Features of simulation pressure vessels

Abstract

Various vessels (separators, tanks, absorbers,desorbers, etc.) are used today for transportation,storage and passing of various processes. They workunder difficult conditions, as several different loads acton them at the same time. For example, the weight of theworking environment, its own weight, the temperature ofthe working environment, the temperature of thesurrounding environment, internal pressure and seismicloads act simultaneously on a liquefied gas storage tank.During the design of such vessels, simplifiedmathematical models are usually used, which do not takeinto account both some loads and the direction of theirapplication. Today, for the development of variousmachines and equipment, various computer programsare used, which allow not only to develop technicaldocumentation, but also programs that simulate theiroperation. Such programs include Ansys, Catia,Autodesk Inventor, SolidWorks. Usually, in theseprograms, the finite element method is used to solveengineering problems, which allows you to divide thecomplex geometry of the structure into simpler parts -finite elements. Such programs can even have specialmodules that allow simulation of certain types ofproducts and take into account their specific operatingconditions. This article provides an algorithm forsimulation modeling of a pressure vessel, according towhich the simulation was carried out and the results wereobtained in the SolidWorks Simulation program. Thepeculiarity of simulation modeling of vessels operatingunder pressure is that it is first necessary to conduct theirresearch for each separately applied load. Then, with thehelp of the "Design of a pressure vessel" module, thesimulation results are combined using a linearcombination in an algebraic form and the equivalentstress values are obtained. It is also worth noting that forthe correct operation of the aforementioned module, thegrid of finite elements into which the vessel model isdivided must be copied from the first to all subsequentstudies. Otherwise, the calculation in the "Design of apressure vessel" module will not take place.