Advanced Mechanic and

Materials
Project Report
Submarine Pressures: Hull
Design

Group Members:
Shahzeb Bin Tariq
 Construction
Modern submarines are made of two hulls, outer and inner. Outer Hull is folded in water in
bullast tanks in submerged condition, so no action of internal pressure on it. Inner Hull, also
called pressure hull, houses accommodation, weapons system, control room, battery banks,
machinery etc. Pressure is usually 1 atm inside pressure hull.

Material
Most submarines are made of high strength and low alloy steel (HSLA). HSLA 80 (HY-80)
and (HY-100) are very popular steels for submarine construction and are also cheap.
Reason for using HY-80 is high corrosion resistance, yield strength above 80,000 psi, low
magnetism and good impact resistant etc.
In our project, we would use steel plate of somewhat near properties and composition as HY-
80. We will use ASME SA-656 T7 Grade 80 plate steel having minimum yield strength 552
Mpa = 80,000 ksi and nominal composition as of HY-80.
E1 Pressure Calculation:
We will use US units.
Op. Depth 500m= 19658 inch
Atm pressure= 1469 psi
= 101325 pa
We use formula of pressure on object submersed in water.
Pressure = (Density fluid x Gravity Acceleration x Depth object) + Pressure Atm
Density of sea water = 130 kg/m3
= 0.037 lb/inch3
Gravity Acceleration = 9.8 in/s2

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 P external = (1030 x 9.8 x 500) + 101325
= 5047000 + 101325
= 5148325 Pa
P external = 746.70 Psi
For Thickness Calculations:
Since internal pressure is 1 atm inside pressure hull, so we will find thickness using internal
pressure.
Internal design pressure P = 1atm
=14.69 psi

We use (ASME VIII Division 1) UG-27 to find thickness.

t = PR/ SE 0.6 P
P = 14.69 psi
Inside R Radius = D1/2
= 78.77/2
*Di = 2m = 78.77 inch
Ri = 39.37 inch
*S= Man allowable stress values
We use table 1-A to final S at temperature Ww = 30-40 as ocean water at 500m depth has
average temperature of 32 F (0C).
S = 177 Mpa
=25671.7 psi
t = PR/ SE 0.6 P
E = Joint efficiency
*(from table UW-12 in ASME VIII Div 1, we suppose Type 1 joints and full radiography)
E=1
t = (14.69) (39.37) / (25671.7) (1) 0.6 (14.69)
= 578.35 / 25671.7 8.814
= 0.023 inch
As t < R/Z, and
P < 0.385 SE,

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So t is acceptable for internal pressure, but 0.023 is a very low thickness giving high D/t
values. We add 0.477 corrosion allowance (t = 0.500) for man allowable pressure external.
For finding man allowable pressure we use (ASME VIII Div 1 UG-28). We have used semi-
uiptical head whose depth h is:
h = Pi / 4
h = 78.74 / 4
h = 19.685 inch
As L1 = 40m => 1574.8 inch
L (unitifened) = L1 + 2 / 3 (h)
= 1574.8 + 2 / 3 (19.69)
= 1574.8 + 13.13
L = 1587.93 inches
To find internal diameter
D = Di + 2t
= 78.74 + 2 (0.023)
= 78.74 + 0.046
D = 78.786 inches
Now using (UG-28 ASME VIII Div 1)
As it is cylindrical shell:
(i) D/ t = 78.74 / 0.5
= 157.48

D/ t 10

(ii) L/ D = 1587.93/ 78.74

L/ D = 20.16
Using figure G, subpart III in (ASME II part D):
A = 0.000045 approx.
As material used is SA 656 grade 80, the table SA in ASME II (D) shows external pressure
chart CS-3 for that material.
As value on left of temperature material curve, so we use:
Pa = 2AE / 3 (D/t)
For external pressure calculation
E = 200 x 103 MPa

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 = 29007547.5 psi
From table [TM-1 in ASME II (D)]
A = 0.000045
* D/ t=157.48
= 2 x 0.000045 x 29007547.5 / 3 (157.48)
= 2610.68 / 472.44
= 5.52 psi

As P external= 746.70 psi and Pa=5.52:

Pa < P external
So, the vessel will buckle and fail. We need to increase thickness substantially.
A= 0.003 Approx.
Checking figure CS-3 for B:
B = 170 MPa Approx.
= 24656.4 psi
We use formula:
Pa= 4B / 3 (D/t)
= 4 (24656.4) / 3 (19.69)
= 98625.6 / 52.07
= 1669.64 psi
Now, Pa > P external, but value of Pa is way too much, which will increase the cost.
Reducing thickness
t = 3 inches
(D/t) = 78.34 / 3
(D/t) = 26.24 10
L/D=20.16
Using figure G in ASME II (D):
A=0.0016 Approx.
Using CS-3 figure:
B = 165 MPa Approx.
= 23931.2 psi

