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Does ASME VIII-1 permit FEA resolution for design calculations of pressure vessels?

Does ASME VIII-1 permit FEA resolution for design calculations of pressure vessels?

Does ASME VIII-1 permit FEA resolution for design calculations of pressure vessels?

(OP)
Gents,

let me preface this by stating that I am not a pressure vessel engineer & have never read through the tome that is ASME VIII.... that being said I do work as a project engineer for a packaged equipment vendor, I have sourced a plate & frame heat exchanger for utilization in one of my packages & my subvendor has supplied design calculations resolved utilizing FEA methods. My client has rejected these code calcs as their project requirement is that the heat exchanger be designed to ASME VIII-1. My limited understanding is that FEA methodology is outlined in VIII-2.

This requirement was given to my subvendor prior to awarding the order & they made no mention of any concerns. As indicated above, since I do not have familiarity with the code requirements I have left it with my sub to prove that their design calculations should be acceptable.... well almost 9 weeks later & I haven't gotten anywhere.

Is there a helpful member of this forum who could maybe point me to a section or clause in VIII-1 that might indicate if & when FEA methodology is acceptable?


frankly my opinion on the matter is that I'm basically buying a standard product (a plate & frame heat exchanger is damned close to "off the shelf"), and that if the calculations complete are correct per the physical & process constraints, and that if the applicable governing / registering body accepts the calcs & permits registration of the equipment I simply do not care whether said calcs are done on a napkin in crayon or utilizing state of the art FEA tools...

Anyways, as always thank you for any help!

Jon P
EIT

RE: Does ASME VIII-1 permit FEA resolution for design calculations of pressure vessels?

Usually plate and frame heat exchangers can be calculated as non-round bolted flat heads per UG-34 and then nozzle calculations to justify the openings. If this particular design cannot be calculated with those rule, you can use the U-2(g) clause which allows alternate methods of analysis such as FEA.

RE: Does ASME VIII-1 permit FEA resolution for design calculations of pressure vessels?

Jon P,

FEA may be used when the ASME Code does not contain rules to cover the design and construction of the pressure part.

As mentioned by rumondcola, plate & frame heat exchangers are usually designed to UG-34. If this is the applicable Code rule, then you cannot use FEA.

RE: Does ASME VIII-1 permit FEA resolution for design calculations of pressure vessels?

JPearson84 - with regards to your opinion - physics and engineering aspects aside, in many jurisdictions around the world (you didn't say where you are located), there are legal/statutory requirements that disagree with your opinion.

Otherwise, I agree with the above responses above.

RE: Does ASME VIII-1 permit FEA resolution for design calculations of pressure vessels?

(OP)
Thanks everybody!

@TGS4 - you'll note in my opinion I mention that the applicable governing body has to accept the calcs

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