Creep of metallic thick-walled spherical vessels subject to pressure and radial thermal gradient at elevated temperatures

Abstract

A theoretical analysis has been made of the distribution of stress and strain in metallic thick-walled spherical pressure vessels subject to internal and external pressures at elevated temperatures, and also to a radial thermal gradient across the wall thickness of the sphere. The analysis deals with the general case where creep strains and elastic strains occurring as a result of the applied pressure and existing thermal gradient are both of significant order. The analysis is illustrated by a specific example.