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Pressure Vessel Design Calculator

Minimum wall thickness and membrane-stress checks for cylindrical shells and formed heads under internal pressure.

Mechanical · Pressure Vessels
Version1.0.0MethodASME VIII-1

Minimum shell thickness from circumferential (hoop) stress · ASME Sec VIII Div 1, UG-27(c)(1)

1

Design Data

MPa
mm

Inside radius R = 600 mm

MPa
Presets:
mm

Section View

2

Results

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Enter your design data and press Calculate Thickness

4

Reference Codes & Standards

  • ASME BPVC VIII-1

    Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Division 1

    UG-27 shells & UG-32 formed heads — minimum thickness for internal pressure.

  • ASME BPVC II-D

    Materials — Part D: Properties (Maximum Allowable Stress)

    Allowable stress S at the design temperature for the plate material.

  • ASME UW-12

    Joint Efficiencies for Welded Joints

    Weld-joint efficiency E based on the degree of radiographic examination.

Further Reading

  • Moss, D. R. Pressure Vessel Design Manual — thin-wall sizing procedures.
  • Megyesy, E. F. Pressure Vessel Handbook — worked ASME VIII-1 examples.
  • ASME BPVC Section VIII, Division 1 — governing code for the formulas used.

Engineering Tips

Minimum shell thickness from circumferential (hoop) stress per ASME Sec VIII Div 1, UG-27(c)(1). The shell and hemispherical head use the inside radius R; the 2:1 ellipsoidal head uses the inside diameter D.

t = P·R / (S·E − 0.6·P) + c
  • Read S at the design temperature — it drops as temperature rises (ASME Sec II Part D).
  • Add the corrosion allowance c, then round up to a standard plate.
  • Thin-wall formulas hold while P ≤ 0.385·S·E.
  • Hemispherical heads are thinnest but 2:1 ellipsoidal heads are easier to fabricate.

For guidance only — confirm every design against the current ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Division 1.

Pressure Vessel Design Calculator — MechCalcPro