Workshop:

Pre-Tensioned Bolts Joining Members of a Pressure Vessel

MECG1043, 2020 II C.G. Helguero

Problem Statement: Figure 1 illustrates the connection of a cylinder head to a pressure vessel using 10
bolts and a confined-gasket seal. The effective sealing diameter is 6 in for the consideration of tensile load
00
on the bolts due to gas pressure. Other dimensions are: A = 400 , B = 800 , C = 1200 , and Th = Tc = 43 . The
00
cylinder is used to store gas at a static pressure of 900 psi. Ten 12 -13 UNC grade 5 bolts (medium carbon
steel, quenched and tempered) are used, as shown in Figure 1. This provides an acceptable bolt spacing.
The bolts are pre-tensioned to 75% of the proof load for re-usable tension joints.
C
B

O-ring seal

Th

Tc

Figure 1: Pressure vessel. Both the cylinder head and the cylinder are made of grade 30 cast iron.

1. Determine the following parameters: Sp , L, LT , LG , ld , lt , Ad , At . Assume the thickness of the

washers is 0.100 (see Table A.32).

2. Show that the external tensile load per bolt due to gas pressure on effective sealing area is 2545 lbf .

3. Both the cylinder head and the cylinder are made of grade 30 cast iron with Young’s modulus E =
14.5 × 106 psi. Answer the following questions.

(a) Find the stiffness constants kb and km .

(b) Calculate the stiffness constant of the joint, C.
(c) Find the safety factor guarding against joint separation of the design if the pretension on the
bolts are 75% of the proof load.
(d) What is the load factor n resulting from this selection?

4. Assume that the gas pressure fluctuates between 0 and 900 psi in Problem 3. Determine the factor
of safety guarding against fatigue failure using (i) the modified Goodman criterion, (ii) the Gerber
criterion, and (ii) the ASME-elliptic criterion.

1
5. If the cylinder head is made of steel (E = 30 × 106 psi) and the cylinder is made of grade 30 cast iron
(E = 14.5 × 106 psi), answer the following questions.

(a) Find the stiffness constants kb and km .

(b) Calculate the stiffness constant of the joint, C.
(c) Find the safety factor guarding against joint separation of the design if the pretension on the
bolts are 75% of the proof load.
(d) What is the load factor n resulting from this selection?
(e) Find the factor of safety guarding against fatigue failure if the pressure fluctuates between 0 and
900 psi.

6. Compare the results in Problem (3) and (5). Which arrangement gives more advantage? Why?