Material Selection for Vessel of Pressure Cooker

Tanuj Gupta
21205267
Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Kanpur

Fig 1: Pressure cooker

Introduction – Pressure cooker is a vessel use for cooking under high pressure by steam.
At the standard pressure the boiling point of water is 100oC when we cook food with the
presence of water in pressure cooker gauge pressure inside the vessel increase at the same
time boiling point of water is also increase which helps to cook the food much faster in the
vessel.
Pressure cooker has a pressure release valve at the top of the lid to maintain the design
pressure. There is additional safety features in the pressure cooker such as interlock lid which
prevent the opening of lid if the pressure on the inside vessel is higher that the outside
pressure. Fusible plug, it is made up of low melting point material. If for some reason the
pressure release valve is not able to release the extra pressure. Then fusible plug come into
the play. The low melting point material melt due to temperature rise and release the pressure
and prevent the explosion.

Objective – To select the best material for pressure cooker.

Primary Function – High strength, Dynamic loading, Good thermal conductivity, Light
weight, Material is suitable for cooking purpose, when it use for cooking at desired
temperature and pressure with varying pH substances it must not leak harmful substance.

Secondary Function –
 High Fracture toughness
 High wear resistance
 Good Machinability
  Good stiffness

Constrains – Minimum working temperature is 121 oC (250 oF) and pressure is 2.04138
bar (30 psi)

Free variable – Choice of material

Fig 2: Stress distribution in hollow cylinder

We can analyse pressure vessel as a thin hollow cylinder and σ h> σ c here I take higher stress
which is hoop stress
Pd
σ h=
2t
P=0.207 MPa (given)
D=164 mm (diameter for 5 L pressure cooker)
t=3.25 mm
0.207 ×164
σ= =5.22 MPa
2 ×3.25
σ d=σ × FOS

σ d=5.22∗1.9=10 MPa

So the maximum stress inside the pressure cooker must be less than 10 MPa
1. Strength vs density

Strength
pr
σ 1=
t
( 1)
d=2r
m= Mass
ρ=¿ Density
h=¿ Hight of pressure vessel

m=ρπ (r o−r i ) h
2 2

( 2)
Taking r as inner radius

r∝
√ m
ρπht
(3)

On putting the value of equation (1) in (3), we get

σ 1∝
p m
√
t ρπh
( 4)

σ 21 t 2 πρh
m∝ 2
p
(5)

P=σ 21 ρ
( 6)
 Fig 3: Strength vs density

2
Strength P=σ 1 ρ
Material ρ (Mg/m3)
(MPa)
Aluminium Alloys 2.840 571 9.13×105
Copper 8.94 380 1.29×106
Stainless steel 7.8 1300 1.31×107
Nickel 8.95 1000 8.95×106
Table1: Density, strength based performance index

2
σ1 ρ
P=σ 21 ρ Cost P 1=
Material (C m) Cm

Aluminium Alloys 9.13×105 302 3023

Copper 1.29×106 438 2945
Stainless steel 1.31×107 222 59009
Nickel 8.95×106 747 11981
Table 2: Cost and performance index
 2. Young’s Modulus vs Density

Stiffness, length, shape specified; section area free E2

ρ
E
Stiffness, length, height specified; width free
ρ
1

Stiffness, length, width specified; height free E3

ρ

Fig 4: Young’s modulus vs density

Material Density( ρ ) Young’s Modulus (E) E

P 2=
(Kg/m3) (GPa) ρ
(GPa-m3/Mg)
Aluminium alloy 2840 76 0.02676
Copper 8940 140 0.01565
Stainless Steel 7870 210 0.02668
Nickel 8950 220 0.02458
Table3: Density, Young’s modulus based performance index
3. Hardness - Density

Fig 5:Vickers Hardness

From the empirical relationship

σ TS=500∗HBN

STS ρ=500∗HBN

Where;
σ TS= Tensile strength
STS = Specific tensile strength
HBN = Brinell hardness

