FEA Design & Analysis of Chemical Tubular Reactor – To ASME Code

Keywords: FEA Design, Thermal, Stress and Buckling Analysis; ASME Code Section VIII Divisions 1 and 2

We performed FEA design and (thermal, stress and buckling) analysis on a chemical tubular reactor – designed to meet the requirements of ASME Section VIII, Division 1 Code. 

Thermal and structural finite element analyses was performed in accordance with the ASME Code, Section VIII, Division 2 for the following load types:

• Design conditions
• Operating transient conditions for start up, steady operation and shut-down (including normal and upset conditions)

The shells, channels and tubesheets of the reactor and the preheater are made of low yield strength Carbon Steel SA-516 Grade 70 to protect the vessels against stress corrosion cracking. For reactor operating temperatures of 500 to 600 °F, the minimum yield strength of the SA-516, Grade 70 steel remains within 29 to 31 ksi.

Tubes arranged in triangular patterns are made of Duplex stainless steel SA-789 Grade 31803. The spaces between the tubes in the outer regions of the reactor tubesheets were increased to meet the ASME Code allowables for the higher stresses in these regions without increasing the thickness of the entire plate. Based on the analysis results according to Division 2, we modified the design of the highly stressed local regions to meet ASME Code, Section VIII, Division 2 stress allowables.

O’Donnell Consulting Engineers Performs FEA Design & Analysis (to ASME and other Code) on Equipment for Clients in Industries including Energy, Mining and Petrochemical.