Stiffening effects on thin-walled piping elbows of adjacent piping and nozzle constraints

Journal Article · Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982 · J. Pressure Vessel Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3264201· OSTI ID:5959638

Thomas, K

Elbows, attached to component nozzles or adjacent piping, experience a stiffening effect due to the restraint of ovalization provided by the nozzle or pipe. Using the thin-shell, finite difference program STAGSC, a numerical study of two elbows of different geometry with varying degrees of ovalization restraint was performed. Attention was confined to small displacement, elastic analysis of pure in-plane and out-of-plane bending. The analysis shows that in all cases there is a significant decrease in elbow flexibility due to the constraints. There is also a corresponding decrease in the circumferential stress index which is approximately proportional to the reduction in flexibility. These results indicate that a simple, rational basis could be developed for modifying elbow flexibility factors to allow for flange and nozzle stiffening in overall piping flexibility analysis. Original data are presented which relate elbow flexibility factors and stress indices to the degree of nozzle constraint for two elbow geometries.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Advanced Reactors Division, Madison, PA 15663
• OSTI ID: 5959638
• Journal Information: J. Pressure Vessel Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Pressure Vessel Technol.; (United States) Vol. 104:3; ISSN JPVTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420205* -- Engineering-- Transport & Storage Facilities-- (1980-)
420500 -- Engineering-- Materials Testing
DATA
ELASTICITY
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
FLEXIBILITY
GEOMETRY
INFORMATION
ITERATIVE METHODS
MATHEMATICS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MIXING
NOZZLES
NUMERICAL DATA
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PIPE FITTINGS
PIPES
PROGRAMMING
STRESS INTENSITY FACTORS
TENSILE PROPERTIES