Mechanical Design 2

MIET2072 - Topic 7
College of Science, Engineering and Health Learning Package

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Topic 7: DETERMINATION OF MINIMUM

THICKNESS FOR CIRCULAR
UNSTAYED FLAT ENDS AND COVERS
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this topic you will be able to:

determine the thickness of circular flat cover plates on pressure vessels.

Introduction to the Topic

Circular flat plates provide a convenient means of sealing a flanged opening. When
exposed to pressure, flat surfaces experience bending stresses similar to those in
beams you have previously studied.
In this topic you will learn how the equations in the standard for determining the
thickness of such plates have been developed and applied.

Background Skills and Knowledge

Students will require the following:

Familiarity with force and moment equilibrium.

Familiarity with bending stresses

Familiarity with Hookes law

Activity 7A - Reading
Read all of Chapter 7 below

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Chapter 7: Determination of Minimum Thickness for

Circular Unstayed Flat Ends and Cover
Section 7.1 Introduction
A common method of covering the inspection opening in pressure vessels is to
bolt a thick flat circular cover plate to a flanged joint such as is illustrated in
Figures 7.1a and b.

Fig. 7.1a

Inspection opening with flat cover plate bolted to flange RMIT University, 2013, (Dixon C.)

Fig. 7.1b
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Arsenic removal absorber vessels, at the Freer Water
Control and Improvement District (FWCID) Arsenic Removal System Site, on Tuesday, June 18, 2013, in Freer,
Texas. http://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/9404352421/

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Section 7.2 General Comments on the thickness determination

The thickness of metal used in flat covers must, as with all parts of the pressure
vessel, be sufficient to safely accommodate:

the expected corrosion over the anticipated life

the stresses caused by the fluid pressure (or vacuum if applicable) and
applied loads, this thickness is called the minimum calculated thickness

handling and transport loads.

Allowance must also be made when ordering the metal for possible mill under
tolerance, and reduction of thickness during fabrication such as facing off in a
lathe.
AS1210-2010 Pressure Vessels, published by Standards Australia is
relevant to these matters and, as previously mentioned, you should have that
to hand while reading these notes.
The Australian Standards can be accessed via the RMIT Library - SAI Global
link to the Australian Standards. 1
NOTE: You will need to login with your student login and password.
Reference 1: Section 3.4 of AS1210
Refer to Section 3.4 of AS1210 (Australian Standard AS1210 Pressure Vessels),
published by Standards Australia which gives some further general
information on the issue of required thickness in pressure vessels.
Reference 2: Section 3.15 of AS1210
Refer to Section 3.15 of AS1210 which deals with unstayed flat ends and covers
in particular.
Reference 3: Figure 3.15.1 of AS1210
Refer to Figure 3.15.1 of AS1210, which illustrates a variety of acceptable types
of flat ends and covers. Please look at Fig 3.15.1 rows (k), (l) and (p) to see some
flat plate covers used with various types of flanged joints such as were studied
in the previous chapter.

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AS2129-2000 Flanges for pipes, valves and fittings, published by Standards

Australia is also relevant to these matters as it has the dimensions of blank
flanges which are used as cover plates
The Australian Standards can be accessed via the RMIT Library - SAI Global
link to the Australian Standards. 2
NOTE: You will need to login with your student login and password.
Reference: TABLE E Fig (a) (i)
Refer to TABLE E Fig (a) (i) on page 26 of AS2129 (2000).

Section 7.3

Minimum Calculated thickness for Circular Flat

Unstayed Ends

From studies of uniformly distributed loads of q(such as pressure) on rectangular

beams (Appendix 7A) or circular flat plates (Appendix 7B) it has been shown that
the equation for maximum bending stress is of the following form:

mzx

qa 2
=k 2
h

where: a is half the span, h is the thickness, and k is a co-

efficient whose value depends on the edge support.

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Fig. 7.3b Rectangular beam with various edge supports exposed to a uniformly distributed load q
RMIT University, 2013, (Marchiori G., Dixon C.)

For the case of a beam simply supported at its end

k = 12/4

For the case of a beam with built in ends

k = 8/4

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Fig. 7.3b Circular flat plate with various edge supports exposed to a uniformly distributed load q
RMIT University, 2013, (Marchiori G., Dixon C.)

