PRESSURE VESSELS

DESIGN PROCEDURES

Engr. Butch G. Bataller

ChE 192 Process Equipment Design
September 20, 2011

Pressure Vessels
Closed vessel having an internal pressure
between 15 psig to 3000 psig
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code contains
rules for the design, fabrication and inspection of
boilers and pressure vessels
May include reflux drum, storage tanks, heat
exchangers, chemical reactors, distillation
columns, absorption tower, stripping columns,
etc.

PV Design: Shell Thickness

In general, the minimum wall thickness of
welded metal plates subject to pressure,
excluding corrosion allowances, should not
be less than 2.4 mm
a function of the ultimate tensile strength
of the metal at operating temperature,
operating pressure, vessel diameter and
welding joint efficiency

PV Design: Shell Thickness

For a cylinder based on Inside
diameter

PR
tp
C
SE 0.6 P
where
tp = shell thickness required (inch) [m]
P = Internal design gauge pressure (psig) [kN/m2]
R = Inside Radius (inch) [m]
S = Allowable stress (psi) [kN/m2]
E = Joint efficiency factor (Table 6-2)
C = Corrosion allowance (inch) [m]

PV Design: Shell Thickness

For a cylinder based on Inside
diameter

PR
tp
C
SE 0.6 P
Provided that
tp less than or equal to

R
or
2

Pressure is less than or equal to 0.385 SE (Jawad

and Farr, 1988)

PV Design: Shell Thickness

For a cylinder based on Outside
diameter

PR
tp
C
SE 0.4 P
where
tp = shell thickness required (inch) [m]
P = Internal gauge pressure (psig) [kN/m2]
R = outside Radius (inch) [m]
S = Allowable stress (psi) [kN/m2]
E = Joint efficiency factor (Table 6-2)
C = Corrosion allowance (inch) [m]

PV Design: Shell Thickness

Allowance for Vertical PV
For 10>( L/Di)2/ Pd>1.34:
tv = tp[0.75 + 0.22E( L/Di)2/Pd]

If (L/Di)2/Pd < 1.34, tv=tp

PV Design: Shell Thickness

Corrosion Allowance
1/8 inch for noncorrosive conditions
for corrosive environments.

ts = tV + t c

PV Design: Shell Thickness

For Vacuum Vessels
Pc
where
Pc
Te
Do
Em

=
=
=
=

Te
2.6

D
o
Te

0.45

Do

Em
e
T

D
o

0.5

Collapsing pressure (psi)

Thickness to withstand external pressure (inch)
Outside diameter (inch)
Materials modulus of elasticity [Table 6-4]

** Te must be high enough so that Pc is five times greater than the

difference between atmospheric pressure and design vacuum
pressure

PV Design: Shell Thickness

For Vacuum Vessels (alternate)
tE=1.3(PdL/EmDo)4
tEC=L(0.18Di-2.2 )x 10 -5- 0.19
tV = tE + tEC
where
Pd
Te
Do
Em

=
=
=
=

internal design gauge pressure (psi)

Thickness to withstand external pressure (inch)
Outside diameter (inch)
Materials modulus of elasticity

PV Design: Shell Thickness

Spherical Vessels

SEt p

P
where

P
R
tp
E
S

R 0.2t p
=
=
=
=
=

t 0.356ri

or P 0.665SE J

internal design gauge pressure (psig)

Inside Radius (inch)
Minimum required thickness (inch)
Lowest joint efficiency
Max allowable stress (psi)

Design Temperature

design temperature may be equal to

operating temperatue plus 50oF

Design Pressure

Operating
Pressure ,Po
(psig)

Design Pressure ,Pd (psig)

0 -5

10

10 1,000

P= exp{0.60608 + 0.91615[ln Po]

+ 0.0015655 [ ln Po ]2 }

1,000 +

1.1Po

Material of Construction
Carbon Steel >>> Non-corrosive
environment, T= (-20 to 650 OF)
Low Alloy Steel >>> Non-corrosive
environment, T= (650 to 900 OF)
Stainless Steel 300 Series >>> can be
used up to 1,500 OF

