- The mechanical design of a pressure vessel begins

with specification of the design pressure and design

temperature These two parameters must be specified
together to obtain the correct mechanical design
details.

The weight of the liquid that is contained in the

vessel must be
considered in the design, as will be highlighted
below. The
hydrostatic pressure of the liquid must also be
considered in the
design of the vessel components. Therefore, the
pressure that
is used to design a vessel component is equal to
the design
pressure at the top of the vessel, plus the
hydrostatic pressure
of the liquid in the vessel that is above the point
being designed.
specified for pressure vessel design. A MDMT is specified
to
ensure that materials that have adequate fracture
toughness are
selected for construction.

For most pressure vessels, the

minimum design metal temperature equals the minimum
design
ambient temperature for the construction site.

Wind loads are imposed on all pressure vessels that are

located
outside of buildings

The expected corrosion rate is a major factor that influences

material selection. A high corrosion rate for a material in a
particular service requires a large corrosion allowance. This
larger corrosion allowance requires thicker components and
The ASME Code, Section VIII, Division 1, requires the minimum
thickness of shells and heads to be 1.6 mm (0.0625 in.) for most
applications, regardless of calculation results.

increases the cost of the pressure vessel.