For the case of a circular plate with a simply supported edge :

(for metal with Poissons ratio of 0.3 )

k = 4.95/4

For the case of a circular plate with a built in edge :

k = 3/4

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qa 2
Changing now the equation mzx = k 2 to the symbols used in clause 3.15 of
h
AS1210 : q becomes P; h becomes t; a becomes (D/2); and the co-efficient is put in
the denominator and given the symbol K. Retaining the symbol max gives:

max

1 PD 2
K t2

The magnitude of the co-efficient K of course depends on the type of edge support
and needs to be recalculated to allow for the effects of (i) D2 being used instead of
a2 and (ii) the co-efficient being put in the denominator. Recalculating gives:
for the case of a circular plate with a simply supported edge :K = 4 x 4/4.95 = 3.23
(for metal with Poissons ratio of 0.3 );
for the case of a circular plate with a built in edge :

K = 4 x 4/3

= 5.3

For safe operation the maximum stress calculated from:

1 PD 2
K t2
must be kept less than or equal to the allowed design tensile strength f of the plate
material if there are no welds in it, and less than or equal to f if there are welds
( being the weld efficiency).
i.e.

max

max

1 PD 2
K t2

the minimum calculated

t=D

P
K f

.. eqn. 3.15.3(1) from AS1210

If corrosion is present a corrosion allowance must be added to the value

determined from this equation.
Values of K for various types of flat ends and covers are given in the 2nd column of
of Figure 3.15.1 in AS1210. The diagrams in Figure 3.15.1 also indicate where to
measure D. For example for a circular flat cover joined to a full face flange, K is 4.0,
which can be seen to lie between the two pure theoretical cases above; and D is
taken as the diameter of the bolt pitch circle, which lies between the inner and outer
portions of the gasket.

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Some covers are of the type that have an edge moment that exacerbates further the
bending stress, such as for a blind flange using a narrow face gasket system as
shown in Figure 3.15.1 row(k) in AS1210 and in Figure 7.3c below. Here the edge
moment is W x hG generated by the bolt force W. Note that in the case of the full
face flange joint this edge moment is not present because the inner and outer gasket
moments are assumed to be equal as discussed in Topic 6. i.e. HG hG = H 'G hG
Return now to the case of the cover on a narrow face flanged joint as shown
schematically in Figure 7.3(c).

Fig. 7.3c Forces acting on circular flat cover joined to a narrow face flange.
RMIT University, 2013, (Kissane M., Dixon C.)

It can be shown ( page 99 Strength of Materials, Parts II, by Timoshenko, S., 3rd
edition, 1956, published by Van Nostrand Reinhold) that for a simply supported
circular plate of diameter D the maximum bending moment, which is at the centre,
is:
M1

M2

3+ D
P
16 2

Superimposed on this is the edge bending moment per unit edge circumference
WhG
if the disc is of outside diameter D [in fact for the situation shown above it is
=
D
larger] (Jacobs, W.S., Fundamentals of Pressure Vessel Design, in Pressure
Vessels A Workbook for Engineers, published by ASME, 1981.)

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WhG
3+ D
P +
D
16 2
2

Mmax at middle

max

&

M max
t2
6

and if

max

0.3

1 PD 2 1.91WhG
+
3.23 t 2
Dt 2

max

and if

D
P
6WhG
3(3 + ) 2
+
2
8
Dt 2
t

max is to be f

P D 2 1.91WhG
+
3.23 f
fD

Taking D outside the

1.91WhG
P
+
3.23 f
D3

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The equation in AS1210 for the minimum calculated thickness for covers with such
an edge moment is:

P
1.78WhG
+
D
f D 3
Kf

eqn. 3.15.3.2 in AS1210

with K=3.3 as shown Figure 3.15.1 row(k) in AS1210 and a 1.78 term instead of 1.91
(the author of these notes presumes this is because the actual plate diameter is
greater than D).

Since the bolt force required for seating the gasket during assembly is in some cases
more than the bolt force required during operation, it is necessary to use the above
equation twice:
a) For the seating condition, using the appropriate bolts' force (see Clause 3.21
and the chapter in these notes on Flanges), P=Zero and the value of "f " for
atmospheric temperature.
b) For the operating condition, using the appropriate bolts' force, the design
pressure P, and the value of "f " for the operating temperature.

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Appendix 7A
Bending stress in a beam with uniformly distributed load
Consider a simply supported beam with a uniformly distributed pressure load
q on its upper surface, such as is shown in the middle row of figure 7A.a

Fig. 7.A.a Rectangular beam with various edge supports exposed to a uniformly distributed load q

RMIT University, 2013, (Marchiori G., Dixon C.)

From symmetry

R1

R2

Vertical force equilibrium gives

2 R1

pressure x surface area =

q2ab

Therefore

R1

q2ab/2

qab

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Taking an imaginary cut in the middle of the span as shown in Fig 7.A.b, and
representing the moment effect of the distributed load on the left half of the beam
as a concentrated load of magnitude qab acting at a distance a/2 from the end it can
be seen that the bending moment at the middle of the beam has a value:
M

(R1 x a) (qab x a/2 )

M =

(qab x a)- (qab x a/2 )

M =

qa2b/2

Fig. 7.A.b Freebody diagram of left half of the beam RMIT University, 2013, (Marchiori G., Dixon C.)

max =

M y max
I

Where ymax is the distance from the neutral axis of the beam to its outer fibre
and I is the second moment of area of the transverse cross section of the beam.

