all about pressure vessel 1

[sindujajay]

Hi,
I got recruited by a pressure vessel manufacturing company last year as a trainee design engineer, I'm a graduate in mechanical engineering.
But I wasn't given any training it's been a year I don't feel like I have learnt something.
I want to do something atleast from now. My manager asked me to work out pressure vessels calculations manually!! browsed a lot I don't find a proper guide to learn about the ASME code n calculations for pressure vessels!! Colleagues says we can't spoon feed you!! All I want is to understand the manual calculation n how to use code books accordingly!! I want a practical knowledge to understand but which wen I ask they point out to do it manually first!! Please someone guide me! I want to know what I can do in this pressure vessels field! This code book drives me crazy I dono where to start n end! It will b so helpful if someone can do a manual calculation of a small horizontal pressure vessel From material selection till end like load,nozzle calculation.

Thanks,
Sinduja

 

[Duwe6]

Get onto AMAZON and buy a copy of Pressure Vessel Handbook by E.F. Megysey. Mine is 14th Edition. Everything you have asked about is right in there.

 

[DSB123]

Sounds like your "mentors/colleagues" are a bunch of prats not helping you. You must ask yourself a few questions before you go much further:-
1. Do you really want to work at a Company who has this lack of morale backbone to not provide you with a proper "mentor"?
2. Are your colleagues knowledgeble enough to perform manual calculations themselves or are they computer button jockeys who cannot do the manual calcs themselves?

Personally I think you need to "bail" out of your current work place and get with a decent Company who will encourage and develop your skills.

 

[SnTMan]

Pending that, get hold of a past job and go thru it.

Regards,

Mike

 

[fegenbush]

I do not necessarily disagree with the approach that your colleagues are taking with you. The fastest way to understand the code rules is to perform calculations by hand. That way, you can understand why the design varies with the change in parameters instead of relying on the output from a program.

In order to do this, you must start at one end and work toward the other. In pressure vessel design, this often starts with the head or other closure on one end and ends with the head or other closure on the other end with the shell design in the middle. The code sections (assumed: ASME Section VIII Div. 1) are arranged in such a way as to accommodate this approach.

If you have the diameter, design pressure, and design temperature, start by designing the closure on one end. This will likely be a head with the pressure on the concave side.

 

[SnTMan]

fegenbush is absolutely correct. Additionally, only by performing hand calcs will you begin to get a feel for what is and what is not inside the black box of your software.

Regards,

Mike

 

[sindujajay]

Fegenbush & Mike,
I agree manual calculation it is!!I'm Working on it!! Thickness calculation I start with, all I ask is how to use this ASME SEC8 DIV1. This theory drives Crazy!! I need a example one manual worked out example!! With a explanation of how n why this code is chosen here!! I try with this pv-elite output calculation!! It isn't helpful for me!


DSB123,
You are correct they dono to do manual calculations!! I'm thinking to move out too!! But I feel like i'm a coward who doesn't know to learn from ppl!!
I shd crack this I shd design atleast one pressure vessel prove myself tat I can do something!!

 

[SnTMan]

sindujajay, oh so you are working to Sec VIII, Div 1, thanks for letting us know

Have you consulted Non-Mandatory Appendix L?

Regards

Mike

 

[marty007]

SnTMan - Note that the examples that used to be in Non-Mandatory Appendix L have been removed in the 2013 edition of ASME VIII-1.

sindujajay - Up until the latest edition of ASME VIII-1, Appendix L provided worked examples of the code rules. See if you can dig up either the 2010 or 2011a editions of the code and refer to this appendix for some examples. For items such as shells/heads, there haven't been any big changes. As an alternative, if your company has access to it, the examples have been moved to a new document: PTB-4-2013 (ASME Section VIII-Division 1 Example Problem Manual).

On another note, I fully support the approach of having a person new to the code do a design by paper/pencil; at least for a regular pressure vessel. Things get complicated to do by paper/pencil when you open up section UHX for example.

Good luck!

 

[gr2vessels]

Try downloading the following book;- description, explanation, calculation samples and further guides.

CASTI Guidebook to ASME Section VIII Div. 1 – Pressure Vessels

Cheers,
gr2vessels

 

[SnTMan]

marty007, still digging thru 2013 Ed. That would explain why all the references to Apx L have been deleted

sindujajay, if you, or possibly you company, are ASME members you will have access to a variety of materials on the ASME website, for example,

http://www.amazon.com/Pressure-Vessel-Design-Manual-Edition/dp/0123870003

Regards,

Mike

 

[Ripz]

CASTI Guidebooks are a good place to start. Reading the codes will drive you insane in the beginning.

 

[jte]

Sinduja-

Start by not using so dang many exclamation points in your writing!! It makes the whole post read poorly!!

As many above have noted, there are several quality books out there that will help you make sense of the Code.


Marty and SnTman-

Take a peek at ASME PTB-4. You might find the "lost" Appendix L. You might find PTB-1 and PTB-3 books interesting as well.

jt

 

[chicopee]

sindujajay tell us from which country you are located. In the US, insurance companies that do fired and unfired pressure vessel inspections normally "in-house" train their inspectors with prior test questions. These test questions requires reading and comprehending all ASME Codes I thru XI. After the "in-house" training is completed the students would sit for two agonizing days taking the NB exam.
Reading these codes is not easy reading and you must have mental fortitude. As a ME who wants to learn these codes, it is best that you company buys them as they are very expensive and then get a copy of past test questions from a boiler and PV inspector, then you will be on your way to code design boilers and pressure vessels.

 

[strainstress]

I would suggest "Pressure Vessel Handbook" by Bednar. Its concise and highly referenced in pressure vessel community.