2010 Second International Conference on Computer Modeling and Simulation

Finite Element Analysis for a Two-layered Spherical High-pressure Vessel

Yu Shaoronga, Yin Yihui, Xu Bing, Tan Yun
Institute of Structural Mechanics China Academy of Engineering Physics Mianyang 621900, Sichuan, China a yusr@caep.com
AbstractStress analysis is of importance for security assessment of pressure vessels in the design and manufacture processes. This paper presents a stress analysis for a twolayered spherical high-pressure vessel of special steel. Firstly, the finite element model was built by the software ANSYS. In order to get an acceptable analysis precision, the proper mesh density distribution was obtained by the adaptive meshing technique. Then the stress distribution analysis was performed and the potential weak zones and the explosion pressure were found. Furthermore, several redesign schemes were analyzed. The results provide a good suggestion for its redesign. Keywords- pressure vessel; finite element method; stress

Sun Ying
China Academy of Engineering Physics Mianyang 621900, Sichuan, China suny@caep.com

semi-spherical shells. The structures close to the welding gaps are stiffened for strength consideration. The two layers of spherical shells are welded around the pipe. Considering the axial symmetry of the structure, pressure load and the boundary conditions, it was simplified to a twodimensional problem. The model and the definition of the coordinate system are shown as Fig. 1.

Gas pipe

I.

INTRODUCTION

With developments of science and technology, pressure vessels are more and more widely used in fields of industries. Usually, the pressure vessels are designed by general design criteria (such as ASME code [1]) or engineers experiences. This leads to a problem that some localized details (such as where the material or size varies discontinuously) can not be well designed. A series of design-test-modification cycles are necessary to develop a successful product. Rapid progresses of finite element method and software provide the possibility to perform stress analysis and even optimization in the design of a pressure vessel, such as the researches reported by Hyder and Asif [2], Kirby and Wild [3], and Mukhopadhyay et al [4]. This kind of work can significantly improve the efficiency of product design and manufacture. This paper presents a stress analysis for a spherical twolayered high-pressure vessel of special steel by finite element method. It was modeled and analyzed by the software ANSYS. Because the element density could significantly affect the precision of results, we utilized the adaptive meshing technique and got the proper mesh density distribution for acceptable simulation precision. Based on that, the stress distribution in the vessel was analyzed; the relative weak zones and even the explosion pressure were found. In the end we simulated several redesigns and selected a best one for suggestion. II. MODELING The vessel is a two-layered spherical structure of a kind of special steel. There is a clearance between the two layers for its special application. Each layer consists of two welded
978-0-7695-3941-6/10 $26.00 2010 IEEE DOI 10.1109/ICCMS.2010.145 396 392

Support

Stiffening ring

Welding gap

Figure 1. Finite model and coordinate system definition

As for material property parameters, the elastic modulus was input as 200GPa, the Poissons ratio 0.3, and the true stress-strain relation as Fig. 2.
1200 1000

the welding gap zone were doubled 7 times, gas-pipe zone 4 times and body of the vessel twice. The obtained mesh density distribution will be used in the following analysis. IV. RESULTS The Von Mises stress distribution of the inner layer is given in Fig. 3. The results show that the stress of the inner surface is more than outer, which is consistent with our general understanding [6]. Furthermore, the inner-surface stress near the welding gap is relatively large and sharply varies. This is because the structure varies discontinuously. So the phenomenon of stress concentration occurs.
450

True stress / Pa

800 600 400

Von Mises stress / MPa

200 0 0.0

400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20

Inner surface Outer sureface

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

True strain
Figure 2. True stress-strain relation

According to the design requirements, the work pressure of the vessel is 35MPa. In this paper, the finite element software ANSYS were used for modeling and computing. III. MESH DENSITY DETERMINATION It is well known that the mesh density will influence the precision of finite element analysis. Too coarse meshes will result in unreliable results; too fine meshes will lead to high computing costs. Furthermore, equally distributed mesh density is not recommended because only the zones with high stress gradient need fine meshes. Therefore, a proper mesh density distribution is necessary to be determined to get an acceptable analysis precision. This paper utilizes an adaptive meshing technique [5]. According to the requirements for computations in science and engineering, the strategy was employed as following. Step 1: double the mesh density; Step 2: double again where the stress change exceeds 0.1%; Step 3: repeat Step 2 until all the stress changes keep below 0.1%. By these steps, a proper mesh density distribution can be obtained after a number of loops. Using the above technique, the model of the vessel was adaptively meshed. Table 1 gives the meshing results in three interesting zones. The table shows that the mesh density in
TABLE I.
Times of doubling Welding gap zone /% Gas-pipe zone /% Body of vessel /%

