Chapter VI Vessel Supports

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 Vessel Supports

Vessel support is to
a. Support the weight of the container
b. Fix the container position
c. Keep the container in operation.

Classified by the type of vessels:

a. Supports of vertical vessel;
b. Supports of horizontal vessel;
c. Supports of spherical vessel.
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Difference between standards of vessel
supports
ASME BPVC.Ⅷ.1-2015:
There are some suggestions at non mandatory appendix G.

EN 13445-3(2009) Unfired pressure vessels-Part 3: Design :

Provide calculation method for supports.

JB/T 4712.1～4712.4-2007 “Vessel supports-part”:

Provide detailed selection rules for each kind of support.

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 saddle support
A. Supports of
ring support
horizontal vessel
Leg support

Lug support

B. Supports of
Bracket support
vertical vessel
Skirt support

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A) Saddle Support

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A) Saddle Support

Rib plate

Saddle support is the most widely used horizontal vessel support.

Rib plate Bottom plate

✓ Saddle support is made of rib plates and bottom plate welded

together.
✓ From standard JB/T4712.1-2007 “Vessel supports-part 1:Saddle
support”, chose the saddle support according to the nominal
diameter and weight of vessel. 7
 tangent tangent

Saddle bearing angle (θ) Saddle width (b)

Saddle bearing angle can be chosen as 120°（,135°） or 150°.

The width b is determined by nominal diameter of vessel.
Distance from saddle to vessel tangent (A)

a. When L/D is relatively large, without stiffness rings, take A ≤ 0.25D;

b. When L/D is relatively small, /D is relatively large, or with
stiffness rings, take A ≤ 0.2L.
(JB/T4712.1-2007)
 ·Installation of Saddle Support
Saddle supports are divided into type A (light) and type B (heavy).
Type A and type B are different due to the size or the quantity of
ribs plates, bottom plates.

Each type of saddle supports can divided into Fixed support (F)
and Sliding support (S).

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B) Ring Support

Ring圈座
Support

Situations using ring support：

✓For thin-walled vessels and vacuum vessels;
✓For long vessels with more than two supports.

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C) Leg support

The connection creates a severe local stress and is only

suitable for small equipment (DN≤1600, L≤5m).

The detail parameters of supporting legs see standard

JB/T 4712.2-2007 “Vessel supports-part 2:Leg support”.

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B. Supports of vertical vessels

Lug support

Bracket support

Skirt support

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 A) Lug support
Lug support consists of rib plate and
stabilizer plate. If with large size or thin-
wall vessel, base plate is added.

It is Simple and lightweight, but with a

large local stress.

To prevent the loss of alloying elements, eg. stainless steel

equipment also need to add a stainless steel plate with carbon steel
supports.

Widely used in the reactor and vertical heat exchanger and other
upright equipment.

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Lug support
Selection method of lug support
(1) Estimate the total weight of the equipment, calculate the
load Q for each support (calculated on 2 supports);
(2) Determine the type of support, select the support according
to the standard in accordance with principle that allowable
load Qallow is greater than actual load Q.

❖For small equipment, lug support can be put on the pipes

or structural steel columns.
❖For Large equipment, supports are often set on the basis
of steel beams or concrete.

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 B) Bracket support

Made of steel pipe, angle steel and

channel steel, or welded by a few
pieces of steel plate.

Type, Structure, Size and Material

see JB/T 4712.4-2007 “Vessel
supports-part 4:Bracket
support”.

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 a) It is Simple and lightweight;
b) There is a large local stress, and
base plate should be set when the
shell stiffness is small, or the
difference of temperature or
material between the shell and the
support is large, or the shell need
post-weld heat treatment
c) base plate and vessel shell
should be the same material.

Bracket support
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The selection of bracket support
Bracket support is divided into type A and type B.
δ支座和检查孔
4.3.6 D

Type B Type A

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Bracket support ：type A and type B.

shape number nominal diameter（mm） structural properties

Steel plate welding,

A 1～6 DN800～3000
With base plate

Steel pipe welding,

B 1～8 DN800～4000
With base plate

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C) Skirt support

a) Tower equipment use skirt support most commonly.

b) There is no standard at present for skirt support.
c) The dimensions of each part must be determined by
calculation or practical experience.

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Skirt support
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Skirt support
 Questions:

1. How many kind of horizontal vessel supports and

vertical supports? List them.
2. How many parameters we should consider when
determining the position of double saddle horizontal
vessel support?

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Chapter VII Openings
and Reinforcement

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1 Vessel Opening

Aim Check the defects, such as crack, corrosion, deformation.

Including Manhole, handhole, which position should be easier

to observe or clear the inside of the vessel.

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Stipulate The numbers and the size of the opening should
follow the standards or codes.

Not Required opening:(satisfies any of the following conditions)

➢Di of cylinder is smaller than 300mm；

➢With detachable head or cover which size is not smaller than the opening’s；
➢ Without corrosion or week corrosion, do not need check and clean；

➢ Vessels with refrigeration function;

➢ Heat exchanger;

without opening
during the design and manufactory process，
100% NDT；Note the calculation thickness;
main monitored.

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2 Reinforcement

Reinforcement is necessary due to the openings. ?

① Strength of the wall is decreased due to the opening,
discontinuous stress, stress concentration is generated.
② Stress peak value increases and can be larger than the yield
stress.
③ Defects from materials and manufactory process
④ In order to decrease the stress peak value, reinforcement is
necessary on the opening area to ensure vessel safety.

Due to the effect of stress concentration, the recommend

shape for opening is circular. 27
Reinforcement forms
ASME UG36-43

 Add some metal material around the opening to

improve the strength.
 Reinforcement forms: reinforcement rings, thickness
nozzle reinforcement and integral reinforcement

reinforcement ring
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reinforcement ring

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 thickness nozzle

integral reinforcement

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 List the reinforcement forms
 Why we should consider the reinforcement
for the vessel?

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