ISSN: 2277-3754

ISO 9001:2008 Certified

International Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology (IJEIT)
Volume 2, Issue 7, January 2013

Estimation of Pipe Elbow Anchor Loads Due To

Internal Pressure
N.Thiagarajan
Senior Engineering Manager, Engineering Design and Research Centre-WET, L&T Chennai
points on the circumference of the circle will generate the
Abstract Pressure acts normal to the surface and in a piping profile of the pipe elbow. The surface profile is generated by
system, unbalanced thrust forces are developed at the pipe bends the points lying on perimeter of a circle attached to a pole
due to the surface geometry. The pipe elbow tends to open up due
rotated by an angle of 90 degrees as shown in the Figure-1.
to the internal pressure depending on the stiffness of elbow and
type of constraints. In this paper, a pipe elbow fixed at both ends With reference to figure -1, Let OO be R1 and OP be R2. Any
and subjected to internal pressure is analyzed. The forces and point on the circumference of the circle with coordinates X, Y
moments that occur in the pipe supports due to the action of the and Z can be obtained from R1, R2, and as given below.
internal pressure are derived by solving simultaneous differential X ( R1 R2 Cos ) cos (1)
equations of equilibrium with appropriate boundary conditions.
The supports are to be designed for these anchor forces. In case of Y ( R1 R2 Cos ) sin (2)
pipe elbow joining two vessels, the nozzles have to be designed for Z R2 Sin (3)
the loads.

Index Terms Bourdon Effect, FEA, Stress Analysis Of

Piping, Pipe Elbow.

I. INTRODUCTION
A pipe elbow anchored at the ends and subjected to internal
pressure is analysed in this paper. The internal pressure in the
pipe elbow tends to straighten the elbow and when the elbow
is constrained, the constraints or supports experience forces
and moments depending on the magnitude of the internal
pressure, bend radius and diameter of the pipe elbow. To
determine the net force, the profile of the internal surface of
the elbow subjected to the pressure thrust has to be defined. In
section II of the paper, the profile of the inside surface of the Fig-1: Profile Generation
pipe elbow and the force acting on an infinitesimal element OO is the pole to which the circle of radius R2 is attached.
are determined. In section III, the differential equations of The entire internal surface of the pipe elbow can be generated
equilibrium are formulated considering the external forces by varying from 0 to 2 and varying from 0 to /2.
due to the pressure thrust and the internal forces tangential
shear, normal force and the moment at any section located at B. Computation of thrust force on infinitesimal area
an angle from the X axis. The system of linear differential A small area subscribed by infinitesimal angular rotations
equations is solved to obtain the tangential, normal forces and of d and d is acted on by the pressure normal to the
moment at a section . By applying appropriate boundary surface. Pressure acting on the elbow is constant, but the area
conditions, the anchor forces acting on the pipe elbow are vector changes depending on the and values. The
found out. infinitesimal area vector and the infinitesimal force acting on
the area are derived based on the geometry as shown below.
II. PROFILE GENERATION
OR X i Y j Z k
A. Surface Development

The net thrust force developed due to the internal pressure

OO' R1 cos i R1 sin j

can be determined only after determining the internal surface
O' R OR OO'
profile of the pipe elbow. A circle of radius R2 is placed such
that the normal vector to the plane of the circle is along the Y
( X i Y j Z k ) ( R1 cos i R1 sin j )
axis of the coordinate system and the center of the circle is at a

distance of R1 from the origin. A pole is assumed to connect
R2 CosCos i R2 CosSin j R2 Sin k
the origin and the circle circumference along the X axis of the
coordinate system. If the pole is rotated about the Z axis, the (4)

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 ISSN: 2277-3754
ISO 9001:2008 Certified
International Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology (IJEIT)
Volume 2, Issue 7, January 2013
When the pole along with circle is rotated by an infinitesimal 2

( PR2 Cos 2 Sin PR1R2 Cos Sin )d
2
angle d, the surface generated by the arc, dA is given by Fy d
equation (5). 0
2 2
dA R2 d ( R2 Cos R1 ) d PR2 Sind Cos 2d PR1R2 Sind Cosd
2

