AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO SUPPORT HORIZONTAL PRESSURE-VESSELS SUBJECT TO THERMAL LOADING

When storing liquids at high temperature in horizontal vessels, the cu rrent design methods aim to minimise the thermal stresses by introduci ng a sliding surface at the base of one of the twin saddle supports. H owever, regular site maintenance is required to ensure that adequate s liding is achieved. This may be difficult and costly to carry out. The aim of the present work, therefore, is to dispense with the sliding s upport and to provide saddle designs which, although fixed to the plat form or foundation, do not result in the storage/pressure vessel being overstressed when thermal loading occurs. This paper provides general recommendations for the most appropriate saddle geometries, and detai ls the way in which design-by-analysis and fatigue-life- assessments m ay be carried out using the stresses that arise from these designs. (C ) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.