LWN Forged Flanges Required Nozzle Calculations
Mechanical Engineering, Pressure Vessel, Heat Exchanger, Risk Management, COMPRESS, Nozzles, LWN, ASME randy bogard Mechanical Engineering, Pressure Vessel, Heat Exchanger, Risk Management, COMPRESS, Nozzles, LWN, ASME randy bogard

LWN Forged Flanges Required Nozzle Calculations

Are you performing the required calculations for your LWN forged flanges? 

LWN forged flanges are popular among Owner/Operators because the ASME Codes offer some calculation exemptions. However some Owner/Operators have started to believe that LWN forged flanges are exempt from all calculations. This is a dangerous trend as LWN forged flanges are not automatically acceptable at their designated ASME B16.5 flange pressure rating classification. Yes, LWN forged flanges do have some similar exemptions as ASME B16.5 flanges but a full nozzle calculation must still be performed at the nozzle-to-vessel intersection.

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Wide Nozzle Limits of Reinforcement
Mechanical Engineering, Pressure Vessel, Heat Exchanger, Risk Management, COMPRESS, Nozzles randy bogard Mechanical Engineering, Pressure Vessel, Heat Exchanger, Risk Management, COMPRESS, Nozzles randy bogard

Wide Nozzle Limits of Reinforcement

Only the area within the UG-40 nozzle limits of reinforcement counts as nozzle reinforcement.

Simple enough. Yet many designs I see today have nozzle reinforcement pads way outside the limits of reinforcement determined in the ASME Division 1 area-of-replacement nozzle calculation. This means spending extra money on materials and welding that will not produce any benefit in design calculations. 

Making the nozzle pad larger than necessary does not help you make friends with your Authorized Inspector (AI). It does not make your 3rd party reviewer feel better about your design. Actually, it only creates more questions. 

Many times ASME Code updates force geometry changes that do not make replace-in-kind a simple task. Turnaround EPC specializes in integrating these changes into equipment and piping design to ensure your downtime is as short as possible.

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