Department of Chemical Engineering

Strength of Materials for Chemical Engineers (0935381)

Chapter 8

Thick Cylinders and Spheres

1) Thick Cylinders
Difference in Treatment between Thin and Thick Cylinders
• In thin cylinders the hope stress is assumed to be constant across the thickness of
the cylinder wall.
• In thin cylinders there is no pressure gradient across the wall.
• In thick cylinders neither of these assumptions can be used and the variation of
hop and radial stress will be as shown

For any element in the wall of a thick cylinder the stresses will be radial stress, hoop
stress tangential, longitudinal axial stresses.

Longitudinal stress

P1 R12 − P2 R22
σL =
R22 − R12

Lame’s Theory
For cylindrical thick vessels the following differential equation is used to determine the
hoop and the radial stresses at any point through the thickness of the shell.
dσ
σ H −σr = r r
dr

Hoop Stress
For the hoop and radial stresses the following equations are used:
B
σr = A− 2
r
B
σH = A+ 2
r
Where A and B are constants which can be determined using the pressure conditions
inside and outside the cylinder.

Case 1: Internal Pressure Only

At r = R 1 , σ r = − P and at r = R 2 , σ r = 0

Using these two conditions the following results will be obtained:

PR12 PR12 R22

A= and B =
R22 − R12 R22 − R12
⎡ ⎛ R2 ⎞ 2 ⎤
⎢ ⎜ ⎟ − 1⎥
− PR12 ⎡ R22 − r 2 ⎤ ⎢⎝ r ⎠ ⎥
σr = 2 2 ⎢ ⎥ = −P⎢
R2 − R1 ⎣ r 2
⎦ K 2
− 1 ⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎣ ⎦
d 2 R2
Where K = =
d 1 R1

⎡ ⎛ R2 ⎞ 2 ⎤
⎢ ⎜ ⎟ + 1⎥
PR12 ⎡ R22 ⎤
1 + 2 ⎥ = P ⎢ ⎝ 2⎠
r ⎥
σH = 2 2 ⎢
R2 − R1 ⎣ r ⎦ ⎢ K −1 ⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎣ ⎦
♣ The hoop (σH) and radial (σr) stresses are maximum at r=R1
B
♣ The maximum shear stress occurs at the inside radius (at r=R1) and τ max =
r2

Case 2: Internal and external pressures:

 At r = R 1 , σ r = − P1 and at r = R 2 , σ r = − P2

Using these two conditions the following results will be obtained:

PR12 − P2 R22 (P1 − P2 )R12 R22

A= and B =
R22 − R12 R22 − R12
1 ⎡ 2⎧ R22 ⎫ 2⎧ R12 ⎫⎤
σr = 2 ⎢ P1 R1 ⎨1 − 2 ⎬ + P2 R2 ⎨ − 1 + 2 ⎬⎥
R2 − R12 ⎣ ⎩ r ⎭ ⎩ r ⎭⎦
1 ⎡ 2⎧ R22 ⎫ 2⎧ R12 ⎫⎤
σH = ⎢ 1 1
P R ⎨1 + ⎬ − P R ⎨1 + 2 ⎬⎥
R2 − R12
2 2 2 2
⎣ ⎩ r ⎭ ⎩ r ⎭⎦

Change of Diameter:
ξD = ξH =
1
(σ H − νσ r − νσ L ) all stresses are tensile.
E
∆D =
2r
(σ H −νσ r − νσ L )
E

Change of Length:
ξL =
1
(σ L − νσ r − νσ H ) all stresses are tensile.
E
∆L = (σ L − νσ r − νσ H )
L
E

Comparison with Thin Cylinder

σmax is the limiting factor.
Pd P d σH K
For thin cylinders σ H = = K where K = , ∴ max =
2t 2 t P 2
σ H max K 2
For thick cylinders = 1+
P 2(K + 1)

Maximum Shear Stress

The stresses on an element at any point in the cylinder wall are principal stresses.
σ −σ 2
τ max = 1
2
Half the difference between the greatest and least principle stresses.
σ −σ 2 σ H −σr
τ max = 1 = for cylindrical shape
2 2
σH is normally tensile, σr is compressive.

1⎡ B ⎛ B ⎞⎤ 1 ⎡ B B⎤
τ max = ⎢ A + 2 − ⎜ A − 2 ⎟⎥ = ⎢ A + 2 − A 2 ⎥
2⎣ r ⎝ r ⎠⎦ 2 ⎣ r r ⎦
B
τ max = 2
r
Greatest τmax occurs at the inside radius where r = R1.

2) Thick Spheres
For the hoop and radial stresses the following equations are used:
2B
σr = A− 3
r
B
σH = A+ 3
r

Case 1: Internal Pressure Only

At r = R 1 , σ r = − P and at r = R 2 , σ r = 0
PR13 PR13 R23
A= and 2 B =
R23 − R13 R23 − R13
− PR13
σr =
r (R2 − R1 )
3 3 3
(R23 − r 3 ) max at R1

σH = 3 3
PR13
2r (R2 − R1 )
3
(R23 + 2r 3 ) max at R1

Case 2: Internal and external pressures:

At r = R 1 , σ r = − P1 and at r = R 2 , σ r = − P2

Using these two conditions the following results will be obtained:

P1 R13 − P2 R23 (P1 − P2 )R13 R23

A= and 2 B =
R23 − R13 R23 − R13

1 ⎡ 3⎧ R23 ⎫ 3⎧ R13 ⎫⎤
σr = ⎢ 1 1⎨
P R 1 − 3 ⎬
− P2 2⎨
R 1 − 3 ⎬⎥
R2 − R13
3
⎣ ⎩ r ⎭ ⎩ r ⎭⎦

σH =
1
2r (R2 − R1 )
3
3 3
[ ]
P1 R13 {2r 3 + R23 }− P2 R23 {2r 3 + R13 }