The redistribution load in bolted gasketed joints subjected to steady state thermal loading

摘要

Pressure vessel joints operating at high temperature are often very difficult to seal. The existing flange design methods do not address thermal effects other than the variation of flange material mechanical properties with temperature. It is possible to include the effects of temperature loading in joint analysis, however, presently very few guidelines exist for this type of analysis. This paper outlines the theoretical analysis used for the determination of the steady state operating temperature and the induced loads in flange joints. It details the theoretical equations necessary to predict the temperature and the redistribution of load due to the thermal expansion of the joint components for the case of a pair flange and the case of a flange with a blind-cover. The results from the theoretical models are verified by comparison to finite element results.