Pressure Vessel Design and Analysis

We support the pressure vessel industry by:

• Designing pressure vessels to ASME Section VIII, Division 1 - Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC)

• Use FEA to analyze pressure vessels per ASME Section VIII, Division I, Appendix 46 and Section VIII, Division 2

• Prepare FEA reports as required including ABSA standard AB-520

ASME BPVC Section VIII, Division I

This code is referred to as Design by Rule (DBR). Many industrial components are included in this standard including heat exchangers, pressure vessels, accumulator tanks and others. The code includes many rules to cover all details of the design and construction of pressure vessels. Where design rules do not exist, U-2(g) allows for several ways to proceed, including the use of Mandatory Appendix 46. Appendix 46 indicates the requirements for using Section VIII, Division 2 (Alternate Rules) in the design of Division I pressure vessels.

ASME BPVC Section VIII, Division 2

This code is referred to as Design by Analysis (DBA) and can be used to ensure Code compliance when Design by Rule is insufficient. Finite Element Analysis can be used to address the following code concerns:

• Elastic Analysis

• Elastic Plastic Analysis

• Limit Load Analysis

• Thermal Transient Analysis

• Buckling Analysis

• Fatigue Analysis

It is important to note that ASME Section VIII, Division II, Part 5 lists four different failure modes that must be evaluated for pressure vessels. These modes are plastic collapse, local failure, buckling and fatigue (cyclic loading)