A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO

PRESSURE VESSELS

1. SHAPES
Pressure vessels can have all kinds of shapes theoretically, but two main
styles are the spherical and cylindrical types.
Spherical Pressure Vessels: While being able to withstand more external
pressure than its alternatives, spherical pressure vessels are somehow less
efficient and therefore only have a limited area of use. However, it
requires a lesser wall thickness then the cylindrical vessels. It is mainly
used as a design for mini-submarines. But they are also used as large
liquid and gas containers.
Cylindrical Pressure Vessels: Even though the mini-submarines are
made as spherical vessels, nearly every modern submarine is designed as
a cylindrical pressure vessel. While they are relatively inefficient at
withstanding external pressure as contrary to the spherical vessels,
submarines designed with a shape of a cylinder have better maneuvering
capabilities. Cylindrical pressure vessels theoretically have half the
strength of a spherical vessel with the same wall thickness however, they
are preferred over spherical vessels because spherical vessels are harder
to manufacture and cost more than the cylindrical pressure vessels.
2. MATERIALS
The key to build a good pressure vessel is choosing the right materials. To
choose the right material which is optimal for the vessel, expected external
pressure must be calculated while analyzing the different case scenarios
which the vessel could encounter during its mission. To make a hull or a
vessel to withstand the most pressure in the maximum depth, the easiest
way is to increase the wall thickness with hard materials such as high-
strength structural steel. However, if the vessel does not need to go that
deep, less strong but cheaper material of construction such as mild steel
may be chosen to lower the manufacturing expenses. There are also many
alternatives to mild steel, although strength is not the only parameter that
should be looked at while choosing the material. Since one material is
usually not perfect for all environments and circumstances, the material
of construction range is very wide for pressure vessels. The material
should satisfy the factors such as high corrosion resistivity, low cost, long
life span, strength to weight, and strength to density ratios. Even though
most of the pressure vessels are made of steel, non-ferrous alloys such as
titanium alloys and aluminum alloys are also used. Composite and
polymer materials can also be used as construction materials in pressure
vessels.
Possible Problems: Corrosion is one of the most encountered problems
in a submarine environment. Since the manufacturing of stainless steel as
construction material in a pressure vessel is expensive and hard, structural
and mild steel that is used may have corrosion problems in water. To
lower this possibility and make the life span of the surface material longer,
other corrosion-resistant materials such as aluminium, which has a higher
corrosion resistivity in a marine environment than steel, can be chosen for
long operations underwater. Another common problem that occurs, is
stress corrosion cracking, which mostly happens when the material
encounters corrosion and stress at the same time. To solve this problem
even before happening, tensile stress and composition of the material must
have been determined
suitably to the planned working environment. Fabrication problems due
to poor welding may also occur, however they are encountered more
rare in comparison to other possible problems.

3. USAGE
Pressure vessels are used widely throughout many areas with different
uses in both industry and the private sector. While submarines make
historically the most common and known examples of pressure vessels,
modern storage tanks and compressed air receivers can also be given as
usage of a pressure vessel. Many other examples of pressure vessel
usage can be written, such as; distillation towers, pressure reactors,
nuclear reactors, oil refineries and the petrochemical industry.

4. DESIGN
Designing a pressure vessel is the most important task of engineers and
scientists who work in that field of industry. While choosing the
materials being the key factor, designing for a designated area of work,
planning solutions to possible problems that might occur, ensuring the
safety of workers and the pressure vessel itself are the main aims of the
pressure vessel designing along with the aim of economic
manufacturing. After determining the work area of a vessel, suitable
materials should be chosen first. It is important to foresee the
mechanical loads which the pressured vessel will endure during its
mission, thus materials engineers must then calculate the most important
problems in materials selection, which are stress and fatigue. Stress and
fatigue are the main reasons for the failure of an industrial machine, let
alone in pressure vessels, these failures can be fatal. Therefore one must
know the mechanical properties of the chosen material before applying it
to work design.
The most important mechanical properties are yield strength, ultimate
tensile strength,
reduction of area, fracture toughness, and resistance to corrosion. The
chosen material should withstand mechanical loads such as external
and internal pressures, deadweight, and also seismic activity, which
mostly occurs surprisingly. Other environmental difficulties such as
wind, excessive loads of snow, and heavy rain should also be taken into
account.