How do you determine the appropriate thickness of a material for chemical process equipment?

When it comes to thickness calculation for a process equipment or piping system, the first step is to select the proper material grade. Depending on the service for which the eqipment or piping is going to serve, firstly the material should have enough corrosion resistance to be properly in service without any failure during the expected design life. Secondly the mechanical properties of the selected material shall be in a range to satisfy the service pressure-temperature conditions.

Determining the appropriate thickness for chemical process equipment involves considering factors like the material's corrosion resistance, the pressure and temperature conditions it'll face, and the specific chemicals it'll come into contact with. Engineers use codes, standards, and calculations based on stress analysis to determine the optimal thickness to ensure safety and durability.

Adhere to industry-specific design codes and standards. Common codes for chemical process equipment include ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, API (American Petroleum Institute) standards, and others. Follow guidelines provided by regulatory bodies relevant to your industry. Also, identify non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection requirements to ensure the equipment meets quality and safety standards. Common inspection methods include radiography, ultrasonic testing, and dye penetrant testing.

The appropriate thickness of a material for chemical process equipment is determined through engineering calculations that consider factors such as the corrosiveness of the process fluid, operating conditions (pressure and temperature), and material properties. This involves performing stress analysis and corrosion assessments to ensure the selected material and thickness can withstand the operational demands and maintain safety and structural integrity. Consulting relevant codes and standards, such as ASME, can guide the selection process. Professional engineers experienced in process equipment design typically conduct these analyses.

Hire a professional engineer that specializes in determining equipment thickness suitable for your specific application. In Canada, only a person suitably licensed by a jurisdictional engineering association can properly consider all circumstances and professionally apply science to a specific situation that is beyond a general, routine application of accepted rules.

One thing I can mention as a helpful point is that any operating condition which may happen during the operating life of the asset shall be considered in the mechanical design of the object. For example, if any specific temperature scenario such as sudden temperature drop may happen in the operation it shall be considered as a design criteria.

Material design solely based on the operating conditions however sometimes it can be extremely difficult to maintain within the design conditions due to number of reasons. One of the most important things to consider when it comes to material selection is where exactly it located within the process. For example, if it is located after the heat exchanger process then we need to consider potential impacts on the material if something goes wrong with exchanger. Process flow diagram is extremely important when it comes to selection criteria of materials.

I think, Operating Conditions, because: Pressure, temprature decide thickness of material. Also, of temprature is high, we have to design glass dia so large, accordingly.

Hire a professional engineer that specializes in determining equipment thickness suitable for your specific application. In Canada, only a person suitably licensed by a jurisdictional engineering association can properly consider all circumstances and professionally apply science to a specific situation that is beyond a general, routine application of accepted rules.

Highlighting corrosion allowance is important part as it directly ties into the service life of the equipment for the anticipated corrosion rate for corrosive services.

After gathering enough information about the design and operation process conditions and knowing the proper material grade for service, the proper design code shall be selected. Knowing the type of equipment or piping system and itsrelated industrial cetegory, the suitable design code shall be selcted in which the design refrences and thickness calculation furmula is specified.

As an important necessary input data which has to be considered during thickness calculation for an equipment or piping system is that the manufacturing procedure shall be selected before thickness calculation. For example being welded or seamless will affect the mechnical endurance of the object and it is considered in the joint efficiency factor. On the other hand the extent of NDT performed on the component would also affect the trustability and as a result the selected thickness of the pressure component.

FEA can be a critical part in evaluating if the material of choice is actually capable to withstand thermal and mechanical design conditions. One of the used FEA Tools is Strad7(Straus7 in Europe) that can help us quickly determine the different mechanical and thermal stress cases. You can get started with either creating geometry in strand7 or import from CAD software. Afterwards, you can simply setup the thermal and mechanical conditions to be simulated and understand how your structure/vessel/piping behaves under different sort of loads. It is highly advised to carry out such analysis to determine the integrity of the material for specific use case before the final fabrication.

Hire a professional engineer that specializes in determining equipment thickness suitable for your specific application. In Canada, only a person suitably licensed by a jurisdictional engineering association can properly consider all circumstances and professionally apply science to a specific situation that is beyond a general, routine application of accepted rules.

Hire a professional engineer that specializes in determining equipment thickness suitable for your specific application. In Canada, only a person suitably licensed by a jurisdictional engineering association can properly consider all circumstances and professionally apply science to a specific situation that is beyond a general, routine application of accepted rules.

As it is mentioned all through the article, thickness depends on various variables among which "cost" is the most important one. Sometimes it is suitable to use chemicals or protective facilities instead of using higher thicknesses. For instance, consider a high-pressure class 2500 flow line from well. By installation a HIPPS (High Integrity Pressure Protection System) the pressure class and the thickness is dropped to 900. But it is the economic evaluation that dictates which one is suitable.