Performance index 4,

P4 = ( HBN
ρ ) maximum
≃ ( Hρ )
maximum
 Fig 6: Hardness vs density

Material Density( ρ ) Hardness H

P 3=
(Mg/m3) ρ
Aluminium alloy 2840 168 0.0591
Copper 8940 115 0.0128
Stainless Steel 7870 438 0.0556
Nickel 8950 300 0.0335
Table4: Hardness and density based performance index
 4. Fracture toughness – Modulus of Elasticity
K 2IC
E

Fig 7: Fracture toughness vs Young’s modulus

2
Material Fracture Young’s Modulus (E) K IC
Toughness (GPa) E
(MPa-m0.5)
Aluminium alloy 41 76 22.11
Copper 95 140 64.46
Stainless Steel 137 210 89.37
Nickel 110 220 55
Table5: Fracture toughness and Young’s modulus based performance index

2
K 2IC K IC
Cost P 4=
Material E (C m) E Cm

Aluminium Alloys 22.11 302 0.07321

Copper 64.46 438 0.1471
Stainless steel 89.37 222 0.4025
Nickel 55 747 0.07362
Table 6: Cost and performance index

5. Fracture toughness – Tensile strength

 K IC=σ f √ π a c f ( β )

a c=
(
1 K III
π σf f (β) )
For the same crack length we can optimize RHS

( )
2
K IC
P=
σf

Pd
σ=
2t
P=0.207 MPa (given)
D=164 mm (diameter for 5 L pressure cooker)
t=3.25 mm
0.207 ×164
σ= =5.22 MPa
2 ×3.25
σ d=σ × FOS

σ d=5.22∗1.9=10 MPa

So the maximum stress inside the pressure cooker must be less than 10 MPa

Fig 8: Fracture toughness vs tensile strength

 ( )
2
Material Fracture Tensile Strength K IC
Toughness (MPa) P 5=
σf
(MPa-m0.5)

Aluminium alloy 41 571 51.55e-4

Copper 95 380 625e-4
Stainless Steel 137 1300 1054e-4
Nickel 110 1000 1100e-4

Table7: Fracture toughness and Tensile strength based performance index

 6. Thermal Expansion (α) vs Modulus of Elasticity
σ
=α t ∆ T
E
σ
=α t E
∆T
P=αE

Fig 9: Thermal expansion coefficient vs young’s modulus

Material Thermal Expansion Young’s Modulus (E) P 6=αE

Coefficient (GPa)
(α )

Aluminium alloy 24.6 76 1869.6

Copper 17.9 140 2506
Stainless Steel 16.5 210 3465
Nickel 13.5 220 2970
Table 8 : Thermal expansion coefficientand Young’s modulus based performance index
 7. Strength – Coefficient of thermal expansion
σ
=α ∆ T
E
σ
=E ∆ T
α
σ
P=
α

Fig 10: Tensile strength vs Thermal expansion coefficient

Material Thermal Expansion Tensile Strength σ

P=
Coefficient (MPa) α
(α )
Aluminium alloy 24.6 571 23.21
Copper 17.9 380 21.22
Stainless Steel 16.5 1300 78.78
Nickel 13.5 1000 74.07
Table9: Thermal expansion coefficient and Tensile strength based performance index

σ σ
P= Cost P 7=
Material α
(C m)
α Cm

Aluminium Alloys 23.21 302 0.0768

Copper 21.22 438 0.0484
Stainless steel 78.78 222 0.3548
 Nickel 74.07 747 0.09915
Table 10: Cost and performance index

