Lecture 9

13 January 2019
 Intended Learning Outcomes
• Explain the Thick-walled pressure vessels / cylinders
• Explain and compare stresses in the Thick-walled pressure
vessels to quickly get results useful in preliminary design of the
vessels
• Analyze the effect of internal and external pressures on the
Thick-walled cylinder
• Interpret the variation of radial stress & hoop Stress with a
change in radius
• Solve problems related to the Thick-walled pressure vessels

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 Introduction
 The pressure vessels (i.e. cylinders or tanks) are used to store fluids under
pressure.
 The fluid being stored may undergo a change of state inside the pressure
vessel as in case of steam boilers or it may combine with other reagents as
in a chemical plant.
 The pressure vessels are designed with great care because rupture of a
pressure vessel means an explosion which may cause loss of life and
property.

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 Classification of Pressure Vessels

The pressure vessels may be classified as follows:

 According to the dimensions: The pressure vessels, according
to their dimensions, may be classified as thin shell or thick shell.
If the wall thickness of the shell (t) is less than 1/10 of the radius
of the shell (r), then it is called a thin shell. On the other hand, if
the wall thickness of the shell is greater than 1/10 of the radius
of the shell, then it is said to be a thick shell. Thin shells are used
in boilers, tanks and pipes, whereas thick shells are used in high
pressure cylinders, tanks, gun barrels etc.

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 Classification of Pressure Vessels

 According to the end construction: the pressure vessels,

according to the end construction, may be classified as open end
or closed end. A simple cylinder with a piston, such as cylinder
of a press is an example of an open end vessel, whereas a tank is
an example of a closed end vessel. In case of vessels having
open ends, the circumferential or hoop stresses are induced by
the fluid pressure, whereas in case of closed ends, longitudinal
stresses in addition to circumferential stresses are induced.

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Difference between Thin- and Thick-
wall Cylinders
Thin Cylinder
 Stresses are constant throughout the thickness of the cylinder
 Radial stress is negligible in comparison of the circumferential
stress and tangential stress
 Wall thickness is less than 1/10 of the radius of the cylinder
 Thin cylinders are subjected to less pressure due to their less
thickness

Thick Cylinder
 Stresses vary throughout the thickness of the cylinder
 Radial stress is no longer negligible since a thick cylinder is
required to have a heavy internal pressure
 Wall thickness greater than 1/10 of the radius of the cylinder
 Thick cylinders are subjected to more pressure compared to
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Thin cylinder
 Thick-walled Cylinders - Stresses
 When cylinder is open ended and subjected to internal and external
pressure, the pressure load induces internal stresses in the wall thickness of
the cylinder.
 Stresses induced occur in the tangential direction as well as the radial
direction in the wall thickness.
 A tangential or hoop stress develops when a pressure difference exists
between the inner and outer surface.
 Axial stress σa, that may be present is omitted, since it does not contribute
to equilibrium of the element in radial and tangential directions.
 Shear stress would not develop on the surfaces, since the pressure loading
do not tend to force the rings to rotate with respect to one another.

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 Thick-walled Cylinders - Applications
 Thick walled cylinders are widely used in chemical, petroleum, military
industries as well as in nuclear power plants.
 They are usually subjected to high pressure & temperatures which may be
constant or cycling.
 The conventional elastic analysis of thick walled cylinders to find radial &
hoop stresses is applicable for the internal pressure up to yield strength of
material.

General application examples

 hydraulic cylinders,
 gun barrels,
 pipes carrying fluids at high pressure,
 high pressure reactor vessels used in metallurgical operations, process
plants, air compressor units, pneumatic reservoirs, hydraulic tanks, etc.

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 Thick-walled Cylinders - Design
 Designing the member involves choosing material for the cylinder, and the
dimensions such as wall thickness
 Safety is achieved by ensuring that the stresses induced do not exceed the
strength of the material
 The significant stress is identified and determined, and is then compared
with the appropriate indicator of strength for the material used for the
cylinder wall.

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 Thick-walled Cylinders - Assumptions
 The radius-thickness ratio is greater than 10
 The material of the cylinder is homogeneous and isotropic
 Plane section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder remain
plane even after the application of the internal pressure. This implies that
the longitudinal strain is same at all points of the cylinder
 All fibers of the material are free to expand or contract independently
without being confined by the adjacent fibers
 Body forces are neglegted

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 Thick-walled Cylinders – Stress
analysis
Consider a thick walled cylinder with open ends as shown
above. It is loaded by internal pressure Pi and external
pressure Po as seen below. It has inner radius ri and outer
radius ro.

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 Thick-walled Cylinders – Stress
analysis
Now consider and element at radius r and defined by an angle
increment dθ and a radial increment dr. By circular symmetry, the
stresses σθ and σr are functions of r only, not θ and the shear stress
on the element must be zero. For an element of unit thickness,
radial force equilibrium gives:

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Thick-walled Cylinders – Stress
analysis

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 Thick-walled Cylinders – Stress
analysis
Now consider strains in the element. By symmetry there is no θ
displacement v. there is only a radial displacement u given by line
aa’. Point c is displaced radially by (u + du) given by line cc’. As
the original radial length of the element is dr (line ac), the radial
strain is:

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Thick-walled Cylinders – Stress
analysis

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Thick-walled Cylinders – Stress
analysis

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Thick-walled Cylinders – Stress
analysis

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Thick-walled Cylinders – Stress
analysis

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Thick-walled Cylinders – Principal
stresses

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Thick-walled Cylinders – Internal
Pressure

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 Thick-walled Cylinders – Pressure
distribution

Figure. Distribution of radial and tangential stresses with radius of the cylinder. Here, a
and b represent the outer and inner radii respectively
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Thick-walled Cylinders – External
pressure

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 Thick-walled Cylinders – Pressure
distribution
The maximum radial stress occurs at r = b and is compressive for
all r. The maximum σt is found at r = a, and is likewise
compressive

Figure. Distribution of radial and tangential stresses with radius of the cylinder. Here, a
and b represent thr outer and inner radii respectively
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 Thick-walled Cylinders - Compound
Cylinders
 In order to reduce the hoop stresses developed in thick cylinders subjected
to large internal pressure, compound cylinders with one thick cylinder
shrunk over the other (as shown in the Figures) are used.
 With calculated junction pressure between the two cylinders, it is possible
to reduce the hoop stress and to make it more or less uniform over the
thickness.
 Lame’s expressions are applied to both the inner and outer cylinders before
and after the introduction of the internal fluid pressure, and the stresses in
the two stages are superposed to obtain the final values.
 When the outer cylinder is shrunk over the inner cylinder, the difference
between the inner diameter of the outer cylinder and the outer diameter of
the inner cylinder determine the shrinkages pressure developed at the
junction.

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Thick-walled Cylinders – Press Fit

Press Fit

Press fits, or interference fits, are similar to pressurized cylinders in that

the placement of an oversized shaft in an undersized hub results in a
radial pressure at the interface.

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Thick-walled Cylinders – Problem Solution

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Problem 1

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Problem 1

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Problem 2

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Problem 3

Where a and b are the

inner and outer radii of
the cylinder respectively

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Solution

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Problem 4

Equations (1) and (2)

present another form of
Lame’s equations

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Problem 4

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Problem 4

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Problem 5

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Problem 5

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Problem 5

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Problem 6

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Problem 6

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Problem 6

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Problem 6

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 THANKS
Questions (if any)