International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics

Volume 115 No. 8 2017, 499-504

ISSN: 1311-8080 (printed version); ISSN: 1314-3395 (on-line version)
url: http://www.ijpam.eu
Special Issue
ijpam.eu

HARMONIC AND BUCKLING ANALYSIS OF PRESSURE VESSELS

USING VARIOUS STIFFENERS

1
Eswara Kumar. A, 2 R. Krishna Santosh, 3 S. Mahesh Prasad, 4 G. Harsha Vardhan
1, 2,3,4
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, K L University, Vaddeswaram, Guntur
1
eswarkumar217@gmail.com

Abstract: A pressure vessel is designed to store the
gases or liquids at a pressure other than ambient
pressure. The motor case of the rocket or sub
marine will acts as the pressure vessel. The pressure
vessels will experience different loads when they
are in working condition. The weight of the
pressure vessel plays vital role when it is moving
opposite to gravity like rockets. This will affect the
size and cost. So the weight has to be reduced by
introducing different things which may include
composites (or) stiffeners. In the present work to
reduce the weight, stiffener case was chosen. From
the literature it was observed that pressure vessels
will also fail due to the buckling and harmonic
loads. In the present work pressure vessels with
different designs were analysed for both harmonic
and buckling loads by using the finite element
simulation software Ansys workbench 17.0. The
stiffeners selected in the work are circular,
rectangular, helical, sector, rectangular slotted,
linear x-crossed and quadratic x-crossed. Buckling
loads from Eigen value buckling analysis and
deformation, stresses at resonance from the
harmonic analysis were studied and best stiffener
which yields good results was recommended.
Keywords: Buckling load, stiffener, Harmonic
analysis, ANSYS Workbench.
1. Introduction
A pressure vessel is a container designed to store
the fluids at a pressure more or less from
atmospheric pressure. These pressure vessels may
be of any shape and any size such as sphere,
cylinder, ellipse etc. The most used design of
pressure vessel is a cylinder with hemispherical
caps at the ends called heads.Cylindrical vessels are
mostly used in the industries. In most of the
industries to reduce the weight and to provide the
additional stiffness, various stiffener are used. A
stiffener is an added material which gives additional
stiffness to the component. V.N. Skopinsky [1]
analysed the results of the elastic-plastic stress
curves and determined the plastic limit pressure for
elliptical pressure vessels. Medhavi Sinha [2]
framed the results & showed that application of
proper stiffener affects the stress distribution
through the contact surfaces and increase the
ultimate moment capacity of the contacts. Jerzy
Domanski [3] optimized multi-criteria of space
inside the pressure vessels to reduce Weight,
producibility, portability and operating it at comfort
conditions. Mutahir Ahmed [4] justified that hoop
stress varies with decrease in thickness of pressure
vessel. Md Musthak [5] suggested that saddle
support of a pressure vessel will have critical role to
support the pressure vessel, it should be designed in
such a way that it can bear the vessel load and
internal pressure of the containers. Mr. Yogesh B.
Khule [6] justified that pressure vessels always bear
pressure and thermal loadings and named it as
thermo-mechanical loadings. I. Fakhari
Golpayegani [7] proposed Carbon Fibre Reinforced
Polymers which are having huge number of
applications where high specific stiffness and
strength helps in structural weight reduction and
increment of fuel-efficiency. Mohd. Asghar Zaidi
[8] prepared structures by isotropic materials are not
efficient since the axial stresses use only half that of
the structure capabilities but now, with the advent
of composites, the material can be tailor-made so
that more fibres are laid in the direction where the
stresses are High. S. Bhavya [9] worked on the
basis of resistance change is designed for it and
heating system are incorporated in this pressure
vessel and the values of pressure are evaluated in
the small chamber. The observed resistance change
in pressure showed hysteresis, and causes a

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considerable error in the pressure estimation. 10mm. All stiffener designs were modelled with a
Eswara kumar A [10] given the importance of thickness of 8mm, then compared with basic
meshing and co-ordinate system when analysing cylinder.
cylindrical objects.

2. Problem Statement
To study the response of the various stiffener
designs subjected to harmonic and buckling loads
on the pressure vessels. The Various stiffener
designs considered are circular, rectangular, sector, Figure 4. Circular shaped stiffeners
helical rounding, rectangular, linear and quadratic
x-crossed from the previous paper.
2.1. Methodology
Pressure vessel is treated as cylinder with no
caps and modelled in solid works software.
Harmonic analysis and Eigen value buckling
analysis were performed by using the Ansys
Figure 5. Rectangular stiffeners
workbench. The schematic view is as shown in
figure 1 &2.

