What is the normal method of manufacturing a welded spherical pressure vessel?
Assuming quite a heavy wall spherical pressure vessel of large dimensions, the material and the thickness of the plates are to be selected depending upon service pressure and conditions. The vessel will be manufactured by welding together prepared sectors.The dimensions of the sectors will depend upon the size of the press available in the workshop for hot forming the plates in special dies. On the drawing table, (or on the computer screen) the sphere is divided into two hemispheres. Each of them is again divided in four, six or more sectors depending on their dimensions. Two caps shall be located at the poles. One single sector has to be designed in detail: they will all be equal. Some material has to be added at the margins for precision cutting and chamfering after forming and stress relieving. Depending on material, dimensions, process etc., the sectors have to be prepared for welding together once the joint details have been established. If clad material is used (i.e. a carbon ste
