1

TYPE OF PRESSURE VESSEL

PRESSURE VESSEL SIZE AND

ANALYSIS OF PRESSURE VESSEL

 THE EFFECTS THAT PRESSURE AND FORCE HAVE ON A

PRESSURE VESSEL
WHEN A CONTAINER IS PRESSURIZED THEN PRESSURE IS
EXERTED AGAINST THE WALLS OF THE VESSEL. PRESSURE IS
ALWAYS
NORMAL
[PERPENDICULAR]
TO
THE
SURFACE
REGARDLESS OF THE SHAPE.
THE FORCE EXERTED ON THE SURFACE BOWS THE SURFACE
OUTWARD. THIS IS WHY PRESSURE VESSELS TEND TO BE ROUND.
IN FACT, AN IDEAL PRESSURE VESSEL IS A SPHERE.

 WE EXPRESS PRESSURE IN DIFFERENT WAYS [ENGLISH

UNITS]
POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH or psi
POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH ABSOLUTE or psia
INCHES OF WATER OR MERCURY or inches-H2O; inches- Hg

PRESSURE
PRESSURE IS FORCE DIVIDED BY AREA OR P = FORCE DIVIDED
BY AREA

 Psia DESCRIBES AN ABSOLUTE PRESSURE PER SQUARE INCH THAT

STARTS FROM A PERFECT VACUUM .
Psia IS INFLUENCED BY WEATHER AND ELEVATION .
A GOOD FRAME OF REFERENCE IS AT SEA LEVEL . THERE IS 14.7psia, psi DESCRIBES A RELATIVE PRESSURE THAT STARTS FROM
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.
THEREFORE IF YOU ARE ON A MOUNTAIN AND THE PRESSURE
VESSEL GAUGE READS 1000 psi AND RELOCATE THE PRESSURE
VESSEL TO SEA LEVEL ,THE GAUGE WILL READ 1000 psi. WE CAN
FURTHER SAY THAT AT SEA LEVEL THERE IS 0 psi.
EXAMPLE, WHEN PURCHASING A NEW GAUGE , PRESSURE GAUGE
READS ZERO. WE CAN NOW SAY psia IS AN ABSOLUTE PRESSURE
READING, AND psi IS A RELATIVE PRESSURE READING. IN MOST
CASES, psi IS USED ON PRESSURE VESSELS.
5

 THERE IS LITTLE DIFFERENCE EXCEPT THEY HAVE TO BE

CONVERTED. Inches of H2O IS MORE SENSITIVE THAN inches of Hg
BECAUSE MERCURY IS HEAVIER THAN WATER.
AT SEA LEVEL THERE IS 407.1 inch H2O AND 29.9 inches Hg

 TWO BASIC TYPES OF PRESSURE VESSELS BASED ON WALL

THICKNESS?
THINNED WALL- THESE PRESSURE VESSELS ARE THE MOST
CATEGORIZED. A THINNED WALLED PRESSURE VESSEL IS ANY
CYLINDER [SHELL] RATIO THAT IS 10% OR LESS THE RATIO OF
THE THICKNESS TO THE DIAMETER. ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING
THIS IS A PRESSURE VESSEL IS THINNED WALLED IF THE
DIAMETER IS 10 TIMES OR MORE THE THICKNESS.

t < 0.1
THICK WALLED- THESE PRESSURE VESSELS ARE THE LEAST
COMMON. A THICK WALLED PRESSURE VESSEL IS ANY CYLINDER
[SHELL] RATIO THAT IS 10% OR MORE THE RATIO OF THE
THICKNESS TO THE INSIDE DIAMETER.

t > 0.1
7

 THIN WALL REFERS TO A VESSEL HAVING AN INNER-RADIUS-TOWALL-THICKNESS RATIO OF 10 OR MORE (R / T 10).

WHEN THE VESSEL WALL IS THIN,
STRESS DISTRIBUTION
THROUGHOUT ITS THICKNESS WILL NOT VARY SIGNIFICANTLY,
AND SO WE WILL ASSUME THAT IT IS UNIFORM OR CONSTANT.

FOLLOWING THIS ASSUMPTION, ANALYSIS OF THIN WALLED

CYLINDRICAL AND SPHERICAL PRESSURE VESSEL WILL BE
CARRIED OUT.
IN BOTH CASES, THE PRESSURE IN THE VESSEL WILL BE
CONSIDERED TO BE THE GAUGE PRESSURE, SINCE IT MEASURE
THE PRESSURE ABOVE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE EXISTING AT
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE VESSELS WALLS.

