In What Shapes Can Forged Pressure Vessels be made?

In What Shapes Can Forged Pressure Vessels be made?

Forged pressure vessels can be almost any shape, but shapes made of sections of spheres, cylinders, and cones are usually employed. A common design is a cylinder with endcaps called heads. Head shapes are most often round/circular or shaped like a dish. More complicated shapes have been more difficult to analyze for safe operation and are usually far more difficult to construct. That is why one-piece forged vessel components are FCI’s chosen product.

A spherical pressure vessel has approximately twice the strength of a cylindrical pressure vessel. However, a spherical shape is difficult to manufacture, and therefore more expensive, so most pressure vessels are cylindrical with 2:1 semi-elliptical heads or end caps on each end. Smaller pressure vessels are assembled from a pipe and two covers.

A disadvantage of these vessels is that greater breadths are more expensive. FCI is one of the only ASME pressure vessel forging companies that makes complete one-piece forged nozzles, forged vessel components and long weld neck flanges.