WRC 107 Stress Analysis of a Nozzle in a Cylinder

Intergraph CAS
Ray Delaforce
Welding Research Bulletin 107 (WRC 107) was developed around 1965 to meet the needs of the
engineering fraternity who needed a method of quickly analyzing the local stresses at the junction of a
nozzle and a shell when the nozzle (or attachment) was subjected to external loads. The bulletin
contained numerous dimensionless graphs that could be used to estimate the local stress in four locations
on the inside surface and four locations on the outside surface making eight locations in all. Though the
results are not as accurate as those obtained by other means, such as FEA, the method lent itself to
computerization. Engineers have been using the WRC 107 method for years.
Stress Categories
In stress analysis, stresses have traditionally been characterized by the origin of the stresses. For
example, do we have a membrane stress, or a bending stress? Each type of stress can have a limiting or
allowable stress depending on its nature. For many years, the ASME Section VIII, Division 2 code has
been the source for defining the stress Categories. There are 4 stress categories ignoring stresses that
give rise to fatigue.
Pm
PL
Pb
Q

General primary membrane

stress
Local primary membrane
stress
General primary bending
stress
Secondary membrane and
bending stresses

Exists everywhere in the structure. Characterized

failure when yield stress is reached
Exists everywhere in the structure. Characterized
failure when 1.5 x yield stress is reached
Exists everywhere in the structure. Characterized
failure when 1.5 x yield stress is reached
Exists at very small region in the structure
characterized by failure when 2 x yield is reached.
These stresses are derived usually from thermal
expansion and are strain controlled.

An example of a general primary membrane stress is the stress in a cylinder wall resulting from pressure
(the load). It exists everywhere in the cylinder. Another example, this time of a general primary
bending stress is that of a cantilever with a weight on the end. In both these cases, a catastrophic failure
would occur is the applied load is too great.
Stresses are traditionally considered in groups for convenience. And the WRC 107 method follows this
grouping regimen:
Stress grouping
Pm
Pm+(Pb)+PL
Pm+(Pb)+PL+Q

Allowable stress
S
1.5S
3S or 2Sy

Derivation of Pm
Pm is is the general primary membrane stress generated from internal pressure. There is a Pm in the
hoop direction, and Pm in the axial or longitudinal direction. The hoop stresses is different on the
outside surface of a shell from that generated on the inside of the shell. They are derived from thick
cylinder theory known as the Lam Theorem. Let us consider a typical example. Consider the
following situation:

Let us summarise these stresses:

Now, if we look at the printout from PV Elite look at the lines typed in bold font:
WRC 107 Stress Summations:
Vessel Stress Summation at Attachment Junction
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Type of
|
Stress Values at
Stress Int. |
(MPa
---------------|-------------------------------------------------------Location
|
Au
Al
Bu
Bl
Cu
Cl
Du
Dl
---------------|-------------------------------------------------------Circ. Pm (SUS) |
99
101
99
101
99
101
99
101
Circ. Pl (SUS) |
27
27
71
71
36
36
38
38
Circ. Q (SUS) |
53
-53
131
-131
148
-148
168
-168
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Long. Pm (SUS) |
49
49
49
49
49
49
49
49
Long. Pl (SUS) |
29
29
45
45
48
48
50
50
Long. Q (SUS) |
108
-108
219
-219
86
-86
96
-96
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Shear Pm (SUS) |
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Shear Pl (SUS) |
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Shear Q (SUS) |
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, the worst primary membrane stress (Pm) is in the hoop direction and is this one shown in red font:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Type of
|
Max. S.I.
S.I. Allowable
|
Result
Stress Int. |
MPa
---------------|-------------------------------------------------------Pm (SUS)
|
101.01
137.90
|
Passed
Pm+Pl (SUS)
|
172.97
206.85
|
Passed
Pm+Pl+Q (TOTAL)|
315.04
413.70
|
Passed
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remember, this stress is generated by the internal pressure only, and the greatest stress is the hoop stress
existing everywhere on the inside surface. Now, The local stress Pm+PL has to summed up in the same
direction, and we have to find the greatest stress in that direction. Here they are:
Vessel Stress Summation at Attachment Junction
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Type of
|
Stress Values at
Stress Int. |
(MPa
---------------|-------------------------------------------------------Location
|
Au
Al
Bu
Bl
Cu
Cl
Du
Dl
---------------|-------------------------------------------------------Circ. Pm (SUS) |
99
101
99
101
99
101
99
101
Circ. Pl (SUS) |
27
27
71
71
36
36
38
38
Circ. Q (SUS) |
53
-53
131
-131
148
-148
168
-168
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Long. Pm (SUS) |
49
49
49
49
49
49
49
49
Long. Pl (SUS) |
29
29
45
45
48
48
50
50
Long. Q (SUS) |
108
-108
219
-219
86
-86
96
-96
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Shear Pm (SUS) |
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Shear Pl (SUS) |
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Shear Q (SUS) |
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Pm (SUS)
|
99.0 101.0
99.0 101.0
99.0 101.0
99.0 101.0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Pm+Pl (SUS)
| 126.1 128.1 171.0 173.0 135.5 137.5 137.1 139.1
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pm+Pl+Q (Total)| 189.2 104.1 315.0 166.9 283.8

22.3 305.3
33.4
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, we simply have to sum Pm+PL+Q:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------Type of
|
Stress Values at
Stress Int. |
(MPa
)
---------------|-------------------------------------------------------Location
|
Au
Al
Bu
Bl
Cu
Cl
Du
Dl
---------------|-------------------------------------------------------Circ. Pm (SUS) |
99
101
99
101
99
101
99
101
Circ. Pl (SUS) |
27
27
71
71
36
36
38
38
Circ. Q (SUS) |
53
-53
131
-131
148
-148
168
-168
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Long. Pm (SUS) |
49
49
49
49
49
49
49
49
Long. Pl (SUS) |
29
29
45
45
48
48
50
50
Long. Q (SUS) |
108
-108
219
-219
86
-86
96
-96
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Shear Pm (SUS) |
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Shear Pl (SUS) |
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Shear Q (SUS) |
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Pm (SUS)
|
99.0 101.0
99.0 101.0
99.0 101.0
99.0 101.0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Pm+Pl (SUS)
| 126.1 128.1 171.0 173.0 135.5 137.5 137.1 139.1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Pm+Pl+Q (Total)| 189.2 104.1 315.0 166.9 283.8
22.3 305.3
33.4
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The calculation of Q and PL is complicated, and is the method shown in WRC 107