CONSIDERATIONS PERTAINING TO EXERTED PIPING LOADS ON PRESSURE VESSEL NOZZLES

This technical note is intended to make the engineer involved in the design of pressure vessels with connected piping aware of the possible options that yield the most advantageous design from an economic perspective. Pressure vessels are connected to external piping by a nozzle welded to the vessel wall and a flange connection. Due to expansion or contraction of the piping system connected to the pressure vessel, which is caused by the difference in installation and operating temperatures, the piping system exerts forces and moments on the nozzle of the pressure vessel. This means that nozzle loads therefore impose an important constraint in the design of pressure equipment. It is important that such loads do not overstress the vessel-nozzle intersection. This technical note is limited to the interface of the pressure vessel piping system's imposed external loads.