 ABOVE ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT AN ELEMENT OF MATERIAL

TAKEN FROM EITHER CYLINDRICAL OR SPHERICAL PRESSURE
VESSEL IS SUBJECTED TO BI-AXIAL STRESS, I.E. NORMAL STRESS
EXISTING IN ONLY TWO DIRECTIONS.
ACTUALLY MATERIAL OF THE VESSEL IS ALSO SUBJECTED TO A
RADIAL STRESS, 3, WHICH ACTS ALONG A RADIAL LINE. THIS
STRESS HAS A MAX. VALUE EQUAL TO THE PRESSURE P AT THE
INTERIOR WALL AND DECREASES THROUGH THE WALL TO ZERO
AT THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE VESSEL, SINCE THE GAUGE
PRESSURE THERE IS ZERO.

FOR THIN WALLED VESSELS, HOWEVER,

RADIAL STRESS
COMPONENTS ARE IGNORED BECAUSE r / t = 10 RESULTS IN 1 &
2 BEING, RESPECTIVELY, 5 & 10 TIMES HIGHER THAN THE MAX.
RADIAL STRESS, (3)max = p

 IT MUST BE EMPHASIZED THAT THE FORMULA DERIVED FOR THIN

WALLED PRESSURE VESSELS SHOULD BE USED ONLY FOR CASES
OF INTERNAL PRESSURE.
IF A VESSEL IS TO BE DESIGNED FOR EXTERNAL PRESSURE AS IN
THE CASE OF VACUUM TANK, OR SUBMARINE, INSTABILITY
(BUCKLING) OF THE WALL MAY OCCUR & STRESS CALCULATIONS
BASED ON THE FORMULA DERIVED CAN BE MEANINGLESS.

10

 STORAGE TANKS- STORAGE TANKS ARE A CATEGORY OF THIN

WALLED PRESSURE VESSELS EXCEPT THAT ARE TYPICALLY UNDER

15 psi AND ARE SUPER THIN WHEN COMPARED TO THE RATIO
ABOVE.

TRANSPORTABLE

CONTAINERS

THESE ARE THE MOST

COMMON PRESSURE VESSEL AND POTENTIALLY THE MOST
IGNORED. THESE ARE MASS PRODUCED AND REQUIRE TESTING
EVERY 10 YEARS FOR PROPANE GAS ETC.
PROPANE BOTTLES - FORK TRUCKS, BARBECUES,
CYLINDERS - CO2, O2,...
OTHER- CONTAINERS, GAS CANES, BUBBLERS ETC.

GAS

11

 A PRESSURE VESSEL HAS TO RETAIN THE PRESSURE. IN DOING

SO, PRESSURE APPLIES TWO TYPES OF STRESSES IN A PRESSURE
VESSEL. THEY ARE CIRCUMFERENTIAL AND LONGITUDINAL

12

 WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER IS LONGITUDINAL STRESSES

ARE HALF AS MUCH AS THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL STRESSES.
THEREFORE, WE CAN SAY THAT LONGITUDINAL STRENGTH IS
TWICE AS STRONG AS CIRCUMFERENTIAL STRENGTH.
THIS IS ONLY TRUE FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES.

13

 CALCULATIONS
THIN-WALLED PRESSURE VESSEL
GENERAL FORMULA FOR PRESSURE VESSELS
[THIN WALLED PRESSURE VESSELS]
STRESS IN LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION = P x R / 2 x t
R = MEAN RADIUS
t =THICKNESS
STRESS IN CIRCUMFERENTIAL DIRECTION = P x R / t

14

 PURPOSE OF A FACTOR OF SAFETY

FACTORS OF SAFETY ARE USED BECAUSE NO MANUFACTURE CAN
GUARANTEE 100% QUALITY. EVERY PRESSURE VESSEL HAS A
FACTOR OF SAFETY. A FACTOR OF SAFETY ACCOUNTS FOR
UNCERTAINTIES IN MATERIALS, DESIGN AND FABRICATION.

FACTORY OF SAFETY [FS] = ACTUAL BREAKING STRENGTH

LOAD

TO BELIEVE IN THAT A F.S. MAKES A PV [PRESSURE VESSEL] SAFE

IS DANGEROUS AND UNWISE. PUTTING THIS IN ANOTHER WAY, A
FACTOR OF SAFETY COMPENSATE FOR IMPERFECTIONS IN THE
PRESSURE VESSEL; THEREFORE, EVERY PRESSURE VESSEL
SHOULD BE TREATED AS SAME REGARDLESS OF THE FACTOR OF
SAFETY.

