Journal of Engineering Science and Technology

Special Issue on UKM Teaching and Learning Congress 2013, June (2015) 53 - 60
© School of Engineering, Taylor’s University

INTERACTIVE SHORT CUT METHOD FOR PRESSURE

VESSEL DESIGN BASED ON ASME CODE

NORLIZA ABD.RAHMAN1,2,*, SITI ROZAIMAH SHEIKH ABDULLAH1,2,

NAZLENA MOHAMAD ALI3
1
Department of Chemical & Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Built
Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
2
Centre for Engineering Education Research, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
3
Institute of Visual Informatics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
*Corresponding Author: norlizajkkp@ukm.edu.my

Abstract
The pressure vessel in general, is a closed container with a diameter
greater than 150 mm that can withstand pressure differences of more than
one bar and is designed to meet any requirement of a process. The importance
of designing the pressure vessel is to ensure the safety of pressure
vessels operating in the plant where it will be installed. There are a few
international standards applied to design a safe pressure vessel, but the
most widely referred codes are American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Code (ASME), British Standards and Boiler and Pressure Containers.
In the ASME Code, Section VIII, contains a method for designing a pressure
vessel. All calculations in the procedure are done manually. The procedures
involved complicated formulas with too many graphs, and the designer may
make a mistake in calculating or taking data from a graph. For designing a
vessel under external pressure, a method of trial and error is followed the
minimum thickness for the vessel. This method consumes a longer time to
obtain a corrected the minimum thickness after fulfilling some design criteria.
In order to overcome these problems, an Interactive Short cut Method for
Pressure Vessel Design based on ASME Code is proposed. The results
showed that the highest error of only 1.1 percent was achieved giving
evidence that the modules developed to calculate the thickness of the pressure
vessel is appropriate.
Keywords: Pressure Vessel, iPVD, ASME code.

53

Peer-review under responsibility of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

54 N. Abd. Rahman et al.

Nomenclatures

ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers

tmin minimum thickness
iPVD Interactive Short cut Method for Pressure Vessel Design
GUI Graphical User Interface
MAWP Maximum Allowable Weight Pressure

1. Introduction
A dynamic change defines the world of technical applications and ASME’s
standards are constantly updated due to changes in technology. Starting with basic
design principles [1], these codes and standards establish guidelines and
requirements for equipment design, installation, operation, inspection and
maintenance. Designing a pressure vessel requires a designer to understand and
use the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code manual in
order to ensure safe operation of the pressure vessel. To ensure the safety, the
correct procedure based on ASME code for the internal and external pressure is
an important part of the design. The calculation itself determines how safe the
pressure vessel under certain pressure. Manual calculation often considered as
time consuming and trial error.
The procedure to calculate the minimum thickness value of tmin typically
based on ASME code. All calculations in the procedure are done manually.
Because the procedures involved complicated formulas and too many graphs,
the designer may make a mistake in calculating or taking data from a graph [2].
Before designing pressure vessel, the designer must know if it in internal
pressure or external pressure. Both pressures have their own procedure in order
to find the minimum thickness value of tmin . So, the problem exists when the
students usually take a wrong procedure of both pressures. Finally, the
calculation of tmin value is wrong.
Furthermore, the method of trial and error must be used to get the value of
minimum thickness, tmin. This method employ a long time if the value of tmin is
not correct. So, it will caused students learning process delayed to complete their
assignment or quiz. The procedure need to be repeated if value found inaccurate.
In order to perform well in mechanic design and tool process, interactive short cut
method must use altogether with manual ASME code as reference to identify the
right procedures that have to be followed.
This paper attempts to elaborate the determination of Interactive Short cut
Method for Pressure Vessel Design based on ASME Code that also known as
iPVD. It is considered as an interactive solution [3] that can shorten the time
taken by the designer, student and industry to calculate, understand, and design
better. The calculation made based on ASME code in order to improves
understanding and effectiveness for educational purposes. Thus, the calculations
are more accurate and precise rather than manual calculations technique.
iPVD is more interactive and innovative design which by simply entering
the values needed by the design, the thickness can be calculated by the system.
Interactive Short cut Method for Pressure Vessel Design based on ASME Code
was proposed to make a reliable application in order to support students or

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Interactive Short Cut Method for Pressure Vessel Design Based on ASME Code 55

engineers for Pressure Vessel Design. It was upgraded from previous software
Visual Basic based on Interactive ASME Code. In this paper, systems
background to the proposed technique will be discussed in detail. Next, testing
of the interactive tools from final year design projects and validation of the
calculated values with the industrial values was verified using iPVD systems.

2. What is ASME Code?

ASME Mission is to serve global communities by advancing, disseminating, and
applying engineering knowledge for improving the quality of life and
communicating the excitement of engineering. There is no international standard
is used to design a pressure vessel, but the most widely used codes are American
Society of Mechanical Engineers Code (ASME) codes [4], British Standard,
Boiler and Pressure Containers used in the United States, Canada and other
countries. There are a total of twelve sections contained in the ASME code. For
most of the former chemical plant and refinery, it is contained in section VIII.
There are 3 sub-section in section VIII :-
i. Division 1 provides requirement applicable to the design, fabrication,
inspection, testing and certification of pressure vessels operating at either
internal or external pressures exceeding 15 psig. It containing general rule
and usually followed to former low pressured
ii. Division 2 requirements on materials, designing temperature, and non-
destructive examination are more rigorous that in Division 1. However,
higher design stress intensify values are permitted. Usually, this division are
using at highly pressure design to save cost.
iii. Division 3 requirements are applicable to pressure vessels operating at either
internal or external pressures generally above 10000 psig. Section VIII of
ASME code explained the way on how to designing pressure vessel.
Pressure vessels that operate on the internal and external pressure can be
designed in accordance with the ASME code. Besides, the summary and
graphs also included in order to facilitate designer to refer back during
designing as illustrate in Fig. 1.