40

60

80

Degree / deg
Figure 3. Von Mises stress of inner layer

Fig. 4 gives the radial variation of Von Mises stress, 0 . From this plot, we can find there is no stress where of the outer layer. This indicates under the work pressure of 35MPa the two layers do not contact. Furthermore, the zone with high stress is around the root of the stiffening block.
400

Von Mises stress / MPa

300

200

100

0 0.80 0.85 0.90 0.95 1.00

STRESS CHANGES WHEN DOUBLING THE MESH DENSITY

1 50.86 1.53 0.12 2 3.97 0.36 0.06 3 4.23 0.20 0.06 4 3.34 0.04 0.06 5 3.07 0.04 0.06 6 2.35 0.04 0.00 7 0.01 0.00 0.00

Normalized radial distance from the center

Figure 4. Radial stress variation (

0 )

Fig. 5 gives the Von Mises stress distribution around the welding gap. This figure supports Figs. 3 and 4, i.e., the zone around the welding gap and the root of the stiffening ring has a high and sharply varying stress.

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500

Contact pressure / MPa

Stiffening ring

400

Maxmum Average

300

200

100

0
Figure 5. Stress in welding zone (inner layer only)

50

100

150

200

250

Pressure / MPa
Figure 6. Contact pressure in loading process

In order to find out the explosion pressure, the pressure load was increased gradually. Finally the vessel explodes (when plastic buckling occurs) under the pressure of 226MPa. In the loading process, the histories of contact pressure between the two layers were recorded, as shown in Fig. 6. This plot shows the two layers locally contact with the pressure exceeding 38MPa, when the maximum contact pressure begins to increase; they fully contact with the pressure exceeding 58MPa, when the average contact pressure rises. Also, the contact pressure distribution when exploding is given in Fig. 7. This figure shows the contact pressure around the welding gap is very high and sharply varies. It is easy to be understood that this zone has the largest deformation because of the highest-level stress, and then the contact pressure level is highest. V. DISCUSSIONS The above results indicate that under the work pressure load, the inner layer is subjected to the whole load, and the stress concentration due to the geometrical discontinuity results in localized high-level stress. Obviously this design is not successful. Therefore, we analyzed several redesigned structures and finally found that, if there is no stiffening rings, the stress around the welding gap is uniformly distributed and keeps in a relatively low level, as shown in Fig. 8. This can be easily understood. Getting rid of the stiffening rings, the structure (for the both two layers) becomes continuous then the stress concentration perishes. Increasing the pressure load, the explosion pressure was found as 255MPa, higher that the original design. VI. CONCLUSIONS The stress distribution of a two-layered steel highpressure vessel was analyzed by finite element method. The results show that there is stress concentration resulted from structural discontinuity. This leads to a high-level local stress and significantly influences the vessels capability. By redesign and analyses the best structural scheme was found. If getting rid of the stiffen blocks, the stress becomes uniformly and the capability become higher.

Figure 7. Contact pressure when exploding

Figure 8. Localized stress distribution without stiffening blocks (inner layer only)

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT This work was supported by the key project of Foundation for Development of Science and Technology by China Academy Engineering Physics (CAEP) (Grant No. 2008A0301010) REFERENCES
[1] [2] ASME, 2004 ASME boiler & Pressure Vessel Code. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2004. M. J. Hyder and M. Asif, Optimization of location and size of opening in a pressure vessel cylinder using ANSYS. Engineering Failure Analysis, vol. 15, January-March 2008, pp.1-19 D. S. Kirby and P. M. Wild, Deep drawing of pressure vessel end closures: finite element simulation and validation, Journal of Materials Processing Technology, vol 103, June 2000, pp. 247-260 N. K. Mukhopadhyay, T. V. Pavan Kumar, J. Chattopadhyay, B. K. Dutta, H. S. Kushwaha, V. Venkat Raj, Deterministic assessment of reactor pressure vessel integrity under pressurised thermal shock. International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping, vol. 75, December 1998, pp. 1055-1064 ANSYS, Inc., Theory Manual (12th Edition). SAS IP, Inc., 1999. S. P. Timoshenko and J. N. Goodier, Theory of Elasticity (3rd Edition). the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1970.

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