Importance of Pressure Vessels Design Optimization and Analysis

Pressure vessels are used extensively in many different industries, including manufacturing, aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, oil and gas engineering, and oil refining industries, among others. Gases and liquids are kept under high pressure in pressure vessels. Regardless of their size and shape, pressure can be exerted inside or externally.

There are 3 most common types of Pressure Vessels

1. Storage Containers – Which are used for storing fluids under pressure
2. Process Vessels – These are the most basic types of pressure vessels, which is used for storage and functioning as well. These include heat exchangers, reactors, fractionating towers, distillation towers, etc.
3. Heat Exchanger – These vessels are normally used in an industry where some substances required to be heat-up to normalize before releasing in environment.

The turnaround time is the major problem that industries are now facing while designing and modelling these pressure vessels. Pressure vessel industries are fiercely competitive and demand lightning-fast accuracy. The communication medium is another important problem. Every detail drawing needs to be accurately represented graphically in accordance with industry standards.

Let's talk in more detail about the pressure vessel kinds and technical aspects.

Storage Containers

The Storage Containers are vessels used to store gases and liquids, as their name suggests. These are unique, very precise tanks designed to hold dangerous gases. For the tanks to be sustainable, they must be sturdy and impervious to leaks.

Here are the design aspects considered while designing storage container designed at INDOVANCE for one of its clients.

• The internal and external material finish used was HRAP (Hot Rolled Annealed and Pickled) which is done through a steel mill process.
• The weld finish for the internal and the external surface is done with the wire brushed.
• A dimple jacket was designed for the non-thermal and thermal shock loading.
• The volume of the vessels is as huge as 50,726 gallons.
• The operating temperature is 200-degree Fahrenheit and the design temperature is 300- degree Fahrenheit.

Process Vessel

In another project case, INDOVANCE designed a Process Vessel which could also be used as a Heat Exchanger for one of the major Manufacturing Business houses.

The design specification was as follow –

• Though the pressure vessel was made of carbon steel and stainless-steel, proper passivation was required to be done to provide further losses in future.
• All the lifting and support lug was designed according to the DPT by laws.
• Different nozzles come with different specification, having different uses and services, such as –
• Agitator nozzle is used for mixing the substances in the pressure vessels.
• Manway nozzle is used for the entry and exit of a person.
• There is a spare nozzle provided at the top and the bottom for emergency purpose.
• There are overall 4 baffles placed at regular intervals for the support of bundled – tube.
• 4 support lugs are provided at an angle of 90-degrees to each other.
• Half tube gaskets are provided with graphite wires for heat flow.

Moreover, there are many minute details that goes into the designing, drafting and modeling of the Pressure Vessels. These details may vary according to the clients brief and the designing needs. Following are some of the design considerations that were followed-

• Resistance to corrosion
• Resistance to hydrogen attack
• Fracture toughness
• Fabricability
• Gasket detail and material needed