Table of Contents

Problem Statement................................................................................................................................ 2
Objectives................................................................................................................................................ 2
Solution .................................................................................................................................................. 3
a) Circumferential and longitudinal stresses. ............................................................................... 3
Comments: ..................................................................................................................................... 3
b) Comparison of internal pressure of the vessel with the circumferential stress (σ1) and
longitudinal stress (σ2) ...................................................................................................................... 4
c) Maximum Shear Stress .............................................................................................................. 4
Comments: ..................................................................................................................................... 4
d) Circumferential and longitudinal strains. ................................................................................. 4
e) Normal and shear stresses acting on the weld seam. ................................................................ 5
Using the Stress Transformation Equations: ............................................................................. 5
Using the Mohr’s Circle Approach ............................................................................................. 6
Comments: ..................................................................................................................................... 7

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Problem Statement
A cylindrical pressure vessel is constructed from a long, narrow steel plate by wrapping the
plate around a mandrel and then welding along the edges of the plate to make a helical joint,
as shown in Figure A. The helical weld makes an angle α= 55˚ with the longitudinal axis. The
vessel has an inner radius r = 1.8 m and wall thickness t = 20 mm. The material is steel with
modulus E = 200 Giga Pascal and Poisson’s ratio ν = 0.3. The internal pressure p is 800 kilo
Pascal.
Helical Weld

(Figure A)

Objectives
As a design engineer, you are required to determine the following quantities for the cylindrical
part of the vessel.
a) The circumferential and longitudinal stresses σ1 and σ2, respectively;
b) Compare the internal pressure of the vessel with the circumferential stress (σ1) and
longitudinal stress (σ2);
c) The maximum in-plane and out-of-plane shear stresses (Hint: x, y, z directions);
d) The circumferential and longitudinal strains ε1 and ε2, respectively (Hint: Consider the
wall is in a state of biaxial stress and use Hook’s law);
e) The normal stress (σw) and shear stress (τw) acting perpendicular and parallel,
respectively, to the welded seam (see Figure B).
θ=35o

(Figure B)

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Solution
As a design engineer, we have determined the following quantities for the cylindrical part of
the vessel.
a) Circumferential and longitudinal stresses.
The circumferential and longitudinal stresses σ1 and σ2 respectively, are pictured in Figure B,
where they are shown acting on a stress element at point A on the wall of the vessel. The
magnitudes of the stresses can be calculated from following equations:
𝑝𝑟
Circumferential Stress = σ1 =
𝑡
𝑝𝑟
Longitudinal Stress = σ2 =
2𝑡

Where;
p = pressure = 800 kPa
t = wall thickness = 20mm = 0.02m
r = inner radius = 1.8m
θ=35o

Figure B
Putting values in the above equations:
𝑝𝑟 (800kPa)(1.8𝑚)
𝜎1 = = = 72𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝑡 0.02𝑚
𝑝𝑟 (800kPa)(1.8𝑚)
𝜎2 = = = 36𝑀𝑃𝑎
2𝑡 2(0.02𝑚)

Comments:

(Figure C) (Figure D)

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The stress element at a point A is shown in figure C, where the x-axis is in the longitudinal
direction of the cylinder and the y-axis is in the circumferential direction. Sine there is no stress
in the z direction (i.e. σ3 = 0), the element is in biaxial stress.

b) Comparison of internal pressure of the vessel with the circumferential stress (σ1)
and longitudinal stress (σ2)

Note that the ratio of the internal pressure (800 kPa) to the smaller in-plane principal stress (36
MPa) is 0.022, as shown:
internal pressure 800 𝑘𝑃𝑎
Ratio = = = 0.022
smaller in−plane stress 36000 𝐾𝑃𝑎

Similarly;
internal pressure 800 𝑘𝑃𝑎
Ratio = = = 0.011 ∴ 72MPa=72000kPa
Larger in−plane stress 72000 𝐾𝑃𝑎

Therefore, our assumption that we may disregard any stresses in the z-direction and consider
all elements in the cylindrical shell, even those at the inner surface, to be in biaxial stress is
justified.
c) Maximum Shear Stress
The largest in plan shear stress can be calculated from the following equation
(𝜎1 − 𝜎2 ) 𝑝𝑟
(𝜏Max )in-plane = = = 18MPa
2 4𝑡
(𝜎1 ) 𝑝𝑟
(𝜏Max )out-of-plane = = = 36MPa
2 𝑡
Comments:
Since the maximum in-plane shear stress is along the z direction, since we are disregarding the
normal stress in the z direction, hence the largest out-of-plane shear stress is obtained from the
second equation as shown above.

d) Circumferential and longitudinal strains.

