Pressure Vessel Heads

The Pressure Vessel Heads article provides you with information about
different types of ASME heads and related points in pressure vessel
inspection.

How many standard Pressure Vessel Heads are in the ASME Code?
What are their characteristics?

This article introduces you, different type of Heads, applications and

dimensional features.

The Ellipsoidal Head, Hemispherical Head and Torispherical Head are

three types of ASME Pressure Vessel Dished Heads.

See the following Fig. for these heads sketches:

Ellipsoidal Head Dimensional Characteristics:

In the same design condition, such as design pressure, design

temperature and material, your calculated wall thickness under
internal pressure will be approximately equal to shell thickness.

For example if you have calculated your shell thickness under internal
pressure and obtained 12 mm, your ellipsoidal head thickness also will
be approximately 12 mm.

The inside depth of your ellipsoidal head (h in above fig.) will be one-
fourth of the head inside diameter (h = D/4).

Your ellipsoidal head knuckle radius is 0.17D and the spherical radius
is 0.9D.
Torispherical Head Dimensional Characteristics:

In the same design conditions within the same design pressure, design
temperature and material, your calculated wall thickness under
internal pressure will be approximately equal to 1.77 times the shell
thickness.

For example, if you have calculated your

shell thickness under internal pressure
and obtained 12 mm, your torispherical
head thickness will be approximately
21.24mm.

Your torispherical head knuckle radius is

6% of the inside crown radius, and your
crown radius is equal to outside the
diameter of the head skirt.

Hemispherical Head Dimensional Characteristics:

With the same same design conditions with the same design pressure,
design temperature and material, your calculated wall thickness under
internal pressure will be approximately half of the shell thickness.

For example, if you have calculated your shell thickness under internal
pressure and obtained 12 mm, your hemispherical head thickness also
will be approximately 6 mm.

The inside depth of your hemispherical head will be one-half of head

inside diameter (h = D/2).

Dimensional Inspection of Pressure Vessel Dished Heads

You need to make a dimensional inspection on the pressure vessel

heads for any effort for the fit-up process. The dimensional inspection
is done on the knuckle radius, crown radius, skirt length, depth and
thickness.

Review the Pressure Vessel Dimensional Inspection Article for a

detailed description for heads inspection.
Pressure Vessel Dished Head Joint Efficiencies:

If your dished head is welded and the joint efficiency is 1, then all of
your head welds need full length radiography.

If your dished head is seamless and your joint efficiency is 1, your

head to shell needs full radiography and spot radiography for your
ellipsoidal or torispherical heads.

For a more detailed description, review the ASME Pressure Vessel

Joint Efficiencies article.