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[pinku]

Hi,

What is the criteria for selecting horizontal cylinder shaped pressure vessel,spherical shaped pressure vessel ,vertical cylindrical pressure vessel etc.

Please clarify this



Pinku

[Art Montemayor]

Pinku:

The type and shape of vessel you employ in a process depends on a variety of factors:

1) The process type and characteristics;
2) The process pressure and temperature;
3) The nature of the fluids and their characteristics;
4) The size (capacity) of the process.

There are other factors, but the above serve to indicate to you where to expect indications as to what type and shape of vessels you may have to consider.

For example, if you are dealing with a storage tank to store a pressurized liquid, you would have to consider a cylindrical vessel (probably horizontal) with 2:1 ellipsoidal heads. You could easily discard the idea of employing an API type of atmospheric tank. If the pressure is really high, you might have to evaluate the use of a spherical tank instead.

Vertical vessels are subject to more structural requirements than horizontal vessels. This is due to seismic and wind loadings that go into the foundation and support calculations. Some vessels, by the nature of their application have to be vertical in orientation – such as distillation towers, absorbers, etc.

There are so many factors that the subject can get very long and complex – something I can’t resolve in this Forum. Suffice it to say that you must know the application intimately and be aware of operating requirements as well. This is not something that a student or a recent graduate can quickly understand or digest. It takes exposure in the field and experience to get a good handle on the subject.

I hope I’ve clarified it for you a little.