8. Coefficient of thermal expansion – Elongation

δL=Lα ∆ T
α 1
=
δL ∆ T
L
α
P=
δL
L

Fig 11: Thermal expansion coefficient vs Elongation

Material Thermal Expansion Elongation α

P 8=
Coefficient (% Strain) δL
(α ) L

Aluminium alloy 24.6 12 2.05

Copper 17.9 50 0.3580
Stainless Steel 16.5 49 0.3367
Nickel 13.5 60 0.2250
Table11: Thermal expansion coefficient and Elongation based performance index
 9. Thermal Expansion Coefficient vs Thermal Conductivity
λ
P=
α
Where,
α = Expansion Coefficient
λ = Thermal Conductivity

Fig 12: Thermal expansion coefficient vs Thermal conductivity

Material Thermal Expansion Thermal λ

P=
Coefficient Conductivity α
(α ) ( λ)
Aluminium alloy 24.6 185 7.52
Copper 17.9 398 22.23
Stainless Steel 16.5 24.9 1.50
Nickel 13.5 91 6.74
Table12: Thermal expansion coefficient and Thermal conductivity based performance index
 λ α
P= Cost P 9=
Material α
(C m)
λ Cm

Aluminium Alloys 7.52 302 4.4e-4

Copper 22.23 438 1.04e-4
Stainless steel 1.50 222 3.003e-3
Nickel 6.74 747 1.98e-4
Table 13: Cost and performance index
 10. Thermal conductivity vs strength
ΔT
Q=kA
x
(1)
∆ L=α L L ∆ T
(2)
ε
∆T=
αL
( 3)
εσ
∆T=
Eα L
( 4)

kAεσ
Q=
xEα L
(5)

P=Kσ
(6)

Fig 11: Thermal Conductivity vs Tensile strength

Material Strength Thermal P=Kσ

(MPa) Conductivity
(K )
Aluminium alloy 571 185 105635
Copper 380 398 151240
 Stainless Steel 1300 24.9 32370
Nickel 1000 91 91000
Table14: Strength and Thermal conductivity based performance index

Kσ
Cost P 10=
Material P=Kσ
(C m)
Cm

Aluminium Alloys 105635 302 349.78

Copper 151240 438 345.29
Stainless steel 32370 222 145.82
Nickel 91000 747 121.82
Table 15: Cost and performance index

Performance Materials Weightage

Index Aluminium Copper Stainless Nickel (ai)
Alloys steel
P1 3023 2945 59009 11981 0.15
P2 0.02676 0.01565 0.02668 0.02458 0.1
P3 0.0591 0.0128 0.0556 0.0335 0.05
P4 51.55e-4 625e-4 1054e-4 1100e-4 0.2
P5 51.55e-4 625e-4 1054e-4 1100e-4 0.1
P6 1869.6 2506 3465 2970 0.05
P7 0.0768 0.0484 0.3548 0.09915 0.1
P8 2.05 0.3580 0.3367 0.2250 0.25
P9 4.4e-4 1.04e-4 3.003e-3 1.98e-4 0.2
P10 349.78 345.29 145.82 121.82 0.25
10 10

∑ P i ai 3.44E+04 4.55E+04 3.12E+05 6.51E+04

∑ ai=1
i=1 i=1
Table 16: Performance Index based on properties

As we can see Stainless steel has low performance index so stainless steel has best suited
material for pressure vessel and after stainless steel aluminium alloys has second least
performance index so Al- alloys is also best material for pressure vessel.

Innovation- Some coating in the base of pressure vessel may use to increase the heat
transfer rate from gas-stove to the food for quick cooking. Outer vessel coating may also be
done by ceramic and starch-strain resistant which is easy to clean and provide scratch free
surface. Teflon coating may also done which has low friction water repellent and extremely
stability to the vessel.
Conclusion- Stainless steel has best suited material for pressure vessel aluminium alloy is
also a best material for pressure vessel but it can react with food and some chemical leakage
may occur which may change food order which is not desirable that’s why now days many
pressure vessel made of stainless steel for better mechanical property and it’s stability with
food.
References –
[1] Michael F. ASHBY, Material selection in mechanical Design, Butterworthm
Heinemann, 1999.
[2] CES Edupack.