEN 3112 - Structures

Thin Wall Spherical Pressure Vessel:

Result for Wall Stress Distribution
Stress matrix at any wall point in spherical coordinates

0
0

0
0
0

Nonzero wall stress component in terms of the data (p,R,t)

pR
2t

ASEN 3112 Lecture 3 Slide 7

ASEN 3112 - Structures

Why A Spherical Pressure Vessel is More

Structurally Efficient Than A Cylindrical One
(hoop, a.k.a.
circumferential)

xx

xx (axial)

(a) Spherical vessel wall

(b) Cylindrical vessel wall

ASEN 3112 Lecture 3 Slide 8

ASEN 3112 - Structures

Thin Wall Cylindrical Pressure Vessel:

Watch Out For End Cap Effects
t

0.20 mm
0.35 mm

0.15 mm

(b) Detail A

0.35 mm

R = 1000 mm
(a) Deformed shape

ASEN 3112 Lecture 3 Slide 9

(c) Deformation of the same

cylindrical pressure vessel
at a flat head

ASEN 3112 - Structures

Joining Vessel Wall Pieces By Welds

t

45

Gap

Fair (eccentricity disturbs

membrane state) but cheap

Better but more expensive

ASEN 3112 Lecture 3 Slide 10

ASEN 3112 - Structures

Design of Lid-Bolted Thin-Wall Cylindrical Tank

Example Worked Out in Vable's Book and Lecture Text
Nbolt = bolt A bolt = bolt /4

Nlid = p R 2

ASEN 3112 Lecture 3 Slide 11