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Pressure Tank FEA

50,000 Gallon Pressure Tank For Diesel Fuel (Academic)

Summary

This Finite Elements project was aimed to optimize a pressure tank for 50,000 gallons of diesel. FEMAP was used to iterate various thicknesses, preceded by hand stress analysis calculations of cantilever beam approxiamations to compare theory and simulation. The design assured compliance with ASME guidelines. Local steel producers and welders were consulted to estimate project costs.

Skills Used

FEA, FEMAP software proficiency, Pressure vessel design, Hydrostatic calculations, Johnson column buckling theory, Material selection, Stress analysis, Cost estimation, Iterative design, CAD modeling, Structures

Results

Design met the requirements, the final product was determined in under 30 iterations, and all components selected were of American origin.

Hydrostatic Force Application

Starting with cantilever beam analysis for plate thickness, using shear and moment diagrams allowed to get the maximum bending stress at the center, which created a datum stress for comparison. The FEA iterations began with this thickness. After over 20 iterations, a thickness of 2.5cm was decided for the side walls, 11.5cm at the bottom of the plate with a 10cm radius for the column supports. A maximum stress of 103 MPA was recorded near the support connection, with 5cm max deformation. The project cost amounted to $145,589 - 12/2023

Iterating the Thickness

Stress in Pa

Iterating the Bottom Plate

Column Stress