Design of Ellipsoidal Heads Using Elastic-Plastic Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

Traditional design techniques result in excess material being required for ellipsoidal heads. The 2001 ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section VIII Division 1, UG-32D and Section VIII Division 2, AD-204 limit the minimum design thickness of the heads. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Case 2261 provides alternate equations that enable thinner head design thickness. VIII-2 Appendix 3 and 4 methods potentially could be used to further optimize the head thickness. All the equations in the code use one thickness for the entire head. On large diameter thin heads the center or spherical area is often thicker than the knuckle area due to the method of manufacture. Including this extra material in the design calculations results in an increase of the MAWP of large diameter thin heads. VIII-2, AD-200 of the code permits localized thinning in a circumferential band in a cylindrical shell. Applying these same rules to elliptical heads would permit thinning in the knuckle region as well. Engineers have powerful finite element analysis tools that can be used to accurately determine levels of plastic strain and plastic deformed shapes. It is proposed that VIII-2 Appendix 4 and 5 methods be permitted for the design of elliptical heads. Doing so would permit significant decreases in thickness requirements. Different methods of Plastic Finite Element Analysis (PFEA) are investigated. An analysis of a PVRC sponsored burst test is done to develop and verify the PFEA methods. Two designs based on measurements of actual vessels are analyzed to determine the maximum allowable working pressures (MAWP) for thick and thin heads with and without local thin regions. MAWP is determined by limit analysis, per VIII-2 4-136.3 and by two other proposed methods. Using Burst FEA, the calculated burst pressure is multiplied by a safety factor to obtain MAWP. Large deflection large strain elastic perfectly plastic limit analyses (LDLS EPP LL) method includes the beneficial effect of deformations when determining the maximum limit pressure. Elliptical heads become more spherical during deformation. The spherical shape has higher pressure restraining capabilities. An alternate design equation for elliptical heads based on the LDLS EPP LL calculations is also proposed.