15

 THERE ARE FOUR TYPES OF OVER PRESSURIZATION DEVICES:

RUPTURE DISKS

RELIEF VALVES
SAFETY RELIEF VALVES
SAFETY VALVES

THE SET PRESSURE SHOULD NEVER BE GREATER THAN THE

PRESSURE VESSELS MAWP [MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE WORKING
PRESSURE].

16

 HERE ARE SOME SPECIAL RULES TO THE SET PRESSURE RELIEF VALVES, SAFETY RELIEF VALVES, AND SAFETY VALVES
SHOULD BE SET AT OR BELOW PRESSURE VESSEL ASME
NAMEPLATE MAWP.
RUPTURE DISKS SHOULD BE SET NOT HIGHER THAN THE PV
[PRESSURE
VESSEL]
NAMEPLATE.
UNDER
SPECIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES THE RUPTURE DISK CAN BE SET UP TO 110% OF
THE MAWP.
IN ADDITION TO THIS SPECIAL CONDITION, WHENEVER THERE IS
A POSSIBILITY OF INTERNAL FIRE IN THE PRESSURE VESSEL , THE
RUPTURE DISK CAN BE SET NOT HIGHER THAN 160%, BUT A
PRESSURE VESSEL ENGINEER WILL NEED TO BE CONSULTED.
REMEMBER THERE SHOULD NEVER BE A SHUT OFF VALVE BETWEEN
THE PV AND OVER PRESSURIZATION DEVICE
17

1. ALWAYS IN AN UPRIGHT INSTALLATION.

2. INSTALL THE OVER PRESSURIZATION DEVICE A FEW PIPE
DIAMETERS AWAY FROM THE PV, BUT CONSULT THE CODE AND
MANUFACTURE FOR MAXIMUM DISTANCE

3. MAKE SURE THE EXHAUST DISCHARGES SAFELY AWAY, SO NO

ONE COULD BE INJURED.

18

 RELIEF VALVES - RELIEF VALVES OPEN AT A SET

PRESSURE AND RE-CLOSE AT THE SAME PRESSURE.

THESE DEVICES ARE SUITABLE FOR LIQUID
SERVICE.

SAFETY RELIEF VALVES - THESE VALVES DIFFER

FROM SAFETY VALVES IN THAT THEY ARE MEANT TO

HANDLE FLUID STREAMS THAT HAVE LIQUIDS AND
VAPOR. THESE VALVES POP OPEN AT A SET
PRESSURE AND RESET [BLOW DOWN] AT A LOWER
PRESSURE [VERY MUCH LIKE A SAFETY VALVE].

19

 SAFETY

VALVES

- SAFETY VALVES ARE

STRICTLY FOR VAPOUR OR GAS SERVICE. THE
VAPOUR OR GAS SHOULD BE RELATIVELY
CLEAN
TO
ENSURE
CONTINUED
AND
SUCCESSFUL OPERATION. A TYPICAL VAPOUR
IS STEAM, AN EXAMPLE FOR GAS WOULD BE
COMPRESSED AIR. THESE ARE NOT MEANT FOR
LIQUIDS. THESE VALVES POP OPEN AT A SET
PRESSURE AND RESET AT A LOWER PRESSURE
CALLED BLOW DOWN.

RUPTURE

DISKS-

RUPTURE DISKS ARE

PROBABLY THE MOST VERSATILE OVERPRESSURIZATION DEVICE. THESE CAN ONLY
BE USED ONCE. THEY ARE THE ONLY DEVICE
THAT CAN BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH
OTHER OVER-PRESSURIZATION DEVICES

20

21

22

23

24

25

 CONTENT
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
REQUIREMENTS PERTAINING TO METHODS OF FABRICATION OF
PRESSURE VESSELS
REQUIREMENTS PERTAINING TO CLASSES OF MATERIALS

26

 PLATE
FORGINGS

CASTINGS
PIPE AND TUBES
WELDING MATERIALS
PREFABRICATED OR PREFORMED PRESSURE PARTS
BOLTS AND STUDS
NUTS AND WASHERS
RODS AND BARS
27

 FOLLOWING ARE THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF PRESSURE VESSELS

IN GENERAL
SHELL
HEAD
NOZZLE
SUPPORT

28

29

 IT IS THE
PRESSURE.

PRIMARY

COMPONENT

THAT

CONTAINS

THE

PRESSURE VESSEL SHELLS IN THE FORM OF DIFFERENT PLATES

ARE WELDED TOGETHER TO FORM A STRUCTURE THAT HAS A
COMMON ROTATIONAL AXIS.
SHELLS ARE EITHER CYLINDRICAL, SPHERICAL OR CONICAL IN
SHAPE.

