Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)
Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)
(OP)
I'm working on a vessel that will have a 6" Class 600 (1000 psi @ 400F) Blind Flange on a nozzle that requires a Centered Opening (1 1/2" NOM) and (6) 1/2" NPT Tapped Holes surrounding this center opening (Image attached).
I've read ASME B16.5 Table 6 and the 1 1/2" Centered Opening complies with the reducing outlet required if I wanted to use a B16.5 Blind Flange for this, but there's nothing regarding additional openings. I'm open to do a custom Appendix 2 flange for this, but when trying to design this in Compress I'm unable to add a Tapped Hole to the bolted cover instead of welding a pipe/coupling and threading that... I'd be OK with using the couplings but the weld requirement would overlap the reinforcements of all the openings I'm trying to add...
I've seen this configuration before in Commercial Plasma Reformers so there should be a way of doing this per Code, I just don't know where to look for Tapped Openings on Bolted Covers... Any help is greatly appreciated.
Note: I've read in another thread that 1/8" - 1/4" Tapped NPT openings don't require reinforcement calculations, but there was no source and I'm unable to find that reference, anybody heard of this? I might be able to change my 1/2" to 1/4" NPT's if this avoids reinforcement/calculation issues.
I've read ASME B16.5 Table 6 and the 1 1/2" Centered Opening complies with the reducing outlet required if I wanted to use a B16.5 Blind Flange for this, but there's nothing regarding additional openings. I'm open to do a custom Appendix 2 flange for this, but when trying to design this in Compress I'm unable to add a Tapped Hole to the bolted cover instead of welding a pipe/coupling and threading that... I'd be OK with using the couplings but the weld requirement would overlap the reinforcements of all the openings I'm trying to add...
I've seen this configuration before in Commercial Plasma Reformers so there should be a way of doing this per Code, I just don't know where to look for Tapped Openings on Bolted Covers... Any help is greatly appreciated.
Note: I've read in another thread that 1/8" - 1/4" Tapped NPT openings don't require reinforcement calculations, but there was no source and I'm unable to find that reference, anybody heard of this? I might be able to change my 1/2" to 1/4" NPT's if this avoids reinforcement/calculation issues.





RE: Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)
Sometimes its possible to do all the right things and still get bad results
RE: Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)
You should go through UG-39(b) or UG-39(d) to determine the reinforcement requirements and consequently the cover thickness.
prex
http://www.xcalcs.com : Online engineering calculations
http://www.megamag.it : Magnetic brakes and launchers for fun rides
http://www.levitans.com : Air bearing pads
RE: Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)
If I go the path of designing the Blind as a Bolted Flat Head instead of a B16.5 Blind Flange with openings and considering that the center nozzle would be welded top and bottom to be a reinforced opening; Per UG-36(c)(3)(d) would the 1/2" unreinforced openings be considered a cluster? Would I have to consider the distance between centers to be 2.5*(d1+d2) or can I assume them to be isolated as per UG-36(c)(3)(c) and just have a distance between centers of (d1+d2) and the distance between the tapped hole to the reinforcement material of the centered nozzle at least of one diameter of the unreinforced opening (Since the Centered Opening would be a reinforced opening, per UG-36(c)(3)(d) the distance between the tapped holes would just have to be one diameter of the tapped hole to the reinforcement material)... Am I right?
I've attached an quick sketch to try to make it clearer.
RE: Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)
RE: Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)
RE: Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)
RE: Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)
Otherwise, by taking credit of the insert (suitably welded), the diameter of the center is the inner diameter of the insert (nozzle) and that condition is likely satisfied, so all your openings are isolated and none of them requires reinforcement (provided the vessel is not subject to rapid fluctuations in pressure, see UG-36(c)(3).
prex
http://www.xcalcs.com : Online engineering calculations
http://www.megamag.it : Magnetic brakes and launchers for fun rides
http://www.levitans.com : Air bearing pads
RE: Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)
prex, and that is one reason why I need the centered opening to be reinforced instead of taking the exception UG-36(c)(3)(a), so I can apply UG-36(c)(3)(c) to the other 6 and consider them isolated. My concern now is the interpretation of the following sentence on UG-36(c)(3) "The centerline of an unreinforced opening as defined in (-a) and (-b) above shall not be closer than its finished diameter to any material used for reinforcement of an adjacent reinforced opening". Does that refer to the weld material added for reinforcement OR does it also include the Flat Head material that is within the limits of reinforcement?
RE: Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)
However if the center opening doesn't need reinforcement, that statement doesn't apply. Can't understand why you don't want to apply UG-36(c)(3)(a), it is there to be used.
prex
http://www.xcalcs.com : Online engineering calculations
http://www.megamag.it : Magnetic brakes and launchers for fun rides
http://www.levitans.com : Air bearing pads
RE: Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)
I found that I was using the diameter of the opening in the flange to calculate the separation by UG-39(e)(1) instead of the finished diameter, so since I'm using a 1 1/2" Sch 160 pipe I just needed a minimum distance of 2*[(1.687+0.84)/2]=2.527". By this I just need to calculate the thickness of the cover by UG-39(d) and as long as the distance between centers is higher than 2.527" I should be fine having them unreinforced, correct? I'll end up with a 3/4" thicker cover but at least I'll be sure that I didn't screw up interpreting UG-36 separation requirements...
RE: Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)
1) As the opening CL distance is greather than 2.5/(d1+d2), per UG-36(c)(3)(d) you can't classify them as not needing a check of the reinforcement
2) So you need to check the reinforcement of all the openings
3) As the opening CL distance is greather than d1+d2, you can check their reinforcement as if they were isolated ( UG-39(b)(2) or UG-39(e)(1) )
4) Now you need to choose between UG-39(b)(1) and UG-39(d)
5) If you choose the former you'll certainly get a lower increase of the thickness (possibly nothing), also because you will profit of the material in the nozzle; however you'll have to check also against the last paragraph of UG-36(c)(3)(d) (unlikely to occur, remember that you don't need to take the available limit of reinforcement, but only what you need to get sufficient reinforcement)
6) With the latter everything is simpler, as you noted, you just calculate an increased thickness with respevt to the minimum required without openings
prex
http://www.xcalcs.com : Online engineering calculations
http://www.megamag.it : Magnetic brakes and launchers for fun rides
http://www.levitans.com : Air bearing pads
RE: Openings on Blind Flanges (Bolted Covers)