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 Pa= 4B / 3(D/t)
= 4 (23931.2) / 3 (26.24)
= 95724.8 / 78.72
Pa= 1216.04 psi
A3: Pa > P external, so t= 3 inches is optimal for submarine without stiffeners.
Fatigue Calculations
For fatigue life calculations, one needs to work out a stress analysis of a location outside the
vessel surface and get values of stress components 6x, 6y, 6z and the corresponding shear stress
values. These values can be discovered for various types of loads such as pressure, thermal,
mechanical and their combinations using EEA analysis.
Over here we are only considering pressure loads. We have only primary loads and no
secondary or peak stress values due to no discontinuities or shell that may obstruct free
deformation of material.
So we have stress:
Primary membrane stress of pressure
We know that for pressure vessels, the stress values (6) are same in all planes, meaning all
planes are principal planes.
6y= 1, 6x= 2 and 6z= 3

6y or 61 is circumferential stress.
61 = PR / t
6x or 62 is longitudinal stress.
62 = PR / 2t
And 6z or 63 is normal hydrostatic pressure P but negative due to compression.
63 = -P
Pexternal = 746.7 psi
D= Di + 2 (3)
= 78.74 + 6

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 D= 84.74
R= 84.73 / 2
R= 42.37
t = 3 inch
61 = (746.7) (42.37) / 3
= 31637.7 / 3
61= 10545.9 psi

62= PR / 2t
= 31637.7 / 6
62= 5272.95 psi

63 = -P
63 = -746.7 psi
Finding stress intensity values as per [ASME VIII (Div 2)] (Appendix 5)
S12= 61 - 62
=10545.9 -5272.95
S12 = 5272.95psi
S31= 63 61
= +10545.9 + 746.7 psi
S13= +11292.6

S23= 62-63
= 5272.95 + 746.7
S23= 6019.7
Maximum stress intensity value
S13= 11292.6 psi
For Finding Sa:
Sa= S13 / 2
= 11292.6 / 2
Sa = 5646.3 psi

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 Sa is lower than Sy and S (Maximum allowable stress value)
As Sa = 5.6 ksi so by looking at (Fatigue curve 110.1) for low alloy steels with temperature
not above 370C from [ASME section II D (2004)] to get number of cycles.
Number of cycles to failure: N 1011cycles
As submarine dives 500 times to its man depth of 500m with external pressure 746.7 psi and
after resolving stresses at hull surface with just primary loads we get principal stress values.
From those we get maximum stress intensity and Sa.
As submarine completes 500 cycles of stress as one complete dive and then rise to surface is
considered one cycle.
S0 = 1011 500
= 999,999,999.500 cycles of life left considering pressure only as load and considering no
structural discontinuities or thermal stresses or mechanical loads.
Stiffener
We know that if Di is less than 8ft so we will space stiffeners at 2D or more and if Di > 8ft
then stiffener distance at almost D or more.
Since Di > 8ft, so we will space stiffeners at almost 2D that is 4m.
We will space stiffeners 10m apart.

Ls = L1/2 + L2/2
= 10/2 + 10/2
= 10m
Ls = 393.701 inches
We have used flat bar cross sectional stiffeners. We assume stiffener with dimension:
b = 4, h= 10
As = b x h

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 = 40 inches2
Using ASME VIII Section 1 UG-29
*Is ( moment of inertia of stiffener)
Is= [D2 Ls (t + A3/L3) A] / 14
First we need to find B.
B= [PD/ (t + As/Ls)]
Pexternal = 746.7 psi
D= 84.74inches
t = 3inches
B = [(746.7) (84.74)/ (3 + 40/393.7)]
B = (63,275.4/ 3 + 0.1)
= (63,275.4/ 3.1)
= (20, 411.4)
B = 15,308.6 psi
B = 105.5 MPa
Using CS-3 external pressure chart of ASME II part D, as stiffeners also made of SA-656
A=0.001 Approx.
Putting in equation:
Is= [D2 Ls (t + A3/L3) A] / 14
= [(84.74)2(393.7)(3 + 0.1)(0.001)]/14
= [(7180.9)(393.7)(3.1)(0.001)]/14
= 8764/14
Is = 626inch4
For actual moment of inertia:
I = bh3/ 12
= 4 x (10)3/ 12
= 333inch4
As I < I3, so we need another stiffener. We use stiffener with:
b = 6inch, h= 11inch
As= 6 x 11
= 66inch2

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 I = bh3/12
I = 665.6inch4

For, B = [PD/ (t + As/Ls)]

= [6327.4/ (3 + 66/ 393.7)]
= (6327.4/ 3 + 0.16)
= (20,024)
B = 15018 psi
B = 103.5 MPa
From CS-3 in ASME II D:
A = 0.001
Is = [D2 Ls (t + A3/L3) A] / 14
= [(7180.9)(393.7)(3.18)(0.001)] / 14
= 8933.7 / 14
Is = 638.1inch4
As, I > Is so stiffener is good.

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