CHAPTER 4: Pressure Vessel

THIN-WALLED PRESSURE VESSEL

Thin-walled pressure vessel is one whose plate thickness is small compared to the diameter of the vessel. The ratio t/Di is equal to or
less than 0.1.

t
≤ 0.1
D

TANGENTIAL STRESS
A tensile stress acting in a direction tangential to the circumference is also called circumferential or hoop stress. In other words, it is a
tensile stress on longitudinal section (or on the cylindrical walls).

Pd P – internal pressure
St =
2t d – diameter

t – thickness

ej – joint eff.
Pd
St =
2t e j

LONGITUDINAL STRESS
A tensile stress acting in the direction of the axis is called longitudinal stress. In other words,it is a tensile stress acting on the
transverse or circumferential section (or on the ends of the vessel).
Pd
Sl=
4t
P – internal pressure

d – diameter

t – thickness

ej – joint eff.

Pd
Sl =
STRESS OF SPHERICAL VESSEL 4t ej
The tangential stress in a spherical vessel is also equal to its longitudinal stress.

Pd P – internal pressure
S=
4t d – diameter

t – thickness

ej – joint eff.
Pd
S=
4tej

MEMD-413: Machine Design 1 1

THICK-WALLED PRESSURE VESSEL
Thick-walled pressure vessel is one whose plate thickness is large compared to the diameter of the vessel. The ratio t/Di is equal to or
less than 0.1.

t
>0.1
D

THICKNESS OF THICK WALL VESSEL (Lame’s Equation)

Di S t + Pi
t=
2 [√ S t−Pi
−1 ]
AXIAL STRESS OF THICK WALLED TANGENTIAL STRESS
The tangential stress is maximum at the inner surface and
P i r i2−Po r o2 minimum at the outer surface of the
SA= shell.
r o 2−r i2
RADIAL STRESS (P ¿ ¿i−P o) r i2 r o2 For Internal Tangential stress

The radial stress is maximum at the inner surface and zero at

ST =S A + ¿
(r o2−r i2 ) r 2 r =r i
the outer surface of the shell.
For External Tangential stress
For Internal Tangential stress
2 2
(P ¿ ¿ i−Po )r i r o r =r o
S R=S A − ¿ r =r i
(r o2−r i2) r 2 Pii ––inside
D internal
diameter
pressure
For External Tangential stress
Po – outside
d externaldiameter
pressure

r =r o Lri – length
Problem Set (Pressure Vessel): inside radius

1. Determine the thickness of a steel air receiver with 30 in diameter and pressure load of 120 psi, design stress of 8000 psi. Srot – outside
tangential
radius
stress
2. Determine the bursting pressure of spherical steel shell with diameter of 10 inches and make of ¼ in thick plate. The joint efficiency is at 70%
and the tensile strength is 60 ksi.
3. A spherical shell of 1.8 m outside diameter and 1.725 m inside diameter contains helium at a pressure of 10.4 MPa. Compute the stress in the
shell
4. The shell plates of a boiler 4.5m diameter are 42 mm thick and the tensile strength of the material is 495 MN/m 2. The efficiency of the
longitudinal seams is 85% and that of the circumferential stress is 85%. Find the working pressure in MPa allowing a factor of safety of 5.
5. A cylindrical vessel (d = 36 in, L= 84 in, t = ¼ in) has two hemispherical ends.Consider an AISI 301, ¼ hard stainless steel (S y = 75 ksi) as the
vessel material with a relative strength of 80% as its welded joint. Use a factor of safety of 3.5 based on the yield point. Determine the
maximum pressure in psi that the vessel can contain.
6. If a spherical vessel of the same material and strength is used as a replacement, what diameter and thickness would be necessary to handle the
same internal pressure .
7. What is the necessary thickness of the cylinder wall of an internal combustion engine chamber when the pressure in the cylinder is 410 psi? The
cylinder diameter in the engine 3.75 in and maximum allowable stress is 2000 psi
8. Pressurized water at 1.37 MPa is stored in a steel cylindrical tank 1.4 meters in diameter. If the allowable tangential stress is 8.5 MPa, compute
the required wall thickness of the tank.
9. A pressure cylinder is under external pressure of 2000 psi and internal pressure of 10000 psi. It has an external diameter of 36 in. and internal
diameter of 26 in. Determine the axial stress. Determine the radial stress at the inner surface. Determine the radial stress at the outer surface.
Determine the hoop stress at the inner surface. Determine the hoop stress at the outer surface.
10. A cylinder having an internal diameter of 20 in and an external diameter of 36 in is subjected to an internal pressure of 10000 psi and an external
pressure of 2500 psi. Determine the hoop stress at the inner surface of the cylinder

MEMD-413: Machine Design 1 2