Fig. 7.A.c Transverse cross section of the beam RMIT University, 2013, (Marchiori G., Dixon C.)

max

h
M
2
=
bh 3
12

M 6
bh 2

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Substituting

(qa2b/ 2)

gives

max

(qa2b/ 2) x (6/ [bh2])

max

3 qa2/ h2

12 qa 2
4 h2

or alternatively max

Consider now a beam with a uniformly distributed pressure load q on its upper
surface and with built in ends, such as is shown in the bottom row of figure 7A.a .
It can be shown (pg188 Strength of Materials, Parts I, by Timoshenko, S., 3rd
edition, 1956, published by Van Nostrand Reinhold) for this statically
indeterminate problem, from considerations of downward angle of deflection at the
end caused by q being brought back to zero by upward angle of deflection caused
by M1, that the peak bending moment is M1 and it has a magnitude qa2b/ 3 . From
symmetry it can be seen that M1 = M2.. Substituting the magnitude of M1 into the
equation for bending stress:

max

M 6
bh 2

max

(qa2b/ 3) x (6/ [bh2])

max

2 qa2/ h2

or alternatively max

8 qa 2
4 h2

gives

Summarizing the results of the formula development in this appendix 7A, it has
been shown that the equation for maximum bending stress in a beam of rectangular
cross section subjected to a distributed pressure q is of the form:
qa 2
where: a is half the span, h is the thickness, and k is a coh2
efficient whose value depends on the edge support.

mzx = k

For the case of a beam with simply supported ends :

k = 12/4

For the case of a beam with a built in ends :

k = 8/4

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Appendix 7B - Optional extra reading about bending of circular plates

Additional reading: Bending of circular plates.
Refer to the detailed development of formulae to predict the bending stress
within circular plates as given on pages 92-99 of Strength of Materials part II
(PDF 316KB). 3
Summarizing the results of the formula development in this appendix, it has been
shown that the equation for maximum bending stress in circular plates subjected to
qa 2
a distributed pressure q is of the form: mzx = k 2 where: a is half the span,
h
h is the thickness, and k is a co-efficient whose value depends on the edge
support.
For the case of a circular plate with a simply supported edge:
(for metal with Poissons ratio of 0.3 )

k = 4.95/4

For the case of a circular plate with a built in edge:

k = 3/4

Appendix 7C - Optional extra reading about bending of circular plates

with various edge and central supports
Additional reading: Bending stress in circular plates with various edge and
central support systems.
Refer to Pages 113 to 114 of Strength of Materials part II which gives summary
results for bending stress in circular plates with various edge and central
support systems of interest to mechanical engineers. (PDF 105KB). 4

Timoshenko S 1956, Strength of materials. Part II 3rd ed., Van Nostrand Reinhold co., Huntington, New York,
p. 92-99. viewed 27th August 2013. <https://equella.rmit.edu.au/rmit/file/08c7214f-86f9-4ea3-bdfc27df0daa969e/1/130821_3_032.pdf>
3

Timoshenko S 1956, Strength of materials. Part II 3rd ed., Van Nostrand Reinhold co., Huntington, New York,
p. 113-114. viewed 27th August 2013. < https://equella.rmit.edu.au/rmit/file/24276c12-0cbb-42df-a798b53e37b886a7/1/130821_3_033.pdf>
4

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Activity 7B - Readings, Reflections and Calculations

Step 1: Refer to Project Part B in Assessment
Refer to Project Part B in the Assessment Section. Read Question 5 (h) and (i).
Step 2: Read relevant parts of AS1210
Refer to the clauses in AS1210 Pressure Vessels listed in Question 5 (h)
The Australian Standards can be accessed via the RMIT Library - SAI Global
link to the Australian Standards. 5
NOTE: You will need to login with your student login and password.
Step 3: Plan.
Discuss with your partner the strategy for tackling Question 5 (h) and (i).
Step 4: If you are the partner responsible for completing Question 5 (h) and (i),
do so, consulting with your partner where appropriate.
Feedback:
Feedback will be provided on your submitted project documentation by the
engineering lecturer/tutor responsible for marking it.

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Summary and Outcome Checklist

Circular flat plates provide a common convenient means of sealing flanged
openings such as inspection openings in pressure vessels. When exposed to
pressure, flat plates experience significant bending stresses. The pressure vessel
standard provides equations for determining the thickness of such plates that will
keep these stresses at a safe level.

Tick the box for this statement if you agree with it:
I can determine the thickness of circular flat cover plates on pressure vessels.

Assessment
This topic will be assessed as part of the Project Part B and the end of semester
examination (see: Assessment section of the Course Introduction for more detail).

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