Minimum Practical Wall Thickness
Minimum Practical Wall Thickness
design details, fabrication methods, and inspection, but allow higher design stresses and hence
thinner vessel walls. Division 2 rules are usually chosen for large, high-pressure vessels where the
savings in metal cost and fabrication complexity offsets the higher engineering and construction
costs.
Division 3: Contains alternative rules intended for vessels with design pressures
greater than 10,000 psig. It does not establish a maximum pressure for vessels
designed in accordance with Division 1 or Division 2, but provides alternative
rules that can be followed for thicker-walled vessels.
The 20-inch outside diameter, cylindrical CNG storage vessels are for the
commercial dispensing of compressed natural gas to motor vehicles at CNG fuel
stations. The vessels can supply CNG at up to 5,500 psi to a fill-up nozzle. Typical
commercial systems supply CNG to the customer vehicles fuel tanks at ~3,500 psi.
Each 24-ft. vessel has a capacity of 12,115 SCF at 5,500 psi, or 10,900 SCF at
4,500 psi.
The vessel assembly is custom designed for the end users, and is designed using
the specifications and requirements from ASME Section VIII, Division 2, for
National Board registration, non on-board unit.
The vessels overall length may be customer specified up to 24-ft. long. The
footprint width is 42-inches (1.067 m). The height of the unit, with 3 vessels
oriented horizontally and stacked vertically, one on top of the next, is 85 inches
(2.159 m) tall.
The empty 24-ft. 3-tank assembly weighs 31,225-lbs. and 32,630-lbs. fully loaded
with CNG.
The pressure vessel design employs a thick walled cylindrical shell, and specially
designed 1/2, 3/4 and 1-inch NPT couplings. The pressure relief valve nozzle has
the same design as the other nozzles, except it has 3/4-inch NPT thread.
The vessel has a saddle-type support structure, designed to allow stacking of the
vessels in a variety of fashions.
A drain line with a high pressure needle valve is located at the bottom of each
vessel for easy maintenance cleanout.
An optionally provided high pressure lock out valve can be used to close off the
vessels relief nozzle during scheduled maintenance operations. This valves use in
design and practice are prescribed in ASME Section VIII, Division 2.
SPECIFICATIONS
Section VIII - Pressure Vessels: Section VIII Division 1 Provides requirements for
design, fabrication, inspection, testing, and certification of fired or unfired
pressure vessels operating at pressures exceeding 15 psig.
Section VIII Division 2 - Alternative Rules Has requirements for construction and
certification of pressure vessels operating at pressures over 15 psig using
design by analysis methods, and design stresses higher than Division 1.
Section VIII Division 3 - Alternative Rules for the Construction of High Pressure
Vessels Provides requirements applicable to the design, fabrication, inspection,
testing, and certification of pressure vessels operating at either internal or
external pressures above 10,000 psi.
Fuente: 2010, ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code with Addenda an
International Code. Ed. ASME.
Design Philosophy
In general, pressure vessels designed in accordance with the ASME Code,
Section VII, Division 1, ae designed by rules and do not require a detailed
evaluation of all streses. It is recognized that high localized and secondary
bending stresses may exist but are allowed for by use of a higher design
margin and design rules for details. It is required, however, that all loading (the
forces applied to a vessel or its structural attachments) must be considered.
(See References 1, UG-22).
While Section VIII, Division 1 provides formulas for thickness and stress of basic
components, it is up to the designer to select appropriate analytical procedures
for analyzing other components and to combine the calculated stresses in a
manner appropriate with the intended operation of the equipment for an
economical and safe design.
For the supporting structures, the designer must also abide to the load
combinations determined by the applicable building code.
Section VIII, Division 1 establishes allowable stresses by stating in . UG -23(C )
that the maximum general primary membrane stress must be less than
allowable stresses outlined in material sections. Further, it states that the
maximum primary membrane stress plus primary bending stress may not
exceed 1,5 times the allowable stress of the material sections. In other sections
of the Code, including both design-by-rules and design-by-analysis methods in
Section VIII, Division 2, higher stress levels are permitted if appropriate
analyses are made. These higher allowable stress clearly indicate that different
stress level for different stress categories are acceptable.
Section VIII, Division 2 also has a section outlining design-by-rules requirement
(Part 4). Though also classified as design-by-rules, the design margin is lower
than in Division 1 and as a result will require more analysis. Part 4 clearly
indicated that if rules are not provided for a specific detail, geometry, or
loading, then an analysis in accordance with Part 5, or design-by-analysis,
shall be performed. Most vessels designed to Part 4 will use both rules in Part 4
as well as specific procedures in Part 5. Both Part 4 and Part 5 contain load
combinations for the pressure envelope. The load combinations in Part 5 are
bases on the allowable stress design (ASD) load combinations from ASCE 7,
with non-applicable loads removed.
It is general practice when doing a more detailed stress analysis to apply
higher allowable stress. In effect, the detailed evaluation of stress permits
substituting knowledge of localized stresses and the use of higher allowable
stresses in place of the larger design margin used by the Code. This larger
design margin really reflected lack of knowledge about actual stresses.
A calculated value of stress means little until it is associated with its location
and distribution in the vessel and with the type of loading by which it was
produced. Different types of stresses have different degrees of significance.
The designer must be familiar with the various types of loading and their stress
in order to accurately understand the results of the analysis. The designer must
also consider the stress categories to determine the allowable stress limits.
Fuente: Pressure Vessel Design Manual, Moss, D and Basic, M. Ed:B&H