Pressure Vessel Research Committee WRC—50 Years of Progrsss Through Cooperative Research Local Stresses in Vessels—Notes on the Application of WRC-107 and WRC-297 LAC, Peng! ‘The welding Research Council (WRC) Bulletin No. 107 {1] and Baitetin No. 297 [2} are two of the most important desiga, ‘guides ever published for the design of pressure Vessels. Wide- ly used in the design of attachments and nozls comaections, they have become indispensable tools fs recent years. WRC-107 and WRC-297 are lavaluable due to their come bined consideration of theory, experimental data, and engineering judgment. In sores instances the theoretical values have been adjusted several hundred percent upward to match the avallable experimental results. They are reliable tools ‘without which the so-called “Design by Analysis” eppreach would have been impractical, Unfortunately many designers have misapplied the data presented, thus resulting in inconsls- tent designs. This article describes the data availabie im these ‘wo bulletins acd explains the aatuse of inconsistency incusred in some designs. A supplemental formula is then developed for calculating the combined maximum stress intensity to be used i designs. WRC Bulletin No, 107, WRC-107 was frst published in August 1965 [1]. It was bared on Professor Bijicard’s Sheoretical work, with some adjustments, made based on avtilabie experimental data, A few revisions have been made ince is frst publication, The latest revision made in March labeled some"of the curves. WRC-107 has been used widely in the design of vessel nozzles and attachments. It was ene of the major driving forces in promoting the “Design by Analysis” philosophy. The bolletin covers bock spherical ang cvindricat vessels, In spherical vessels, the original theoretics! work was based on courd rigid inserts and round nozzle connections, Square jnsens of conneccions can be anelyzed using an equivalent round attackment having a diameter equal to 8/7 of the ar tachment width, On the other hand, the original theoretical work for the cylindrival vessel was Based om square and ree- ‘angular-shaped uniform loads acting on unpecforated vessels. Round autackments can be analyzed using an equivalent square having the width of 7/8 of the attachment diameter. Besause of the assumption of the unperforated shell, the ap- “Peng Engineering, Houstun, Tex 7083, CCootsbured bythe ressare Vessels nd Piping Dison for publication bs tke Jovnsat or Puzssuns Visas Tacaococr, Masur secaived by the PVP Divion, December 21, 1987. 108 / Vol. 140, FEBRUARY 1988 plicability of the cylindrical vesset portion of the bulletin is United to rigid inserts, The Bulletin does not recommend any specific method in analyzing an actual nozzle connection in the cylindrical vessel i is left largely to the designers to make heir own judgment. ‘WRC-107 presenis detalted tabular forms for calculating auresses et four major axis locations. Stresses at both inside and outside surfaces on these locations can be readily cateulated following the step-by-step procedure ovtlined in the form, The final results are the total skin stress intensities at shese four locations in the sbell, No separate membrane siress Intensity Is given, nor is the stress in the nozzle caicuiated. WRC Bulletin No, 297. WRC-297 was published in August 1984 (2). It is a supplement to WRC-107 end is specifically applicable to oslindrical nozzles in cylindrical vessels. This bullerin was based on Professor Stecle’s theoretical work, 41 gives data for larger D/T ratios than in WRC-107, and ‘also provides beiter readability for small values of d/D by ploning the curvesusing h=@/VBT" asthe abscissa. Most importantly, the new theory considers the opening on the shel together with the restraining effect of the nozzle wall. This is 2 betier model than the unperforated shell used in WRC.107 for simulating the nozzle connections ia ylindrical vessels. Because most pressure vessel and piping codes have ferent allowable stress criteria for differant siress categories, ‘WRC.297 emphasizes the separation of membrane stress end skin bending sttess, Two examples are given oudining the detailed procedures for calculating membrane aud total stress intensities at points located in the longitudinal and the ‘ransverse planes. Both shell and noze stresses are calculated, Loestion of Muxiaum Stress ‘The fact that the examples given in both WRC-107 and WRE-297 specifically outline the procedees for ealeuiating stresses at the four major axis comers, has led designers 10 ‘think thar the maximum stress inthe conection must be ome of those stresses. This presumption iatroduees inconsistency ‘aad nonconservatisan ia the desien of nozzle and arachment connections, The maximam stress fs got normally focated at these comers. Although the calculation involves only she secondary stress which itself involves various uncertaitties, & Fig.t Versel attachments Transactions of the ASMEa oo er Fig. 2 Stogs on sphestcal shell certain emount of deviation is always expected. For instance, as much as a 10-percent difference may be made just