Thin Wall

KAEA 1121 ENGINEERING MECHANICS
THIN WALL PRESSURE VESSELS

If the material from which a cylinder or sphere is formed is very thin compared with
the radius, then the stresses due to an internal pressure can be calculated by a very simple
analysis. By thin is meant a cylinder or sphere for which the ratio of radius to wall
thickness is greater than about 10, and almost all tanks and storage vessels used to contain
liquid or gas come within this category.
SPHERE
Consider a sphere (radius, r, and thickness, t) containing gas of pressure p being sliced
through the centre
The forces on one hemisphere are:

1) Force due to pressure of gas
= Area of section x p
= r2 p
2) Force due to stress in wall of sphere
= stress x area of material

=2rt
As a sphere is completely symmetrical, the tensile stress in the wall must be equal in all
directions and at all points)
The above two forces maintain the equilibrium of the hemisphere and must therefore be
equal.
2 r t = r2 p
= p r / 2t
CYLINDER - A similar analysis may be used to calculate the stresses in a cylinder.

Consider a long, thin-walled cylinder. Here there are two different stresses to be
considered hoop stress, h around the circumference, and longitudinal stress, L acting
along the length. If a section from such a cylinder is removed, two forces act on it.
The cross-section is a semi-circle and the plan is a rectangle. The forces acting on a semicircular cross-section, are:
r2 p
1. Pressure force
2. Longitudinal stress force
= L r t
Since only two forces acting, and so must be equal.

L = p r / 2t
Similarly, the only two forces acting on section parallel to the length of the cylinder and
through the axis are:
1. Pressure force
2. Hoop stress force = h . 2 L t
=2rLp
= 2 L t h
These are the only two forces acting, and so must be equal.
h = p r / t
h = 2 L
The above simple analysis is possible because:
1.
2.
3.
r >> t and a mean radius can be taken

The sphere is symmetrical in all directions, and the cylinder symmetrical about its
axis and of uniform cross-section along its length
The loading is symmetrical in all directions.
2
Example 1
A cylindrical tank, length = 2 m, diameter = 600 mm, wall thickness = 3 mm, has a direct
stress in any direction in the wall of 100 N/mm 2. Determine the maximum allowable air
pressure for the tank.
Longitudinal stress, L
L =
pr
2t
p = L .
pD
4t
4t
D
100x 4(3)
600
= 2. 0 N/mm2
Hoop stress, h
h =
pr
t
p = h .
pD
2t
2t
D
100 x 2 x3
600
= 1. 0 N/mm2
Hoop stress is more critical than the longitudinal stress.
Max. allowable air pressure = 1.0 N/mm2.
Example 2
A spherical pressure vessel has a diameter of 450 mm and wall thickness of 6mm. It is
built by welding together two hemi-spherical aluminium. The ultimate and yield stresses
of the material in tension are 165 N/mm 2 and 110 N/mm2 respectively. By taking the factor
of safety (FOS) of 2.1 for ultimate stress and 1.5 for yield stress, calculate the maximum
allowable pressure the vessel can take.
Allowable ultimate stress, ult = ult / FOS = 165 / 2.1 = 78.6 N/mm2
Allowable yield stress, all = Y / FOS = 73.3 N/mm2
To satisfy both stress requirements, the yield stress limits the design of the vessel,
For a sphere, = p r / 2 t, p = 2 t all / r
= 2 (6) 73.3 / (450/2)
pmax = 3.91 N/mm2
3
Example 3
A compressed air tank consists of a cylinder that is closed at its end by a hemi-sphere. The
cylinder has a diameter of 1.2 m and a gas pressure of 2 N/mm 2. If the allowable stress at
any section of the tank must not exceed 60 N/mm2, calculate:
i)
ii)
i)
the minimum thickness of the cylindrical wall

the minimum thickness at the spherical end.
Cylindrical wall
h = p r / t , tmin = p r / h = ( 2 x 0.6 / 60 ) x 1000 mm = 20 mm
L = p r / 2t, tmin = p r / 2 L =( 2 x 0.6 / 2 x 60) X 1000 = 10 mm
tmin for cylinder = 20 mm
[ if tmin of 10 mm is used, cylinder will fail circumferentially (hoop),
h = p r / t = 2 x 600 / 10 = 120 N/mm2 > all = 60 N/mm2 ]
ii)
End of tank (hemisphere)

= p r / 2t , tmin = p r / 2 = (2 x 0.6 / 2 x 60) x 1000 mm
= 10 mm
Although the minimum thickness for the tank is different for the cylindrical section
and the end section, it is easier to construct the whole tank with uniform thickness
of 20 mm throughout!
Exercise
Derive formulae for the longitudinal and circumferential (hoop) stresses in a thin,
cylindrical shell subjected to an internal fluid pressure.
Calculate the minimum wall thickness of a thin cylinder, 1.2 m diameter, if it is to
withstand an internal pressure of 1.75 N/mm2 and
a) the longitudinal stress must not exceed 28 N/mm2 (Ans: 18.8 mm)
b) the circumferential (hoop) stress must not exceed 42 N/mm2 (Ans: 25 mm)
4

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KAEA 1121 ENGINEERING MECHANICS

THIN WALL PRESSURE VESSELS

The forces on one hemisphere are:

2) Force due to stress in wall of sphere

= stress x area of material

CYLINDER - A similar analysis may be used to calculate the stresses in a cylinder.

2. Longitudinal stress force

Since only two forces acting, and so must be equal.

r >> t and a mean radius can be taken

the minimum thickness of the cylindrical wall

End of tank (hemisphere)

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