Use of Design-by-Analysis for Designing Shear Key Structure

In many vessels with container, such as those involving rotating machinery, barrel casings are closed with disc shaped end covers on both axial sides. The end covers are fixed to the barrel casing with bolted joints or retaining devices. A shear key structure is often applied to pressurized vessels as a retaining device, because it can endure higher pressure than bolted joints can. Stress distribution in the shear key and the casing depends on the contact condition between the shear key and the casing. Thus, it is difficult to design a shear key structure merely by using Design-by-Formula procedures. We designed the shear key structure according to Design-by-Analysis procedures based on finite element (FE) analysis. By taking the contact condition between shear key and casing into consideration in an FE model and carrying out elastic and inelastic analyses, we developed a new shear key structure configuration. We will confirm the validity of the new shear key structure by means of pressure tests that will be conducted in May of 2009.