Since the largest stresses are well below the yield stress of steel, we may assume that Hooke’s
law applies to the wall of the vessel. Then we can obtain the strains in the x and y directions
by using the following equations:
𝜎𝑥 𝜎𝑦
Strain in x-direction = 𝜀𝑥 = −𝑣
𝐸 𝐸
𝜎𝑥 𝜎𝑦
Strain in y-direction = 𝜀𝑦 = −𝑣 +
𝐸 𝐸

We note that the strain 𝜀𝑥 is the same as the principal strain 𝜀2 in the longitudinal direction and
that the strain 𝜀𝑦 is the same as the principal strain 𝜀1 in the circumferential direction. Also, the
stress σx is the same as the stress σ2 , and the stress 𝜎𝑦 is the same as the stress σ1. Therefore,
the preceding two equations can be written in the following forms:
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 (1 − 2𝑣)𝑝𝑟 (2 − 𝑣)𝑝𝑟
𝜀2 = , 𝜀1 =
2𝑡𝐸 2𝑡𝐸
Substituting the values in above equations:
(1 − 2𝑣)𝑝𝑟 (1 − 2𝑣)𝜎2 (1 − 2(0.30))(36𝑀𝑃𝑎)
𝜀2 = = = = 72 × 10−6 = 72μ𝜀
2𝑡𝐸 𝐸 200𝐺𝑃𝑎

(2 − 𝑣)𝑝𝑟 (2 − 𝑣)𝜎1 (2 − 0.30)(72𝑀𝑃𝑎)

𝜀1 = = = = 306 × 10−6 = 306μ𝜀
2𝑡𝐸 2𝐸 (2)(200𝐺𝑃𝑎)

e) Normal and shear stresses acting on the weld seam.

The stress element at point B in the wall of the cylinder (as shown in figure B) is oriented so
that its sides are parallel and perpendicular to the weld. The angle 𝜃 for the element is shown
in figure D.
𝜃 = 90∘ − 𝛼 = 35∘

Either the stress-transformation equations or Mohr’s circle may be used to obtain the normal
and shear stresses acting on the side faces of this element.
Using the Stress Transformation Equations:
The normal stress σx and the shear stress 𝜏𝑥,𝑦1 acting on the x1 face of the element (Figure D)
are obtained from following equations:
𝜎𝑥 + 𝜎𝑦 𝜎𝑥 − 𝜎𝑦
𝜎𝑤 = 𝜎𝑥1 = + cos 2𝜃 + 𝜏𝑥𝑦 sin 2𝜃 − − − − − − − (𝑎)
2 2
𝜎𝑥 − 𝜎𝑦
𝜏𝑤 = 𝜏𝑥,𝑦1 =− sin 2𝜃 + 𝜏𝑥𝑦 cos 2𝜃 − − − − − − − − − − − (𝑏)
2
𝑝𝑟 𝑝𝑟
Substituting 𝜎𝑥 = 𝜎2 = , 𝜎𝑦 = 𝜎1 = , and 𝜏𝑥𝑦 = 0 𝑖𝑛 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 (𝑎) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 (𝑏), we obtain
2𝑡 𝑡

𝑝𝑟
𝜎𝑥1 = (3 − cos 2𝜃) − − − − − − − −(𝑐)
4𝑡
𝑝𝑟
𝜏𝑥1 𝑦1 = sin 2𝜃 − − − − − − − − − −(𝑑)
4𝑡
These equations give the normal and shear stresses acting on an inclined plane oriented
at an angle 𝜃 with the longitudinal axis of the cylinder.
Substituting 𝑝𝑟/4𝑡 = 18MPa and 𝜃 = 35∘ in equations (c) and (d), we obtained
𝜎𝑥1 = 47.8MPa , 𝜏𝑥1 𝑦1 = 16.9MPa

These stresses are shown in the figure D.

To complete the stress element, we can calculate the normal stress 𝜎y acting on the y1
face of the element from the sum of the normal stresses on perpendicular faces as shown:
𝜎1 + 𝜎2 = 𝜎𝑥1 + 𝜎𝑦1

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Putting the numerical values in the above equation
𝜎𝑦1 = 𝜎1 + 𝜎2 − 𝜎𝑥1 = 72MPa + 36MPa − 47.8MPa = 60.2MPa

From the figure D, we see that the normal and shear stresses acting perpendicular and parallel,
respectively, to the welded seam are:
𝜎𝑤 = 47.8MPa , 𝜏𝑤 = 16.9MPa

Using the Mohr’s Circle Approach

The Mohr's circle construction for the biaxial stress element of Figure C is shown in Figure E.
Point A represents the stress = 36 MPa on the x face (𝜃 =0) of the element, and point B
represents the stress 𝜎1 = 72 MPa on the y face (𝜃 = 90°). The center C of the circle is at a stress
of 54 MPa, and the radius of the circle is

72MPa − 36MPa
𝑅= = 18MPa
2

(Figure E)

𝜎𝑤 = 𝜎𝑥1 = 54MPa − 𝑅cos 70∘ = 54MPa − (18MPa)(cos 70∘ ) = 47.8MPa

𝜏𝑤 = 𝜏𝑥1 𝑦1 = 𝑅sin 70∘ = (18MPa)(sin 70∘ ) = 16.9MPa

These results are the same as those found earlier from the stress-strain transformation
equations.

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Comments:
When seen in a side view, a helix follows the shape of a sine curve (shown in figure F). The
pitch of the helix is
P = πd tan (𝜃)
Where d is the diameter of the circular cylinder and 𝜃 is the angle between a normal to the helix
and a longitudinal line. The width of the flat plate that wraps into the cylindrical shape is
W = πd sin (𝜃)

(Figure F)

Thus, if the diameter of the cylinder and the angle are given, both the pitch and the plate width
are established. For practical reasons, the angle 𝜃 is usually in the range from 20o to 35o.

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