WENTWORTH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Simulation API Flange

Alex Vu
Member 2
Member 3

MECH 4200-03
Professor
Abstract:
Our group was assigned to design a flange-and-gasket assembly to explore API standards and
simulation. The group was specified a bore diameter, and from there the group searched API-
standard flange assemblies. Once the assembly was defined, the assembly was run through hand
calculations as well as SolidWorks simulations in order to compare the assembly’s stress
concentrations in 3 cases: reusable, permanent, and API specified.

Table of Contents
Abstract: ................................................................................................................................................. 1
Introduction: ........................................................................................................................................... 1
Calculations: ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Stress Plots: ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Results: ................................................................................................................................................. 22
Conclusion:............................................................................................................................................ 22
Appendix: ................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Introduction:
In order to assure that the flange and gasket do not leak, the specifications for both are regulated
by API standards. The group was assigned a 5000-psi specified pressure value with a 2 9⁄16”
flange bore. Based on the bore size, the group was able to search through API standards to define
the rest of the flange and gasket. For the 2 9⁄16” bore flange, the group used Woodco USA as a
reference to determine the flange’s measurements and ring size, as shown is the following
figures and tables.

1
Figure 1. Flange Section Measurements

Table 1. Labels for Figure (1)

2
 Table 2. Measurements for Figure (1)

Table 3. Continued Measurements for Figure (1)

3
Figure 2. Additional Flange Measurements

Table 4. Measurements for Figure (2)

4
 Table 5. Gasket Ring Selection

Figure 3. Measurements for Chosen Gasket

5
Calculations:
All hand calculations were done with the assistance of Microsoft Excel to ensure consistent
calculations and accurate results, as shown below.
𝜋
Bolt area 𝐴 = 4 𝑑 2

Force per bolt %𝑦𝑙𝑑 ∗ 𝐴𝑏𝑜𝑙𝑡 ∗ 𝑌𝑠𝑡𝑟

𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑−𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑
% Error = (100)
𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑

Permanent (90% yield)

Reusable (75% yield)

API-specified (50% yield)

6
Stress Plots:
API specified

Figure 4. Model Stress Plot (API-specified)

Figure 5. Contact Pressure Plot (API-specified)

7
Figure 6. Contact Pressure Plot (API-specified)

Figure 7. Contact Pressure Plot (API-specified)

8
Figure 8. Contact Pressure Plot (API-specified)

Figure 9 Contact Pressure Plot (API-specified)

9
Figure 10. Contact Pressure Plot (API-specified)

Figure 11. Contact Pressure Plot (API-specified)

10
 Figure 12. Contact Pressure Plot (API-specified)

Figure 13. Bolt Force Along Inside Surface (API-specified)

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Reusable

Figure 14. Model Stress Plot (Reusable)

Figure 15. Contact Pressure Plot (Reusable)

12
Figure 16. Contact Pressure Plot (Reusable)

Figure 17. Contact Pressure Plot (Reusable)

13
Figure 18. Contact Pressure Plot (Reusable)

Figure 19. Contact Pressure Plot (Reusable)

14
Figure 20. Contact Pressure Plot (Reusable)

Figure 21. Contact Pressure Plot (Reusable)

15
 Figure 22. Contact Pressure Plot (Reusable)

Figure 23. Bolt Force Along Inside Surface (Reusable)

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Permanent

Figure 24. Model Stress Plot (Permanent)

Figure 25. Contact Pressure Plot (Permanent)

17
Figure 26. Contact Pressure Plot (Permanent)

Figure 27. Contact Pressure Plot (Permanent)

18
Figure 28. Contact Pressure Plot (Permanent)

Figure 29. Contact Pressure Plot (Permanent)

19
Figure 30. Contact Pressure Plot (Permanent)

Figure 31. Contact Pressure Plot (Permanent)

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 Figure 32. Contact Pressure Plot (Permanent)

Figure 33. Bolt Force Along Inside Surface (Permanent)

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Results:

Table 6. Hand Calculations vs. SolidWorks Results

In the above section, Stress Plots, the numerical results from the simulations can be
found. Figures 5-12, 15-22, and 25-32 contain the contact pressure plots between the surfaces of
the gasket and the flanges. In all these plots, the lowest stress value is around 30,000 psi, found
in Figure 8. The only exception would be 0 psi, but that is assumed to be a result from the
meshing; when the simulations were run a second time with a smaller mesh, those 0 values
disappeared.
Table 6 above shows the percent difference between hand calculated stress values and
SolidWorks simulations. For the hand calculations, the stress required for each case’s bolt yield
percentage was used. The SolidWorks values used were the highest stress values along the inside
surface of the bolt holes, found in figures 13, 23, and 33. The percent error for each case was
around 15%, but the simulated values consistently came out lower than hand calculated. Based
on these results, the bolts will be able to withstand the pressure required of each of the three
cases.

Conclusion:
Based on the simulation results, the given flange size will be enough to transport oil at 5000 psi.
Since the lowest value for pressure sealing the oil in the pipe is 30,000 psi, the system allows for
the oil to be transported with a factor of safety that’s much higher than 1. Conducting this
simulation let the group understand how simulation can be applied in a real scenario, and how to
interpret the results. The knowledge and experience gained from doing this experiment gave the
group valuable practice with hand calculations, research on standards, and SolidWorks
simulations.

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