ASME Flange Design
ASME Flange Design
(OP)
Trying to qualify an existing vessel with no existing paperwork. Built 1939. Everything checks out except for inspection opening. Non-standard flange, flat plate, intergral/slip-on. The deficiency report keeps failing the gasket seating or fails at the g1 weld requirement. Used existing info gathered in the field and have latest thickness readings. It has held pressure for over 70 years, but the numbers say the flange is not good. Tried different gasket, larger bolts, different weld combinations; probably have done 20 iterations, still nothing works. Any ideas?





RE: ASME Flange Design
RE: ASME Flange Design
RE: ASME Flange Design
Suggest you try a cammprofile gasket or reinforced grafoil gasket, something with a low m and y value as fegenbush alluded to. You may also want to try low-stress bolts, or accounting for the addition of a thread lubricant with a low coefficient of friction - something that would reduce the required bolt load.
Also, are you trying to qualify the flange to withstand the force during hydrostatic test (usually the controlling load on new vessels), or just doing a rating for MAWP?
-TJ Orlowski
RE: ASME Flange Design
Low-stress bolts: also a good call.
Stainless steel or carbon steel flange and bolting?
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Fitter, happier, more productive
RE: ASME Flange Design
RE: ASME Flange Design
Thank you for the replies. I ended up finding a gasket, Grafoil GHR laminate, that solved the flange situation and then, Compress would not allow me to just PWHT the flange. Turned out that there was a bug in the program. Had to run the shell cylinder, as well as the nozzle in PWHT condition, then break the report apart to submit. Compress said they would look into it.
Thanks again.