Pressure vessels Page 1 of 2

Chapter 8: Applications of plane stress:

Spherical pressure vessels.

• We confine our studies for thin-walled pressure vessels. As a rule, pressure
vessels are considered to be thin-walled when the ratio of radius r to wall
thickness t is greater than 10.
• Balancing the forces for the spherical pressure vessel, p(πr2) = σ(2πrt), where p =
gage pressure or net internal pressure, r = inner radius of the sphere, t = wall
pr
thickness, from which we can write σ = .
2t
• As is evident from the symmetry of a spherical shell, we obtain the same equation
from the tensile stresses when we cut through the centre of the sphere in any
direction whatsoever. Thus, we reach the following conclusion: A pressurised
sphere is subjected to uniform tensile stresses σ in all directions.
• The stresses at the outer surface of a spherical pressure vessel is usually free of
any loads. Thus a stress element taken on the surface is in biaxial stress.
o Note that there are no shear stresses present, thus every plane is a
principal plane and every direction is a principal direction.
pr
σ1 = σ 2 = .
2t
o The in-plane shear stresses are zero, but the out-of-plane shear stress is
σ pr
given by τ max = = .
2 4t
• The stresses at the inner surface have the same principal stresses σ1 and σ2 ,
however, there is a compressive stress σ3 equal to the pressure p acting in the z
direction.
o This compressive stress decreases from p at the inner surface to zero at
the outer surface.
o Again, the in-plane shear stresses are zero,
o But the maximum out-of-plane shear stress (obtained by a 45o rotation
σ + p pr p p  r 
about either the x or y axis) is τ max = = + =  + 1 .
2 4t 2 2  2t 
o For thin-walled vessel, the number 1 can be disregard in comparison
pr
with the term r/2t, thus τ max = , as in the case of the stress state for
4t
the outer surface.

Cylindrical pressure vessel.

• Due to the symmetry of the vessel and its loading, no shear stresses act on the
surfaces of a stress element with its faces parallel and perpendicular to the axis of
the tank, the normal stresses σ1 and σ2 are the principal stresses.
• Because of their directions, the stress σ1 is called the circumferential stress or the
hoop stress, and the stress σ2 is called the longitudinal stress or the axial stress.
Each of these stresses can be calculated from equilibrium by using appropriate
free-body diagrams.
Pressure vessels Page 2 of 2

• The circumferential stresses σ1 acting in the wall of the vessel have a resultant to
σ1(2bt), where t is the thickness of the wall. Also, the resultant force of the
internal pressure is equal to 2pbr, where r is the inner radius of the cylinder.
pr
Hence, σ1(2bt) - 2pbr = 0, or σ 1 = .
t
• The longitudinal stress σ2 can be obtained by balancing the resultant force σ2(2π
pr
rt) with the resultant force due to the internal pressure, p(πr2), thus σ 2 = .
2t
• We note that the circumferential stress in a cylindrical vessel is equal to twice the
longitudinal stress σ1=2σ2, which explains that a longitudinal welded seam in a
pressurised tank must be twice as strong as a circumferential seam.
• Because the wall of the vessel is thin, the compressive stress in the z-direction
due to internal pressure can be neglected. With this approximation, the stresses at
the inner surface become the same as the stresses at the outer surface (biaxial
stress).
• The maximum in-plane shear stresses occur on planes that are rotated 45o about
σ − σ 2 σ 1 pr
the z-axis, (τ max ) z = 1 = = .
2 4 4t
• The maximum out-of-plane shear stresses are obtained by 45o rotations about the
σ pr σ pr
x and y axes, respectively; thus, (τ max ) x = 1 = , (τ max ) y = 2 = .
2 2t 2 4t