Meena Rezkallah, P.Eng.
ASME B31.3 Basic Stress Calculations for Cylinder Under internal Pressure
The average (through-thickness) circumferential and longitudinal (axial) stresses in a cylinder due to internal pressure can be calculated from equilibrium considerations. The circumferential stresses can be calculated from a longitudinal section, as shown in Fig. 4.3. The forces acting on that section must equilibrate, or, per Newton’s law, the parts on either side of the section will start accelerating away from each other.
Thus, the longitudinal stress in a cylinder due to internal pressure is about one-half of the circumferential stress. This is quite convenient in the design of piping, because the wall thickness is determined based on pressure design. This leaves at least one-half of the strength in the longitudinal direction available for supporting the pipe weight.
A common example of the fact that the stress in the circumferential direction is twice that in the longitudinal direction can be found when cooking a hot dog. A hot dog has a pressure-containing
skin. When the internal temperature reaches the point where the fluids contained inside begin to vaporize, the hot dog skin is pressurized. When the skin is over pressurized and fails, the split is always longitudinal, transverse to the direction of highest stress, the circumferential direction. Hot dogs, at least in the experience of this author, never experience guillotine failures during cooking. #Little_PEng