3. Project Objectives
Designing pressure vessel was carried out to ensure the safety of pressure
vessels operating in the plant. In order to facilitate and accelerate the process of
designing pressure vessel, Interactive Short cut Method for Pressure Vessel
Design based on ASME Code was proposed. A system has been developed in
order to help student or engineers to determine the thickness of a pressure
vessel without the need to calculate all equations given by the ASME code
themselves. The objective for the project proposed are following:-
i. To design smart Interactive Short cut Method tool incorporating the ASME
code manual.
ii. To evaluate the application that can support engineers for Pressure
Vessel Designing.

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BASIC INFORMATION

1 Operating pressure, P = ……insert….(kpa/psi)

2 Operating Temperature, T ……insert….(o C)

=

3 Inside diameter, Di =

4 Height of vessel, Hi =

5 Height of shell, Hs =

6 Height of top heads, Ht=

7 Height between tangent

lines, Hv

8 Type of material = …...insert……

9 Maximum allowable …..insert…….(N/mm2 )

stress, S =

Join efficiency, E = ……insert…..

1. DESIGN PRESSURE, PD

CYLINDRICAL SHELL

Orientation Vertical shell Horizontal shell

Di

Hi
Hi

Di

Calc design pressure, PD PD = Po + 0.433h ; h=Hi PD = Po + 0.433h ; h=Di

Fig. 1 Manual calculation for designing pressure using ASME CODE.

4. Results and Discussion

Interactive short cut method for designing pressure vessel was developed for
upgrading the present programming from 5 files (Visual Basic) to single file.
Both systems have a same calculation but this iPVD method is more interactive
and innovative. Figure 2 showed interface of calculation online system which
including symbol UKM, menu, contact us, log-in and register here. Symbol
‘arrow’ indicate that the user have to log-in by entering username and password.
There are 15 steps including summary of calculation by simply entering the
values needed by the design, the result will be calculated by the system, as

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Interactive Short Cut Method for Pressure Vessel Design Based on ASME Code 57

shown in Fig. 3. This system is embedded with all equations, graphs, figures,
and calculations. This method is part of extend the programming algorithm until
calculation of maximum allowable weight Pressure, MAWP is obtained. Figure
4 shows a broucher for iPVD which summarises the features and advantages of
this system.

Fig. 2. GUI of iPVD (Online calculation system).

Fig. 3. Steps calculation of designing pressure vessel.

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58 N. Abd. Rahman et al.

Fig. 4. Summary of iPVD.

5. Validation of Interactive Short Cut Method Technique

Two field measurements were made to verify the validity of interactive short cut
method for designing pressure vessel based on ASME code. Firstly, by training &
testing of the interactive tools with the data from final year design projects [5].
Mechanic Design Process is one of compulsory subject for Year III students [6-9]
at the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. An important part of
this subject is the students will learn procedure on how to designing pressure
vessel by using ASME code manual. Thus, Interactive Short Cut Method, iPVD

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Interactive Short Cut Method for Pressure Vessel Design Based on ASME Code 59

will introduce to the final year students for designing the whole part of pressure
vessel because they have learnt it during year III and as a comparison between
iPVD and manual calculation. The system is user friendly by entering the value
into the system and less time to calculate the value of minimum thickness, tmin.
The results indicated that the highest error of only 1.1 percent was achieved
giving evidence that the systems developed to calculate the thickness of the
pressure vessel is appropriate. The URL for iPVD during testing period is
http://103.18.247.37/vessel.
Secondly, validation of the iPVD with the industrial values was taken place at
the Asturi Metal Builders (M) Sdn Bhd, Gebeng, Kuantan, Pahang on 28 August
2014. The objective for this visit is for validation from industrial which has used
ASME code similar with the iPVD, besides to evaluate the application that can
support engineers for Pressure Vessel Designing. The results from industrial
values showed that there are different values between this system and industrial
systems. Some of the term or values that use by industrial does not interrelated
with this systems application. The Asturi Metals Builders said that iPVD is
suitable for educational purpose because it is user friendly, portable, easy and
understanding. Collaboration with industries gives a high impact to market this
system for a future.
As conclusion, the comparison of the user manual ASME code and interactive
short cut method, iPVD [10] for designing pressure vessel based on ASME code
indicated that the interactive short cut method has equivalent reliability rather
than using user manual ASME code. During apply this systems, the designer
should use manual ASME code as reference for a better designing and prevent
incorrect calculations because the safety of pressure vessels is very importance
while operating in the plant where it will be installed.

6. Conclusions
In this paper, interactive short cut method for designing pressure vessel was
proposed to determine a better and reliable of system application. This system has
unique features and advantages to be introduced. Even though people have no
engineering background, they still can use this system because this system is user
friendly and more interactive. The system was proved to have testing and validation
by two different approaches. Testing and training from final year project show the
comparison between manual ASME code calculation and iPVD calculations.
Besides, the validation from the industry was supported the result given by Asturi
Metals Builders Sdn Bhd that there is a different between industrial values and
education values. The comparison using manual calculation and iPVD bring result
confirmed that the iPVD system has equivalent accuracy.

Acknowledgements
This research was part of the project, “Interactive Short Cut Method for Pressure
Vessel Design Based On ASME Code”, supported by Innovation Grant 2013-011,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

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