1

Pressure Vessel Flange deflection

Part 1: No pressure inside the vessel and N is only the preload. Because of tightening, the flange is deflected due to the eccentricity between the bolt-tensile load and the reaction of the gasket. This deflection causes also the deflection of the screw bolts, resulting in a bending onto the screws. Calculation of the flange deflection !!"# !!!"# we consider: ! = and the number of bolts !!"#$ ! Under the load N (i.e. the load on the single bolt) the flanges get the configuration as in Fig. 1. The figure shows the rotation of flanges when both the bottoms of the vessel are hemispherical; but if one of the bottoms is flat we have to consider only /2 because the flat bottom is too rigid and mainly do not rotate. We can show the vectors of the couple per unit of circumferential length on a section normal to the axis of the vessel like in Fig. 2. If we consider half of circumference, Fig. 2 shows in red the resultant of unit moments applied to the half circumference.

!! = !!"#$ !
Explanation of this formula:

!! 1 !! 1 ! ! 2 !" 2 !"

Moment of the action refers to the centre of vessel:

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Flange deflection

!! !

and

!! !

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2 Then we divide this moment for the length of the circumference

!"

in order to get a specific moment (couple per unit of circumferential length).

Finally we multiply for D to obtain the resultant in red in fig. 2. We could think this resultant equal subdivided on each extremity of the half circumference. That means the moment acting on each section of the flange is: ! !! = ! !

Therefore, the load condition on the flange section is like in Fig. 3. Each section rotates of the same quantity, and there is no torque onto the sections. Fig. 4 shows a hypothetical torque: both equilibrium and symmetry conditions have to be satisfied, but this is impossible. The torque doesnt exist! The Fig. 5 helps us to get finally the rotation of the flange.

tan ! =
Before tightening the circumference was equal to After the tightening the circumference becomes

! /2

D (1 + !!"# )

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Flange deflection

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3 But, refer to the section

!!"# = !!"# = e=
! !

!!

! !

=6 6

!! !!!

!!"# !

Then

D 1 + !!"# D = !!"# = 3
!

!! ! !!! !

tan ! =
Knowing it possible to assess the bolt.
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Flange deflection

!! ! 3 !! ! =6 ! = ! + !!"# /2 ! ! ! ! ! !"#

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4 Part 2: pressure p is applied inside the vessel. We say The equilibrium of action when the pressure is applied is: Where We have

!=

! ! !!"#

!!!"#$

and we consider this load applied on the middle of the thickness of the vessel, that means on the diameter !! , like in Fig. 6.

! = !" + !

!"

is the remaining reaction from the gasket.

!!!"#$$%"# = !!"#$ !

!! ! ! !"

!!

!! ! ! !"

! =

!! ! ! !"

!
we

Then we utilise the same formulas as in Part. 1 and because !! obtain:

!!!"#$$%"# !

!"#$$%"#

tan ! =

!!!"#$$%"# ! 3 !!!"#$$%"# ! =6 = !!"# + !!"# /2 ! ! ! ! ! !

Politecnico di Milano
Flange deflection

Studio Tecnico ing. Cirillo