Stress Concentration Factor at Two Adjacent Nozzles in a Cylindrical Pressure Vessel

Basic stress analysis calculations assume that the components are smooth, have a uniform section and no irregularities. In practice virtually all engineering components have to have changes in section and/or shape. Any discontinuity changes the stress distribution in the vicinity of the discontinuity, so that the basic stress analysis equations no longer apply. Such ‘discontinuities’ or ‘stress raisers’ cause local increase of stress referred to as ‘stress concentration’. This project covers the stress concentration factors at two adjacent nozzles in a thin-walled cylindrical pressure vessel. Cylindrical pressure vessels are commonly used in industry to serve as tanks or boilers and it is important to know the stress concentration factor in order to design a cylindrical pressure vessel that can sustain the load. This project provides the data necessary for stress concentration factor at two adjacent nozzles in a cylindrical pressure vessel that is very useful to designers. The objective of this project is to investigate the stress concentration factor, K, at two adjacent nozzles in a cylindrical pressure vessel by using ANSYS which is a finite element analysis software. Stress concentration factor, K, is investigated by varying center to center distance of the nozzles, L, normalized with the diameter of nozzles, dn , for different nozzles thickness, tn , to nozzles radius ,rn ratios. Based on the simulation results the maximum stress occurs at the junction of pressure vessel-nozzles. This project has achieved the objective which is to investigate the stress distribution at two adjacent nozzles in a cylindrical pressure vessel.