Horizontal pressure vessels on three saddles supports. Distribution of vertical reaction

Most vessels, boiler drums, heat exchangers, employ two supports because any settlement of the supporting structure does not change the distribution of the load to each saddle. By other hand, extremely long vessels such as penstocks and pipelines, use multiple supports and the support reactions are computed as with continuous beam. This paper analyses the distribution of vertical reaction at the saddles of an unstiffened three supported horizontal pressure vessel and its significantly affected support reaction when we considerate the variation of the relative stiffness of the cross section by changing the size diameter. The analyses will be leaded by a model of large diameter horizontal pressure vessel using the finite element method, taking account the shell behaviour and the springs restraints inherent to the saddles supports, herein with inclusion angle of 120 degree. Will be demonstrated the condition by which will be valid the calculation of reaction at supports as a continuous beam. (author)