Steps in the Design of Pressure Vessels

1. Define pressure vessel and identify wide variety of industrial applications.

2. Identify pressure vessel components (vessel shell, heads, supporting legs, nozzles,
flanges, manhole …) and configurations.

3. Determine vessels Length and Diameter by the use of the given nominal vessel
volume for typical ratio of length to diameter.

4. Select material based on the following factors:

a. Strength
b. Corrosion Resistance
c. Resistance to Hydraulic Attack
d. Fracture toughness
e. Fabricability

5. Define specific weld types that may be used and determine the corresponding weld
joint efficiency, E, which is a measure of weld quality and accounts for stress
concentrations and is needed in component thickness calculations.

6. Calculate required shell thickness for internal pressure. Note that you must account
for corrosion allowance based on the type of the medium. Therefore the corrosion
allowance must be added to obtain the inside radius and finally must be added to the
calculated thinkness.

7. Review the different type of closure heads (flanged, hemispherical, elliptical,

torispherical , conical and toriconical) and select the one for your top and bottom
head which is not necessarily the same for both ends.

8. Calculate required head thickness for internal pressure. You will follow the same
procedure how the corrosion allowance is accounted for vessel thickness calculation.

9. Identify in your design Head-to-Shell transitions.

10. Select standard flange with its dimensional detail based on flange rating. The flange
rating establishes acceptable temperature/pressure combinations and is a function of
acceptable flange materials.

11. flange design using the following procedure:

a. determine flange applied loads (acts at different flange locations) and flange
moments (for the operating and gasket seating cases)
b. Flange stresses are calculated and compared to allowable value.
c. Consider the following factors while designing the flange
 Operation and gasket seat parameters

1
  Specified gasket widths
 Flange facing and nubbin width
 Bolt size number and spacing

12. In gasket design determine gasket type, gasket width, gasket materials and contact
facings.

13. Select standard wall thickness of the nozzle.

14. Reinforcement of Openings. Use “area replacement” approach. Note the different
nozzle design details that may be used. First determine total available reinforcement
area and compare to required area. If the nozzle is not adequately reinforced because
it does not have enough reinforcement available, then the design now proceeds to
determine the required dimensions of reinforcement pad. And a final check is made to
ensure that the reinforcement pad is within the reinforcement zone.

15. Check your pressure vessel for maximum allowable working stress for the combined
internal service pressure and external loads.

16. Design inspection or manhole for your pressure vessel.

17. Support design

a. Design for weight, wind, and earthquake.
b. Pressure not a factor.
c. Temperature also a consideration for material selection and thermal
expansion.

18. Recognize typical acceptable welding and fabrication detail for your pressure vessel.