ASME Design and Analysis to B&PV and Power & Process Codes

O’Donnell Consulting provides (Finite Element) Design & Analysis on Pressure Vessels, Heat Exchangers, Piping Systems, and other Process Equipment – Ensuring Compliance to ASME Codes.

Our expertise covers full compliance with the Boiler & Pressure Vessel (B&PV) Code and Power (B31.1) & Process (B31.3) Piping Codes. We specialize in stress, buckling, thermal, vibration, fatigue, and fracture finite element analysis (FEA) to ensure equipment safety and reliability.

Key ASME Analysis Capabilities

Design Reviews and Code Compliance Assessments
Material Selection and Welding Procedure Qualifications
Structural Integrity Evaluations including Fatigue, Fracture, and Vibration Analysis
Thermal and Flow-Induced Stress Analysis
Fitness-for-Service and Life Assessment

These decisions are essential for project timelines, budgets, and regulatory compliance.

Why Code Compliance Matters

Regulatory: analysis validates that the equipment meets rigorous ASME code requirements, ensuring safety, reliability, and regulatory approval.
Safety: Performing an ASME analysis early in the design or procurement process is crucial. It identifies potential design or compliance issues before costly manufacturing begins, avoiding delays and expensive redesigns.

Challenges We Solve

Design Confidence

Ensuring the vessel handles operating pressures, passes inspections, and meets ASME Section VIII—preventing expensive
modifications
Solution: ASME design analysis with stress, thermal, and fatigue calculations before fabrication

Aging Equipment

Addressing changed operations, wear, cracking, and insurance concerns
Solution: Fitness-for-Service evaluation with API 579/ASME FFS-1 standards for safe operating life

Failure Investigation

Rapid response for unexpected failures, insurance risk, and regulatory issues
Solution: Root cause analysis and engineered solutions to prevent recurrence

Examples:

Pressure Vessels
Heat Exchangers
Piping / Valves
Skids
Chemical Reactors

Vessel Nozzles / Supports
Filter Housings
Nitrogen Vessels
Bioreactors

Demonstration Vessels
Rectangular Vessels
PSA Vessels

Types of Analysis

Stress Analysis
Vibration & Fatigue
Fitness for Service
Fracture Analysis
Design Optimization
Fabrication Process Evaluation
Heat Transfer
Thermal Cycling
Creep Ratcheting
Linear/ Nonlinear

Computational Fluid Mechanics
Flow-Induced Vibrations
Water Hammer
Fluid Flow Analyses
Thermal/Transient
Shock & Impact
Safety Evaluations
Elevated Temperature
Structural Integrity

– See Blog on Basics of Design By Analysis vs. Design by Rule
– Learn More about the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code
– See Portfolio of ASME Design & Analysis Projects/Solutions

For over 30 years, O’Donnell Consulting Engineers has been performing Design and Analysis on Pressure Vessels, Heat Exchangers and other Process Equipment to ASME Codes.

ASME Design & Analysis

B&PV Section VIII Div. 1, 2 and 3 vessels
B&PV Sections IX and XI
ASME B15 & B16
ASME B 31.3 Process & ASME B 31.1 Power Piping
ASME Below the Hook BTH-1 & B 30.20
API / ASME 579-1 Fitness For Service

ASME Fatigue Design / Analysis

Fatigue (from cyclic loading) is one of the most frequent causes of failure in pressure vessels, piping and process equipment. A vibrating component or system often leads to fatigue – which eventually leads to equipment malfunction, or catastrophic failure. Fatigue cracks usually initiate at the surface, and for this reason, the condition of the surface and the environment are important factors influencing fatigue behaviour. Fatigue design / analysis is performed per ASME Section III Class 1 and Section VIII Division 2.