30

 HORIZONTAL DRUMS HAVE CYLINDRICAL SHELLS AND ARE

CONSTRUCTED IN A WIDE RANGE OF DIAMETER AND LENGTH.
SHELL SECTIONS OF A TALL TOWER MAY BE CONSTRUCTED OF
DIFFERENT MATERIALS, THICKNESS AND DIAMETERS DUE TO
PROCESS AND PHASE CHANGE OF PROCESS FLUID.

SHELL OF A SPHERICAL PRESSURE VESSEL IS SPHERICAL AS WELL.

31

 ALL THE PRESSURE VESSELS MUST BE CLOSED AT THE ENDS BY

HEADS (OR ANOTHER SHELL SECTION).
HEADS ARE TYPICALLY CURVED RATHER THAN FLAT.
THE REASON IS THAT CURVED CONFIGURATIONS ARE STRONGER
AND ALLOW THE HEADS TO BE THINNER, LIGHTER AND LESS
EXPENSIVE THAN FLAT HEADS.
HEADS CAN ALSO BE USED INSIDE A VESSEL AND ARE KNOWN AS
INTERMEDIATE HEADS.
THESE INTERMEDIATE HEADS ARE SEPARATE SECTIONS OF THE
PRESSURE VESSELS TO PERMIT DIFFERENT DESIGN CONDITIONS.

32

 ELLIPTICAL, HEMISPHERICAL, AND TORISPHERICAL ARE THE

MOST COMMONLY USED HEAD TYPES. NOTE THAT ALL HEAD TYPES
HAVE A STRAIGHT FLANGE (SF) SECTION, WHICH SIMPLIFIES
WELDING THE HEAD TO THE ADJACENT CYLINDRICAL SHELL
SECTION.

THE ELLIPTICAL AND TORISPHERICAL HEADS HAVE AN

INDICATED HEAD DEPTH (H), WHICH IS MEASURED FROM THE
STRAIGHT FLANGE TO THE MAXIMUM POINT OF CURVATURE ON
THE INSIDE SURFACE.

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

 A NOZZLE IS A CYLINDRICAL COMPONENT THAT PENETRATES INTO

THE SHELL OR HEAD OF PRESSURE VESSEL.
THEY ARE USED FOR THE FOLLOWING APPLICATIONS.
ATTACH PIPING FOR FLOW INTO OR OUT OF THE VESSEL.
ATTACH
INSTRUMENT
CONNECTION
THERMOWELLS, PRESSURE GAUGES).

(LEVEL

GAUGES,

PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE VESSEL INTERIOR AT MANWAY.

PROVIDE FOR DIRECT ATTACHMENT OF OTHER EQUIPMENT
ITEMS (e.g. HEAT EXCHANGERS).

(ASME - American Society of Mechanical Engineers )

41

 SUPPORT IS USED TO BEAR ALL THE LOAD OF PRESSURE VESSEL,

EARTHQUAKE AND WIND LOADS.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUPPORTS WHICH ARE USED
DEPENDING UPON THE SIZE AND ORIENTATION OF THE
PRESSURE VESSEL.
IT IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE NON-PRESSURIZED PART OF THE
VESSEL.

42

 SADDLE SUPPORT:

HORIZONTAL DRUMS ARE TYPICALLY SUPPORTED AT TWO

LOCATIONS BY SADDLE SUPPORT.
IT SPREADS OVER A LARGE AREA OF THE SHELL TO PREVENT AN
EXCESSIVE LOCAL STRESS IN THE SHELL AT SUPPORT POINT.
ONE SADDLE SUPPORT IS ANCHORED WHEREAS THE OTHER IS
FREE TO PERMIT UNSTRAINED LONGITUDINAL THERMAL
EXPANSION OF THE DRUM.

43

 LEG SUPPORT:
SMALL VERTICAL DRUMS ARE TYPICALLY SUPPORTED ON LEGS
THAT ARE WELDED TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE SHELL.
THE MAX. RATIO OF SUPPORT LEG LENGTH TO DRUM DIAMETER IS
TYPICALLY 2 : 1
REINFORCING PADS ARE WELDED TO THE SHELL FIRST TO
PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LOCAL REINFORCEMENT AND LOAD
DISTRIBUTION.
THE NUMBER OF LEGS DEPENDS ON THE DRUM SIZE AND LOADS
TO BE CARRIED.
SUPPORT LEGS ARE ALSO USED FOR SPHERICAL PRESSURIZED
STORAGE VESSELS.
CROSS BRACING BETWEEN THE LEGS IS USED TO ABSORB WIND
OR EARTH QUAKE LOADS.
44

