Stress Analysis of Pressure Vessel With Wound-Flat Steel Ribbons

Abstract

Pressure vessels with wound-flat steel ribbons, also called ribbon-wound vessels, have excellent engineering and economic advantages and are widely used in the People’s Republic of China. A brief description of the structure and characteristics, and a comparison between the ribbon-wound technique with other methods are given. In this paper, a new mechanical model for the ribbons, in which the axial displacement and change of spiral angle are taken into account, is put forward. Then the universal formulas for the ribbon are obtained and a precise stress analysis of the vessel is presented. The spring effect of the ribbon layers has a great strengthening effect on the axial strength of the vessel and enables the vessel to support axial load. A formula for the spring effect is suggested. A comparison between theory and test is made, and the results are excellent.