| Mechanical design of pressure vessels has been one of the most challenging jobs in an overall design of process plants, including petroleum / petrochemical plants. The failure of a pressure vessel has catastrophic consequences both in terms of risks to life and property; therefore, the design of the same requires a foolproof design approach.;In North America, the mechanical design of pressure vessels is carried out through American Society of Mechanical Engineers' (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC); which has been constantly developed and refined since 1915. The mechanical design of pressure vessels used in the petroleum and petrochemical industry employ Section VIII Division 1 and Division 2 of the ASME BPVC.;The design is mostly performed through different software; developed not only by stand alone software developing companies, but individual engineering design companies use their own written / developed software as well. However, spreadsheets and hand calculations are still considered to be one of the most reliable tools in the hand of a designer.;The important aspect in the design of a pressure vessel is that a better design is not dependant on the designer's knowledge of ASME BPVC or particular software alone; a good design depends upon designer's skills, experience, knowledge and engineering judgment, along with better interaction with other design groups, such as process, process systems, piping, and other related work groups.;This report gives a synopsis and an overall view of the mechanical design process of a pressure vessel as a whole, and provides a firsthand look at the documents that are mostly available to the professionals working in this field. Manual calculations and introduction to one of the most widely used software in this field is also a part of this report. |
