STRUCTURAL MECHANICS 2

Tutorial 10: Pressure vessels

Solutions
1.

A closed cylindrical steel vessel of radius 2000mm and thickness 10mm has a yield stress of Y = 300MPa. It contains

oil at a pressure of 950 kPa. Calculate the longitudinal and hoop membrane stresses and deduce the load factor on
membrane yield of the wall.
Longitudinal stress in cylinder = = = 95 MPa
Hoop or circumferential stress in cylinder h = =

= 190 MPa

Maximum principal stress 1 - h = 190 MPa

Minimum principal stress 2 - = 95 MPa
von Mises equivalent stress eq =
Load factor on first yield = =

= 164.5 MPa
= 1.82

2.

A cylindrical vessel is being designed with spherical end closures. The cylinder radius is 3600mm and it is to be made
from steel with a yield stress of Y = 260MPa. The design pressure is 250 kPa and a load factor of = 1.8 is required
against first membrane yield according to von Mises. Calculate the required thickness of the cylinder, and the required
thickness of the spherical ends. Note that in reality, bending stresses will develop at the junction between the cylinder
and sphere, and these will cause first yield at a lower pressure than the membrane theory calculation predicts.
Design pressure = 250 kPa and load factor = 1.8. So take the pressure at failure as 2501.8 = 450 kPa = 0.450 MPa
Cylinder
Longitudinal stress in cylinder = = = MPa
Hoop or circumferential stress in cylinder h = =

= MPa

von Mises equivalent stress eq = =

= =
This stress is equal to the yield stress Y = 260 MPa if:
= 260
or tc = = 5.396 = 5.4mm
Sphere
Hoop or circumferential stress in sphere h = = = MPa

This stress acts in two directions at any point, so 1 = h and 2 = h

von Mises equivalent stress eq =

= =

This stress is equal to the yield stress Y = 260 MPa if:

= 260
or ts = = 3.115 = 3.1mm
Note that the spherical ends can be thinner than the cylindrical body.
3.

A large diameter shaft is made as a thin cylindrical shell. It has a radius of 100mm and a wall thickness 8mm. It carries
a tensile axial load of 930 kN and a torque of 40 kNm. Calculate the membrane stresses in the cylinder wall, sketch the
Mohr circle, and deduce the principal stresses and their orientation to the longitudinal axis. If the yield stress is
380MPa, find the load factor against failure according to von Mises criterion. What should the revised thickness be if
the load factor must be increased to = 2.0.

Cross-sectional area of shaft: A = 2Rt = 21008 = 5026.5 mm

Longitudinal stress in cylinder: = = = 185.02 MPa

Hoop stress in cylinder: h = 0

Shear stress in cylinder due to torque T: =

= = 79.58 MPa

Sketch Mohrs circle. Let longitudinal direction be x and circumferential direction y.

Centre of circle at C = (x + y)/2 = (185.02 + 0)/2 = 92.51 MPa
Radius of circle is R = = = 122.03 MPa
Most tensile principal stress 1 = C + R = 92.51 + 122.03 MPa = 214.54 MPa
Most compressive principal stress 2 = C - R = 92.51 - 122.03 MPa = -29.52 MPa

2
-1

Angle from longitudinal direction to most tensile principal stress = = tan = tan

-1

= -20.35

Whilst this appears to be a clockwise rotation, the question did not define whether the torque was clockwise or anticlockwise,
so either + or would be OK as an answer.
von Mises equivalent stress eq = = 230.7 MPa
Load factor on first yield = = = 1.647
Finding the required thickness to change the load factor to 2.0:
Y = eq =

or

t =

So the required thickness if the load factor is to be 2.0 is tnew = 8 = 9.71mm

4.

A short thin cylindrical aluminium tube with closed ends has a diameter of 600mm and wall thickness 5mm. It is
internally pressurised to a pressure of 2.7MPa. It carries an axial compressive load of 500 kN and a torque of 180 kNm.
Calculate the membrane stresses in the cylinder wall, sketch the Mohr circle, and deduce the principal stresses and their
orientation to the longitudinal axis. If the yield stress is 230MPa, find the load factor against failure according to von
Mises criterion.
2

Cross-sectional area of tube: A = 2Rt = 23005 = 9424.8 mm

Longitudinal compressive stress in cylinder due to axial compression: c = = - = -106.10 MPa
Longitudinal tensile stress in cylinder due to internal pressure: p = =

= +81.0 MPa

Combined longitudinal stress in cylinder: = c + p = -106.10 + 81.0 MPa = -25.10 MPa

Hoop or circumferential stress in cylinder: h =
Shear stress in cylinder due to torque T: =

= = +162.0 MPa

= = 63.66 MPa

Sketch Mohrs circle. Let longitudinal direction be x and circumferential direction y.

Centre of circle at C = (x + y)/2 = (-25.10 + 162.0)/2 = +68.44 MPa
Radius of circle is R = = = 113.16 MPa
Most tensile principal stress 1 = C + R = +68.44 + 113.16 MPa = 181.61 MPa

Most compressive principal stress 2 = C - R = +68.44 - 113.16 MPa = -44.71 MPa

Angle from longitudinal direction to most tensile principal stress = = tan

-1

-1

= tan = +17.12 anticlock, though it could be clockwise because the quesiton has not defined whether the torque acts
clockwise or anticlockwise
von Mises equivalent stress eq =

= 207.60 MPa

Load factor on first yield = = = 1.108

This is not a large enough safety margin for most practical purposes