 LUG SUPPORT:
VERTICAL PRESSURE VESSELS MAY
ALSO BE SUPPORTED BY LUGS.
USE OF LUGS IS TYPICALLY
LIMITED TO PRESSURE VESSELS
OF SMALL AND MEDIUM DIAMETER
(1 TO 10 FT)
ALSO MODERATE HEIGHT TO
DIAMETER RATIOS IN THE RANGE
OF 2:1 TO 5:1
LUGS ARE TYPICALLY BOLTED TO
HORIZONTAL
STRUCTURAL
MEMBERS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE
STABILITY
AGAINST
OVERTURNING LOADS.
45

 SKIRT SUPPORT:
TALL VERTICAL CYLINDRICAL PRESSURE VESSELS ARE TYPICALLY
SUPPORTED BY SKIRTS.
A SUPPORT SKIRT IS A CYLINDRICAL SHELL SECTION THAT IS
WELDED EITHER TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE VESSEL SHELL
OR TO THE BOTTOM HEAD (FOR CYLINDRICAL VESSELS).
THE SKIRT IS NORMALLY LONG ENOUGH TO PROVIDE ENOUGH
FLEXIBILITY SO THAT RADIAL THERMAL EXPANSION OF THE
SHELL DOES NOT CAUSE HIGH THERMAL STRESSES AT ITS
JUNCTION WITH THE SKIRT.

46

47

48

49

50

 TWO IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR CARBON AND LOW ALLOY

STEELS:
POST WELD HEAT TREATMENT (PWHT)
IMPACT TEST

51

 TEMPERATURES TO CONSIDER

MINIMUM DESIGN METAL TEMPERATURE (MDMT)

LOWEST TEMPERATURE AT WHICH
ADEQUATE FRACTURE TOUGHNESS

COMPONENT HAS

52

 STRESS RELIEVING AT AROUND 600 CENTIGRADE

53

 POSTWELD HEAT TREATMENT IS MANDATORY UNDER THE

FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:
a. FOR WELDED JOINTS OVER 112 in. (38 mm) NOMINAL
THICKNESS;

b. FOR WELDED JOINTS OVER 114 in. (32 mm) NOMINAL

THICKNESS THROUGH 112 in. (38 mm) NOMINAL THICKNESS
UNLESS PREHEAT IS APPLIED AT A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE
OF 200F (95C) DURING WELDING;

54

THERE ARE THREE MAIN TYPES OF PRESSURE VESSELS IN

GENERAL

HORIZONTAL PRESSURE VESSELS

VERTICAL PRESSURE VESSELS

SPHERICAL PRESSURE VESSELS

HOWEVER THERE ARE SOME SPECIAL TYPES OF VESSELS LIKE

REGENERATION TOWER, REACTORS BUT THESE NAMES ARE GIVEN
ACCORDING TO THEIR USE ONLY.

55

56

THE MAX. SHELL LENGTH TO

DIAMETER RATIO FOR A
SMALL VERTICAL DRUM IS
ABOUT 5 : 1

57

58

CONSTRUCTED IN A WIDER
RANGE OF SHELL DIAMETER
AND HEIGHT.

THEY CAN BE RELATIVELY

SMALL IN DIA AND VERY
LARGE (e.g. 4 FT DIA AND 200
FT
TALL
DISTILLATION
COLUMN.

THEY CAN BE VERY LARGE IN

DIA AND MODERATELY TALL
(e.g. 3 FT DIA AND 150 FT
TALL TOWER).

INTERNAL TRAYS ARE NEEDED

FOR FLOW DISTRIBUTION.

59

FIGURE SHOWS A TYPICAL

REACTOR VESSEL WITH A
CYLINDRICAL SHELL.

THE
PROCESS
FLUID
UNDERGOES
A
CHEMICAL
REACTION
INSIDE
A
REACTOR.

THIS REACTION IS NORMALLY

FACILITATED
BY
THE
PRESENCE OF A CATALYST
WHICH IS HELD IN ONE OR
MORE CATALYST BEDS.

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

 AS COMPLETE AN EXAMINATION AS CAN BE REASONABLY MADE

OF THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SURFACES OF A BOILER OR
PRESSURE VESSEL WHILE IT IS SHUT DOWN AND WHILE
MANHOLE PLATES, HANDHOLE PLATES OR OTHER INSPECTION
OPENING CLOSURES ARE REMOVED AS REQUIRED BY THE
INSPECTOR.

74

 ERROR IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

IMPROPER OPERATION
CORROSION
FAILURE TO INSPECT PROPERLY
LACK OF PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE

75

Thank You!
RK
JAISWAL

NK
TUTEJA

+91 9650993009
jaiswalrk1950@gmail.com

+91 9810174125
narindertuteja@gmail.com

76