Large Pressure Vessel Lifting Analysis

When dealing with large pressure vessels lifting and transportation can be challenging.  ASME Section VIII code drives the design of the vessel but only includes details on operational loads.  Lifting and transportation is a critical aspect with structures of this size.  FEA analysis can help determine how the structure will behave.

In this analysis the pressure vessel was analyzed for lifting loads at various angles as the vessel is installed.  The main concern was the skirt, tailing lug and trunnions.  The mass of the vessel was a critical parameter.  To ensure proper mass was include the finite element model used beam elements to approximate the tube sheet.  This greatly improved the efficiency of the model.