A Characteristic Study Of The Horizontal Vessels Supported On Saddle Supports

The designs and stress analysis of horizontal cylindrical vessel supported on twosupports are mainly based on the Zick's method that was put forward in 1950's. Thismethod depended on a large of tests and was easy to use. But there are manyhypotheses of the Zick's method that are out of accord with practice. As a result, it isobligatory to improve on this method. In addition, the applicability of the Zick'smethod to the designs and stress analysis of horizontal cylindrical vessel supported onthree or more supports has to be testified. In this paper, cylindrical vessels supportedon two or more saddle supports are analyzed with finite element method.For horizontal cylindrical vessels supported on two supports, the influence ofsupports position upon stress on the vessels is analyzed and excellent position ofsupport was got. Through the analyses of different models, the factors such assupport's width, wrap angle, wall thickness and radius of vessels and the supportreactions, which influence the peak stress, are thought and the coefficients ofinfluence factors are acquired. Furthermore, the methods to reduce the peak stress arediscussed. It can be seen that setting the plate has a effect on reducing the peak stress.For horizontal cylindrical vessels supported on more than two supports, threesupports' case is analyzed. Firstly, displacement and stress distributions on horizontalcylindrical vessels supported on three supports are analyzed, and it can be seen thatthe stress distribution of cylindrical vessels with three supports is similar with that ofcylindrical vessels supported on two supports. Secondly, the variety of the reactionson the three supports with the variety of middle supports' position is researched andthe amendment of three bending moment equation is acquired, which is based on thecomparison of FEM solutions and the three bending moment equation's answers.Finally, the influence of relative subsidence of the three supports is analyzed. It can beseen that the variety of the support reactions is linearity with the quantity of relativesubsidence and the method of solving supports' reaction is put forward.