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Pressure Vessel: Flat Bottom Vs. Dushed Bottom


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#1 Guest_Mohamad Nasir Mahmood_*

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Posted 16 September 2003 - 09:19 PM

Greetings,

I'm doing a conceptual design for my chemical plant expansion. The process fluid properties are as follows: (i) viscosity ~4000 - 10,000 cP, (ii) density ~0.85 kg/L.

I'd like to know which design is better and why; flat bottom vs. dished bottom vessel?

Very much appreciate prompt help.



Regards,
Nasir
Gebeng, Malaysia

#2 Guest_Guest_david_*

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Posted 17 September 2003 - 10:31 AM

At the higher viscosities it may be advisable to go with a cone bottom tank. It will help with your pump at the tank outlet. Make sure you have the NPSH required for the pump (with a viscosity correction)

#3 Art Montemayor

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Posted 17 September 2003 - 01:36 PM

Nasir:

It is difficult to understand your method of presenting your question. Giving fluid viscosity and density and then asking which type of vessel head is more appropriate is a vague question if you don't give us the design process pressure.

Is process pressure a concern? Or are you operating at essentially atmospheric pressure? If you are operating at either and the vessel is a process vessel, then you would be wise to stay away from flat-bottom vessels. They serve no purpose and are difficult to drain and clean out. However, if you are talking about storage vessels (tanks), then it is more practical to employ flat-bottom, API type of storage tank designs - like API 650.

If you are dealing with an atmospheric pressure and a process vessel for the viscous fluids you have described, then an elevated vessel with conical bottoms is certainly more practical for process work - like draining, pumping, and clean outs. You have to give all your basic design data, not just a small portion, in order to evaluate what your design options are.


#4 mbeychok

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Posted 17 September 2003 - 01:50 PM

Mohamad Nasir Mahmood:

It is not possible to give you a meaningful answer until you also tell us (1)whether the vessel is a process vessel or simply a storage tank and (2) what will be the operating pressure and temperature of the vessel.




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