Modulus of Elasticity Values

Temperature
(F)
-20
200
400
650
700
800
900

Psi x 106
Carbon Steel Low-alloy
Steel
30.2
29.5
28.3
26.0
-

30.2
29.5
28.6
27.0
26.6
25.7
24.5

Recommended Stress Values

Joint efficiencies
For double-welded butt joints
If fully radiographed = 1.0
If spot-examined = 0.85
If not radiographed = 0.70
In general, for spot examined
If electric resistance weld = 0.85
If lap-welded = 0.80
If single-butt-welded = 0.60

Metal

Recommended stress values

Temp., C

Carbon steel
(SA-285, Gr. C)
Low-alloy steel
for resistance to
H2 and H2S
(SA-387, Gr. 12C1.1)
High-tensile steel
for heavy-wall
vessels
(SA-302, Gr.B)
High-alloy steel
for cladding and
corrosion resistance
Stainless 304
(SA-240)
Stainless 316
(SA-240)
Nonferrous metals
Copper (SB-11)
Aluminum(SB-209, 1100-0)

S, kPa

-29 to 343
399
454
-29 to 427
510
565
649
-29 to 399
454
510
538

94,500
82,700
57,200
94,500
75,800
34,500
6,900
137,900
115,800
69,000
42,750

-29
343
427
538

128,900
77,200
72,400
66,900

-29
345
427
538

128,900
79,300
75,800
73,100

38
204
38
204

46,200
20,700
15,900
6,900

Sample Problem
Determine the thickness of a 5 meter
inside diameter spherical tank for
handling a corrosive liquid at a design
pressure and temperature of 300KPa
and 27F, respectively. The material of
construction is made of carbon steel.

Sample Problem
If the height of the tank is 35m, what
is the thickness of the tank
incorporating earthquake and wind
load?
What if the given pressure is an
operating pressure?

Types of Welded Joints

Butt joint
Corner joint
Edge joint
Lap joint
T joint

Square Butt Joints

Used to butt weld light sheet metal
1/16 to 3/16 thick metal.

Beveled Butt Joints

Used to butt weld heavier pieces of metal
together
3/8 to inch metal can welded using a
single V or U joint
Inch metal and up can be welded using
a double V or U joint

Beveled Cont.

Corner Joints
Used to join to pieces of metal that are
approximately right angles to each other
Closed corner joint is used on light sheet
metal were strength is not required at the
joint
Half open corner joint is used on heavier
metal when welding can only be done on
one side. Used when load is not severe.

Corner Cont.
Open corner joint is used on heavy
material. It is the strongest of the corner
joints
Corner joints on heavy material are
welded on both sides The outside first
then reinforced on the inside

Corners Cont.

Edge Joints
Used to join two parallel or nearly parallel
pieces of metal (0.25 in thick or less). Not
very strong.
Used mainly to join edges of sheet metal,
reinforce flanges of I beams, and mufflers.

Lap Joints
Used to join two overlapping pieces of
metal
Single lap joint welded from one side
Single lap joint welded from two sides
develops full strength
Off set lap joint is used when two pieces of
metal need to be joined in the same plain.

Lap Joints Cont.

A- single lap joint,
one weld.
B- single lap joint,
two welds.
C- offset lap joint.

Tee Joints
Used to join two pieces of metal that are
approximately 90 degrees to each other,
but the surface of one piece of metal is not
in the same plain as the other metal.

Tee Joints Cont.

A- plain tee
B- single beveled
C- double beveled
D- single J
E- double J

Types of Welds
Fillet weld- basic weld used. Used when
joining two pieces of metal without
preparing the surface of the metal first.
Groove weld- basic weld, used when
preparing the metal before welding it into
place.

