Pressure 

Vessels
Thick‐walled Cylinders

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEC3076F – Stress Analysis and Materials
 Thick Wall Cylinders
Recall for thin cylinders, three assumptions are made:
is negligible compared to  and 
is uniform across the thickness
3. The longitudinal strain is uniform – plane sections 
(transverse) remain plane before and after the 
application of internal pressure – little warping

For thick cylindrical vessels, assumptions (1) and (2) are 
not valid, but (3) is assumed to be true.
Department of Mechanical Engineering
MEC3076F – Stress Analysis and Materials
 Stresses in thick walled cylinders
In case of thick‐walled pressurized cylinders, 
the radial stress, R , cannot be neglected.

Assumption – longitudinal 
elongation is constant around the 
plane of cross section, there is very  r + dr
little warping of the cross section,  
εl = constant
r
dr
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 
MEC3076F –HStress Analysis and Materials
H
 Strains in thick walled cylinders

The circumferential (Hoop) strain due to the internal pressure is 

At the outer radius of the small section area (r + δr) the radius will increase to (u + δu) 
The resulting radial strain as δr ‐> 0 is 

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEC3076F – Stress Analysis and Materials
Strain equations

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEC3076F – Stress Analysis and Materials
 Stresses in thick walled cylinders
Considering the radial equilibrium of the element of the section and 
manipulating the strain equations:

Lamé’s Equations

𝒃
𝑹 𝒓𝟐
Radial Stress

𝒃 Hoop Stress
𝑯 𝒓𝟐

a and b are constants which depend on the dimensions and loading

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEC3076F – Stress Analysis and Materials
 Stresses in thick walled cylinders
Longitudinal Stress – Cylinder has end caps and free to change length
Applicable to cases where the cylinder carries the longitudinal load, such 
as capped ends and is only valid far away from end caps where bending, 
non‐linearities and stress concentrations are not significant.

Assuming uniform loading – equating forces

Pi
ri
ro

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEC3076F – Stress Analysis and Materials
 Stresses in thick walled cylinders
Longitudinal Stress – Cylinder is restrained between two rigid supports 
– no change in length

= 2 a

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEC3076F – Stress Analysis and Materials
 Stresses in thick walled cylinders
General Equation for Thick Walled Cylinder 

Internal External
Pressure Pi Po
Radius ri ro

𝝈𝑹 𝑃 𝑎 (i) 𝑃 𝑎 (ii)
P are negative due to pressure acting as compressive stress
Solving for a and b

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEC3076F – Stress Analysis and Materials
Stresses in thick walled cylinders
R = ‐ pi at r = ri
Boundary conditions
R = ‐ po at r = ro

pi ri2 - po ro2 – ri2 ro2 (po – pi) / r2

H = Hoop stress
ro2 - ri2

pi ri2 - po ro2 + ri2 ro2 (po – pi) / r2

R = Radial stress
ro2 - ri2

pi ri2 - po ro2
L = Longitudinal stress
ro - ri
2 2

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEC3076F – Stress Analysis and Materials
 Stresses in thick walled cylinders
If the cylinder is internally pressurised (Pi) and the external pressure is zero (P0 = 0) then

If the internal pressure is zero and the external pressure is not zero then

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEC3076F – Stress Analysis and Materials
 Stresses in thick walled cylinders
Special case, po (external pressure) = 0

p i ri 2 ro2 p i ri 2 ro2
H = (1 +  ) R = (1 ‐ )
ro2 - ri2 r2 ro - ri
2 2
r 2

Hoop stress distribution, maximum  Radial stress distribution, maximum 
Department of Mechanical Engineering
at the inner surface at the inner surface
MEC3076F – Stress Analysis and Materials
 Stress in thick walled cylinders
Only internal pressure, Pi
Hoop Stress will be tensile
Radial Stress will be compressive
Longitudinal Stress will be tensile

Only external pressure, Po
Hoop Stress will be compressive
Radial Stress will be compressive
Longitudinal Stress will be compressive

Both internal and external pressure Pi and Po
Hoop Stress will be tensile if Pi > Po
Radial Stress will be compressive
Longitudinal Stress will be tensile if Pi > Po

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEC3076F – Stress Analysis and Materials
 Example
External pressure : 10 MPa
Internal diameter : 160mm
External diameter : 320mm
E = 209GPa,  = 0.29
Maximum permitted hoop stress on the inside diameter : 
30MPa

• What is the maximum internal pressure that can be applied 
assuming that the cylinder has closed ends?
• What will be the change in the outside diameter when this 
pressure is applied?

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MEC3076F – Stress Analysis and Materials