from the chart by different persons, He vever, just because ‘of is inherent unceriainty, effort is needed to meke it 2s con- sistent 2s possible. Anything that can be done to improve its certainty ‘should be done. In cases when deviation is ‘unavoidable, its preferred to deviate on the conservative side. To demonstrate when an incousistency may occur, the at- tachment on a spherical abell can be used 2s an example. Figure 2(¢) shows @ bending moment, M, acting on a nozzle conection at @ spherical vessel. By choosing & coordinate system as shown in Fig, 2(0) the soresses at the four mrajor axis Points ace SA=S, SB=S, SC=0, aud SD=0. However, if a designer happens to have the coordinate system set up as shown in Fig, 2(), the applied moment will be decomposed in- fo My=M,=0.7G71M two components. The stresses at the four major axis points, in this case, are SA=SB= SC=SD=0.7071S. This stress is about 40 percent below the expecied maximum stress. The same nazzle connection and the same applied moment, yet the calculated stresses are substantially different depending solely on how the coordicate system is setup. From the foregoing demonstration, itis clear that in Fig, 2(¢), the maximum stress is not located at the ma- Jor axis zoints, but at the off-axis points P and N. In general, Hf the moments acting sround both coordiaate axes are nonzero, the maximum stress is not located at the major axcs. ‘This warning was properly stated in Paragraph 3.3.5, WRC-107, which said, “However, in the general cast of ar- bitrary loading, one has no assurance that the absolure imax am sess intensity in che siell will be located at one of the eight poims considered in the above discussion.” The eight points mectioned are the inside and outside surfaces of the four major axis points. Strangely, this message has been large- 4y ignored. Maximum Stress Intensity ‘The calculation of the stresses at the four major axis points is helpful in understanding the stress distzibuden, However, for the design purposes itis essential to calculate the maximirm stress intensity occurring throughout the entire connection. In developing the calculation procedure, the following notations are used: P = radiat load Mg = circumferential moment (or moment in [-1 disection) ‘AM, = longitudinat moment (or moment in 2-2 dicection) Mg, = total bending moment ‘My = torsional moment Vz = circumferential force {or shear force in 2-2 direction) Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology ¥, = longitudinal force (or shear force in 14 direction} V = total shear force Sy(L) = 1 disection J category stress due to lead Zs ier, 8, for tadial and circumferential, respective. ly; /= Mb, for membrane and bending, respectively SS m shear stress ‘The applied ioading cun generally be divided inco four com- pouent groups. They are radial force, bending moment, tor- sional moment, and shear foree. Im the following discussion the stress contributed by ezci componeat group is described frst. They are then combined to become the maximum siress. The discussion follows the WRC-297 stress oriencation of radial and circumferential directions with respect to the n02- ile, Because of the different stress orientation edopied in the cylindrical shel! portion of the WRC-107, reorientation of the WRC-107 data is requited for the cylindrical vesse’ The pro- cedure shows the method for calculating the stress in the shell, ‘The same procedure can be used for calculating the siress in the nozzle. Stress due io P. ina spherical vessel, it is Obvious that the stresses created by the radial loed are uniform around the ex tire attachment circumference, In a cylindrical vessel, though the stresses differ from location to location, it can also be regarded as uniform taking the maximum around the attach- reat cirsumference as te uniform value, This asussptioe in troduces some conservatism but is not overly conservative, ‘WRC-297 has already adopred this approach in developing the ‘design curves. In reference to the aztachment orientation, the stress created by the radial load caa be written symbolicaly 2s Membrane sess: Sym (P), Soq(P) Bending stress: 5,,(P), Sy(P) ‘They are constant around the entire attachment ci- cumference. a Siress due to Mc and M,. Steesses created by Mf and M, are not independent os assumed by some daiigners, In a spherical vesel the M, and Mf, can be conveatently combined as MgaVHOTHD @ ‘The combined stress can then be calculated based on M, rather than on Mc and M, individually. However, to haves sommion methad appiicable ro both spherical and cylindrical vessels, @. more general approach is preferred. Professor Bijlaard has shown that the stress, due to bending moment, varies according to the casine function in a spherical shell. As showa in Fig. 3(o), when the attachment is loaded simultaneously with Mc and. Mf, each M, aad Af, commands a cosine shape stress distribution. With this type of cosine distribution, it can be shown that the niaximum combined [a2 Somericat Yesse! (03 Cyuaeient eoens Fig. 3 Combined stress dus to bending moments FEBRUARY 1988. Vol. 110/107