MECHANICAL DESIGN FOR SIEVE PLATE COLUMN

Inner diameter of column = 1.5 m = 1500 mm

Design pressure = 1200 kN/m2 = 1.2 N/mm2

Design temperature = 150oC = 302 oF

Material of construction used is Stainless steel 18 Cr, 8 Ni Grade 304

Determine the maximum allowable stress, S, based on the design temperature given

To find the maximum allowable stress, S, we need to refer to table below.

Table 1 Taken from Gavin Towler, Ray Sinnot, Chemical Engineering Design Principles, Practice and Economics of
Plant and Process Design, © 2008, Table 13.2
The maximum temperature for Stainless steel 18 Cr, 8 Ni Grade 304 is 1500 oF, therefore for this
problem the design temperature do not exceed the given maximum temperature.

Assume 302 oF ≈ 300 oF.

S = 15.0 ksi = 103.422 N/mm2

To calculate the minimum thickness required for a cylindrical shell, refer equation given by the ASME
BPV Code (Sec. VIII D.1 Part UG-27)

Therefore,

Take into consideration of 2 mm of corrosion allowance. Therefore the final thickness is,
Column thickness design

The height specification of column is 37 m, which is less than 15 m. By right, we have to consider the
wind load and dead weight load of column.

The approach we take in designing our column is that along the way from the base to the top of the
column, thickness must be thicker at the bottom than that at the top. Therefore, the column is divided
to 5-equal section and we increase it by 2 mm on each section. This is done to prevent buckling.

Figure 1 Column thickness that has been distributed according to respective section
Now that the column has undergo those thickness change, we can now calculate the mean thickness of
the column.

Dead weight of vessel

From equation 13.74, total weight of shell, excluding internal fittings for a steel vessel is given by,

Where Cw = a factor to account for the weight of nozzles, etc

Hv = length of the cylindrical section, m

Dm = mean diameter of vessel =

= 1.5 + (15*10^-3)

= 1.515 m

Therefore,
Weight of sieve trays and plates :

Assumption has to be made, that the diameter of sieve plate is equal to the inside diameter of column.

Therefore, area of 1-tray,

Therefore, weight of plate including water

For 50 sieve plates,

Weight of insulation :

Insulations used is mineral wool. For mineral wool, the density is 130 kg/m3

Approximate volume of insulation are,

Weight of insulation,

Double that value to allow for fittings

Total weight :

Shell 239.67

Plates and contents 106.2

Insulation 22.2

Total 368.07

Wind Loading

Our design required the column height to be 37 m. Therefore, we have to consider for wind loading
because only structures less than 30 m can we neglect the wind loading

Dynamic wind pressure:

Pw = 0.05Uw2 (for smooth column)

Pw =0.07Uw2 (for column with ladder etc)

For this case, where we have access ladder and so on, we can assume the wind speed as 160 kph, that is
equivalent to a wind pressure of 1280 N/m2

Pw =0.07Uw2

Pw =0.07(160) = 1792 N/mm2

Mean diameter, including insulation:

= D i + 2(t s +t ins ) x 10 -3

= 1.5 + 2(11+50) x 10 -3

= 2.72 m

Loading (per linear meter), Fw :

W= 1792 N/m 2 x 2.72 m = 4874.24 N/m

Bending moment at bottom tangent line:

Mx = X Hv2

Mx = X (37)2

Mx =3342509.3 Nm
Analysis of Stresses

At bottom tangent line,

Pressure stresses :

Longitudinal stress, σL = (N/mm2)

σL = (N/mm2)

σL = 30 N/mm2

Circumferential stress, σh = (N/mm2)

σh = (N/mm2)

σh = 60 N/mm2

Dead weight stress:

σw = (N/mm2)

σw = (N/mm2)

σw = 5.142 N/mm2 (compressive)

Bending stresses :

Do = Di + 2 X t = 1500 mm + 2 (15 mm) = 1530 mm

Iv = (Do4 + Di4)

Iv = (15304 + 15004)

Iv = 5.17 X 1011 mm

σb = ± ( +t)

σb = ± ( + 15 mm)

σb = ± 4.95 N/mm2
 The resultant longitudinal stress is

σz = σ L + σ w ± σb

σw is compressive therefore it is negative

σz (upwind) = 30 + (-5.142) + 4.95 = 29.808 N/mm2

σz (downwind) = 30 + (-5.142) – 4.95 = 19.908 N/mm2

2 2
σz = 29.808 N/mm σz = 19.908 N/mm

2 2
σh = 60 N/mm σh = 60 N/mm

Figure 3 Up-wind Figure 2 Down-wind

Differences in Principal stress for:

Upwind, = 60 – 29.808

= 30.192 N/mm2

Downwind, = 60 – 19.908

= 40.092 N/mm2

Since both upwind (30.192 N/mm2) and downwind stress (40.092 N/mm2) are much more less than the
maximum allowable stress, S = 103.422 N/mm2 this design with metal thickness of 15 mm is okay and
satisfactory.
MECHANICAL DESIGN FOR SKIRT SUPPORT
A straight type skirt support is selected, where Ө = 90o. Material of construction used is plain carbon
steel maximum allowable design stress, S =89 N/mm2 and Young’s modulus, E =200,000N/mm2 at
ambient temperature. The welding efficiency , E =0.85.

Figure 4 Taken from Gavin Towler, Ray Sinnot, Chemical Engineering Design Principles, Practice and Economics of Plant and
Process Design, © 2008, Figure 13.21
Maximum dead-weight load on the skirt will occur when the vessel is full of water. Since hydrocarbon
materials has density that is lower than water, then we use density of water to complete our
calculations.

Approximate weight = (π/4 X 1.52 X 37)(1000)(9.81)

= 641420.9 N

= 641.4 kN

Weight of vessel from the previous column design = 368 kN

Total weight of vessel and vessel full of water = 641.4 + 368

= 1009.4 kN

Wind loading from previous column design =4874.24 N/m

=4.9 kN/m

Bending moment at base of skirt = (Fw)(x2)

= (4.9)(39.52)

= 3822.6 kNm
Bending stress in the skirt:

σbs =

σbs =

σbs = 89 N/mm2

Dead-weight stress in the skirt :

σws =

σws(test) = = 11.133 N/mm2

σws(operating) = = 4.059 N/mm2

Dead-weight stress in “test” condition is with column full of water, while “operating” is just the column’s
weight.

σws(compressive) = 89-11.133

σws(compressive) = 77.867 N/mm2

σws(tensile) = 89-4.059

σws(tensile) = 84.941 N/mm2

For the skirt design to work, 2 conditions must be met. Those conditions are

σs(tensile) < Ss.E.sinӨ

σs(compressive)<< 0.125.E.(t/Ds)sinӨ

Substitute the value

σs(tensile) < (89)(0.85)(1)

77.867 N/mm2>75.65 N/mm2

σs(compressive)<< 0.125.200000.(19/1500)(1)

84.941 N/mm2<<316.67 N/mm2

The skirt design obeys and satisfy the second rule which stated that the σs(tensile) must be much more
less than the product of 0.125.E.(t/Ds)sinӨ. But for the first, condition, some problems has been
detected because the calculated σws(compressive) have higher values that the product of Ss.E.sinӨ. So,
as an act to counter this, we can use different tsk assumption, if possible higher than 19 mm so that
when the calculation for σbs it will become lower than the original value.

σbs =

σws(compressive)= σbs - σws(test)

DIMENSIONED SKETCH OF DESIGNED COLUMN