Stresses in a Cylindrical Shell Due to Nozzle or Pipe Connection

Abstract

Abstract Results are reported of a strain-gage test conducted on a 54-in-diam cylindrical shell to which was attached two 12-in-diam pipes. The pipes were subjected to direct axial-tension loading, direct axial-compression loading, and transverse bending moments. This construction simulates the conditions which exist in boiler drums, pressure piping, hydraulic penstocks, etc., where pipe connections are subject to forces and moments that develop strains in the shell to which the pipes are attached. Moderate loading applied to the pipes resulted in 20,000-psi bending stresses in the shell. These stresses are of a magnitude that demands the respect and attention of the designers. By publication of these data, the authors hope to stimulate interest in further experimental and analytical investigations of the problem, which eventually will establish a basis for predicting the magnitude of stresses in cylindrical shells. Such data are not now available.