Fillet Welds

Groove Welds

Weld/Joint Efficiency
Welding heats the metal surrounding the welding area
- results in warping, shrinking of the welded area

Stress Relieving

- required to release locked up

localized stress
- annealing or hammering

Radiographing

- locate weld defects and other

structural trouble
- welded joints are exposed to x-ray to detect
excessive porosity, defective fusion and other
defects in
the welding process

Weld/Joint Efficiency
For carbon steels (t 1.25 in)
requires only 10% x-ray check
E = 85%

For thicker walls

requires 100% x-ray check
E = 100%

Weld/Joint Efficiency
Longitudinal joints should be butt- welded
Vessels in lethal application should be
butt-welded and fully radiographed
All vessels fabricated on carbon or alloy
steel requires post-heat treatment
All welded joints of cryogenic tanks must
be butt welded, postweld heat treated and
X- ray examined

 For double butt joint, the following

are the corresponding efficiencies
Full radiography
Spot radiography
No radiography

100%
85%
70 %

** when welded joint efficiency is not known, assume a no

spot radiography

Welded Joints Categories

Category A Longitudinal welded joints within

main parts (shells, heads, cones, flat plates,
nozzles, and the attachment weld of a hemispherical
head to a shell)

Welded Joints Categories

Catefory B Circumferential welded joints within

the main parts (shell, cone, nozzles and the
attachment joint between formed heads (elliptical
and torispherical) and shell).

eads to main shell, to formed heads, to transition in diameter, to nozzles, or any welded joint co

Welded Joints Categories

Category C welded joints connecting flanges,

tubesheets, flat heads to main shell, formed heads,
transition in diameter, nozzles, or any welded joint
connecting one side plate to another side plate of a
flat-sided vessel

eads to main shell, to formed heads, to transition in diameter, to nozzles, or any welded joint co

Welded Joints Categories

Category D welded joints connecting nozzles to

main shells, spheres, formed heads, flat heads, flatsided vessels.

Maximum Allowable Joint Efficiencies

for Arc and Gas Welded Joints
Type
No.

Joint Description

Butt joints as attained by double(1) welding or by other means which

will obtain the same quality of
deposited weld metal on the inside
and outside weld surfaces to agree
with the requirements of UW-35;
welds using metal backing strips
which remain in place are excluded.

(2)

Single welded butt joint with

backing strip other than those
included in (1)

Limitations

Joint
Category

None

A, B, C
&D

Degree of Radiographic
Examination
a
b
c
Full
Spot
None

1.0 0.85 0.70

(a) None except as A, B, C 0,90 0.80 0.65

shown in (b) below
&D
(b)
Circumferential A, B & 0.90 0.80 0.65
butt joints with one
C
plate offset, see UW13(c) and Fig. UW13.1 (k).

Type
No.

Joint Description

Limitations

Joint
Category

Degree of Radiographic
Examination
a
b
c
Full
Spot
None

Circumferential
butt A, B & NA
C
(3) Single-welded butt joint without joints only. Not over
use of backing strip
5/8in. thick and not over
24in outside diameter

(4)

Double full fillet lap joint

Double full fillet lap joint

longitudinal joints not

over 3/8in. thick

circumferential
joints B & C
not over 5/8in. thick

NA 0.60

NA

NA 0.55

NA

NA 0.55

Type
No.

(5)

(6)

Joint Description

Single full fillet lap joints with plug

welds confirming to UW-17
Single full fillet lap joints with plug
welds confirming to UW-17

Single full fillet lap joints without

plug welds

Limitations

(a)
Circumferential
joints2
for
attachment of heads not over 24in.
outside diameter to shells not over
1/2in. thick.
(b) Circumferential joint for the
attachment to shells of jackets not over
5/8in. in nominal thickness where the
distance from the center of the plug
weld to the edge of the plate is not less
than 1-1/2 times the diameter of the
hole for the plug.
(a) For the attachment of heads convex
to pressure to shells not over 5/8in.
required thickness. only with use of
fillet weld on
inside of shells, or
(b) For attachment of heads having
pressure on either side. To shells not
over 24in. inside diameter and not
over 1/4in. required thickness with
fillet weld on outside of head flange
only.

Joint
Category

Degree of Radiographic
Examination
a
b
c
Full
Spot
None

NA

NA 0.50

NA

NA 0.50

A&B

NA

NA 0.50