Tensile plastic instability of axisymmetric pressure vessels

This paper examines the calculated pressure at a tensile plastic instability of a pressure vessel and its relationship to burst test results. It is proposed that the instability pressure be accepted as an upper bound to the pressure at which a vessel bursts, and that a strength reduction factor be used to predict the burst. The paper also presents a suitable mathematical model for the calculation of the instability pressures for thin-walled axisymmetric vessels. The proposition is tested by applying the model to a pressurized diaphragm, four cylindrical shells, and two torispherical heads, for which experimental burst data are available. It is found that the ratio of the test burst pressure to the calculated pressure at the tensile plastic instability, expressed in percent, ranges from 71 to 96 percent. The highest ratio occurs for a pressurized diaphragm with no significant defects. The lowest ratios occur for cylindrical shells with longitudinal welds, suggesting that the presence of the welds had a detrimental effect on the burst strength. These results may be useful when designing a pressure vessel with respect to its ultimate strength.