What are the factors to consider when designing a pressure vessel?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the factors to consider when designing a pressure vessel, addressing various aspects such as material selection, safety factors, design methodologies, and practical considerations in engineering design. The scope includes theoretical, technical, and practical applications relevant to pressure vessel design.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests a methodology for designing a pressure vessel, including determining operating pressure, vessel shape and dimensions, estimating stresses, applying safety factors, and selecting appropriate materials.
  • Another participant recommends consulting the API Standards, noting that it provides a structured approach to pressure vessel design.
  • A personal experience is shared regarding practical considerations for designing a vacuum coating plant, emphasizing the importance of spatial constraints and user comfort.
  • One participant advises starting with the ASME BPV Section VIII as a foundational resource for pressure vessel design.
  • Concerns are raised about the complexity of pressure vessel design, highlighting the need for expertise and knowledge of various factors beyond basic stress calculations, such as weld strength and relief valve sizing.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the factors to consider in pressure vessel design, with no clear consensus on a single approach or methodology. Some emphasize the importance of established codes and standards, while others focus on practical considerations and personal experiences.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various codes and standards (API, ASME BPV) that provide guidelines for pressure vessel design, but there is no agreement on which specific aspects are most critical or how to prioritize them. The discussion reflects a mix of theoretical and practical concerns, with some limitations noted regarding the complexity and safety implications of pressure vessel design.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for engineering students, professionals involved in pressure vessel design, and individuals seeking to understand the complexities and considerations in designing safe and effective pressure vessels.

munzz
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Hi guys.. I am currently working on a research where I have totally no idea in. What are the factors i need to take into consideration if I were to design a pressure vessel?
 
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I would suggest these steps although you can apply this methodology in any order you need to, if for instance you wish to design a vessel of a particular material and size, and wish to known the maximum safe pressure.

1. What operating pressure do you want to be able to achieve?
2. What shape and dimensions is your vessel going to be? E.g. closed ended cylinder with wall thickness t.
3. How can you estimate the stresses that will be seen in the vessel walls? E.g. for a cylinder you can use Lame equations (or thin walled approximations if applicable) for radial and hoop stresses.
4. What safety factor do you want to apply to the design?
5. What material should you thus make it from (taking into account the maximum stress in the vessel walls, the safety factor, and a suitable yield stress for the material)?

That's pretty simplified, but that's approximately how an engineer would approach the problem. Obviously there are many other factors that you should consider, including corrosion of the vessel material (e.g. an iron container holding sea water...), the fatigue life of the vessel if the pressure or temperature varies considerably, variation of ductility with temperature...the list goes on!
 
Check the API (American Petroleum Institute) Standards. There is an entire chapter on the design of pressure vessels. Should be a step by step plug-n-chug process.
 
From personal experience. If you are designing a large vacuum coating plant to go in the basement - consider the distance between floor and ceiling and the gap between support columns in the corridor it has to go down.
Then factor in the cost of building a shed to put the thing in and how annoyed the users are going to be working on it in winter if the shed isn't heated.
 
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The first things I would want to know are what size and what purpose.

Honestly, if you don't know what you're doing, I would get with someone that does know. Pressure vessels are scary beasts, especially if you are doing something that is going to be installed around people or in a plant where people work.

Stewart was right. ASME BPV code sect VIII is a HUGE tome that covers everything. There are books written on how to read and understand it. Designing a pressure vessel is not simply hoop stress and a factor of safety.

Dennis Moss put out a pretty good book "Pressure Vessel Design Manual." You need to track down a book like that to get a better glimpse as to what you are looking at. You will need to brush up on things like the strength of the heads or caps, weld strength, stresses around openings, relief valve/rupture disc sizing, etc...
 
thx a lot! I think I have an idea on how to start it by now..
 

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