No abstract

The loads on the equipment nozzles are generally generated by the piping stress engineer by doing the stress analysis of entire closed loop systems. Subsequently the nozzle loads are passed on to the engineers of the pressure vessel equipment. The value of the loads which have been worked out for the nozzle mostly depends upon the methods/concept by which the piping stress engineer has evaluated the piping loop. Nozzle flexibility/stiffness is the important parameter in evaluation of various components of nozzle loads. The objective of this paper is to explain the effect/influence of flexibility/stiffness generated from three different methods (Anchor, WRC and Finite element method) on nozzle load evaluation and shell/nozzle junction stresses. WRC297 bulletin [6] gives the reference to nozzle flexibility in the appendix A, example no.3. The work presented in this paper is an attempt to compare the nozzle loads calculated by evaluating the flexibilities/stiffness in various methods. Further an attempt has been made to consolidate the results of junction local stresses obtained by the various methods of stiffness/flexibilities which would result in realistic results and overall code acceptable stresses without the results being either overly conservative or unconservative.