Figure 6. Sector Shaped stiffeners

Figure 1. Buckling analysis

Figure7. Helical shaped stiffener

Figure 2. Harmonic analysis

2.2. Problem Modelling

2.1.1. Geometry

Figure 8. Rectangular slotted stiffener

a)FrontView b)Top
View
Figure 3. Main geometry

The length of the cylinder is taken as 300 mm,

inner diameter is 200 mm and external diameter is
236mm as shown in fig. 3. Thickness of stiffener is Figure 9. Linear stiffener X-crossed
8mm, modelled on cylinder whose thickness is

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at the beginning of the meshing. The properties of

the material are:
a) Density (ρ):
): 7800.00 kg/m3
Figure 10. Quadratic stiffener X-- crossed b) Poisson’s ratio (ν):
ν): 0.33
c) Young’s modulus (E): 193 GPa
2.3. Finite Element Meshing d) Strength: 1250 MPa
It is the process of converting geometrical
entities into finite element entities. Proper fine 3. Results & discussions
meshing was done to get the mesh convergence. All the selected models were analysed with
Eight noded hexahedron element was used to buckling, harmonic loads and output parameters are
perform the meshing operation with an element size studied
of 10. Cylindrical
rical coordinate system is assigned to
the geometry because it is in cylindrical shape. 3.1. Buckling results
The variation of the bucking load w.r.t the
different stiffeners were plotted in the figure 12. It
comprises of the first three buckling mode values.
1500

a)Frontview b) Top view 1000 Mode1 Mode2

500
Figure 11. Meshing of basic cylinder
0

2.4. Analysis

2.4.1. Harmonic analysis

Harmonic analysis was used to find the
Figure 12. Buckling modes of the stiffeners
deformation and stresses in resonance conditions.
For Harmonic analysis, we need natural From the figure 12, it was observed that as
frequencies. To find the natural frequencies modal modes are increases, the buckling load values are
analysis was performed.The
The forced frequency range increasing. Among the stiffeners considered, helical
wasfixed for analysis as 4000Hz. Now the top and shaped stiffener contains the high buckling load.
bottom surfaces are made constrained (Fixed) and But all these stiffener designs have less buckling
an internal pressure of 50MPa
MPa is applied on the load than the basic one. The buckling load of the
inner surface of the cylinder. The frequency helical stiffener is 696 MPa.
responses of the deformation
ormation and normal stresses The typical view of mode shapes of buckling
were studied at the resonance condition. are shown below
2.4.2. Buckling analysis
Buckling analysis was used to know the stability
of the structure. Here the
he bottom end is fixed in all
DOF and the top end is also fixed except in the Z-
direction.Pressure is applied on the top surface as a) Mode1
well as the interior with a magnitude of 1MPa.
Then it is studied
died with different mode shapes.
2.5. Material Properties
The Material used for analysis is Alloy
15CDV6. It is a low carbon steel which combines a
high yield strength greater than SAE 4130 with
good toughness and weldability. 15CDV6 can be
readily welded with very little loss of properties b) Mode2 c) Mode3
during welding
lding and without the need for further Figure 13. Mode shapes of the main cylinder
heat treatment and it is assigned to the component

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3.2. Harmonic results The directional deformation for various stiffeners

in X- direction at first resonance condition are
The normal stress for various stiffeners in X-
direction at first resonance condition are plotted plotted and shown in figure 17.
and shown in figure 14.
0.600 Directional deformation(mm,Z)
300000.00 0.400
200000.00
Normal Stress(MPa,X) 0.200
100000.00 0.000
0.00 -0.200
-100000.00

0.010 Directional deformation(mm,X)

Figure 14. Frequency response for normal stresses
0.005
in X direction
From the figure 14, circular stiffener has least 0.000
normal stress in X-direction with 1168.7 MPa. -0.005

The normal stress for various stiffeners in Y-

direction at first resonance condition are plotted
and shown in figure 15.
Figure 17. Frequency responses for directional
Normal Stress(MPa,Y) deformations in X direction
150000.00
100000.00
From the figure 17 it was clear that the linear x-
50000.00
crossed pattern is having lessdirectional
0.00
-50000.00
deformation in X-direction.
The directional deformation for various
stiffeners in Y- direction at first resonance
condition are plotted and shown in figure 18.
Directional deformation(mm,Y)
Figure 15. Frequency response for normal
0.001
stresses in Y direction 0.001
From the above graph circular stiffener is 0.000
having lower stress value -0.001

The normal stress for various stiffeners in Z-

direction at first resonance condition are plotted
and shown in figure 16. Figure 18. Frequency responses for directional
deformations in Y direction
300000.00 Normal Stress(MPa,Z) From the figure it was clear that the directional
200000.00
100000.00
deformation in Y-direction sector shaped stiffener
0.00 is having less deformation in Y-direction.
-100000.00 The directional deformation for various
stiffeners in X- direction at first resonance
condition are plotted and shown in figure 17.
Figure 19. Frequency responses for directional
Figure 16. Frequency response for normal stresses deformations in Z direction
in Z direction
From the figure 19 it was clear that the circular
From the figure 16 it was clear that the circular stiffener is having the least directional deformation
stiffener has least normal stress in Y-direction with in Z-direction.
75 MPa.

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4. Conclusions
From the above observationsit was concluded
for the buckling loads helical stiffener design is
recommended. But for the harmonic loads, circular
stiffener design was good because it contains lower
deformations and stresses compared to remaining
one. But all these are not as much as better than
basic cylinder. From this where ever buckling is
important, helical stiffener design will be
recommended. Wherever harmonic loads critical,
circular stiffener designs will be recommended
among the considered designs.
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