( R2 Cos R1 R2 ) d d
2 0 0
(5)
PR2 Sind
2
Equation (4) and equation (5) give the direction and the (10)
magnitude of the infinitesimal area vector respectively. The
B. Free Body Diagram of elbow element Effective load
magnitude of the force acting on the infinitesimal area is just acting on the Fragment Development
the product of the pressure with the area magnitude vector
The figure below shows an element subscribed by an angle
given in equation (5).
d. The internal forces and moments acting on the cut
dF ( PR2 Cos PR1 R2 ) d d
2
sections are shown in the figure 2. VN, VT and M denote the
The direction of the infinitesimal force is along the normal force, tangential shear and the moment acting at any
direction and the component forces are given by equations section with angle from the X axis. The forces and moments
from (6) to (8). acting on the element at section and section +d are
dFX ( PR 2 Cos 2 Cos PR1 R 2 Cos Cos )dd shown. Along with these internal forces, the net pressure
2

forces given by equation (9) and (10) also act and with all the
(6) forces and moments, the elbow is in static equilibrium. The
differential equations of equilibrium are derived in the next
dF y ( PR 2 Cos 2 Sin PR1 R 2 CosSin )dd
2
three sub sections.
(7)
dFZ ( PR 2 Cos Sin PR1 R 2 Sin )
2

(8)

II. DIFFERENTIAL FORM OF EQUILIBRIUM

EQUATION FOR INFINITESMAL ELEMENT
Let the pipe elbow be fragmented such that every fragment
subscribe an angle d with the origin as shown in figure 2.
The total inside surface of the fragment can be obtained when
the infinitesimal area obtained in the section- II is integrated Fig-2: Free Body Diagram of Element
with respect to over an angle of 2. Similarly the
C. Equilibrium equation along X direction - FX =0
components of forces along X and Y directions acting on the
fragment are obtained by integrating the infinitesimal force The sum of the forces acting on the element along X
functions derived in the previous section with respect to direction is equated to zero as below.
over an angle of 2.
A. Effective load acting on the Fragment Development
VT dVT sin( d ) Vn Cos
In section II, forces acting on the infinitesimal area were (V N dV N ) cos( d ) FX VT Sin
found out. In this section, the forces acting on fragment of a VT dVT sin cos d Vn Cos
pipe elbow is found out. The component forces acting on an
infinitesimal element are integrated with respect to from (V N dV N )(Cos Sind ) FX VT Sin
limit 0 to 2 to obtain the effective load acting on the element FX
due to pressure If Fx() and Fy() denote the effective X dVT tan VT d V N tan d dV N 0
direction and Y direction force acting on the element, then Cos
2
Fx d ( PR2 Cos 2 Cos PR1R2 Cos Cos )d
dVT dV
tan N PR 2 VT V N tan
2 2
(11)
0 d d
2 2
D. Equilibrium equation along Y direction FY =0
PR2 cos d Cos 2d PR1R2 cos d Cosd
2
The sum of the forces acting on the element along Y direction
0 0
is equated to zero as below.
PR2 cos d
2
(9)

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 ISSN: 2277-3754
ISO 9001:2008 Certified
International Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology (IJEIT)
Volume 2, Issue 7, January 2013
VN dVN sin( d ) VT dVT Cos( d ) Fy By symmetry, the end moments at the anchor support can be
VT cos FX VN Sin 2
obtained as M = 0.8966 PR 2 Nm.
VN dVN sin cos d E
(VT dVT )(Cos Sin d ) Fy VT Cos VN Sin III. CONCLUSION
VN Cosd dVN Sin VT Sin d dVT Cos Fy 0 In this paper the anchor forces acting on a pipe elbow
anchored at both the ends are estimated. The pressure thrust
dVT dVN
tan VT tan PR2 tan VN
2
12
d d acting on the elbow tries to open up the elbow and hence
. Moment Equilibrium equations forces are developed if the ends are restrained. The
Sum of all the moments acting on the element is zero. Moment differential equations of equilibrium for a fragment element
due to tangential forces is zero. are formulated and the system of linear differential equations
FY dx FX dy is solved using appropriate boundary conditions to obtain the
M VT R1 d M dM reaction forces and moments at the anchor supports. Also the
2 2
dx dy distribution of the tangential shear, normal force and moment
VT R1 d dM PR 2 Sin d PR 22 Cosd
2

2 2 at any section of the pipe elbow can be obtained from the

dM general equations derived
VT R1 (13)
d
REFERENCES
F. System of First Orders differential Equations
[1] Richard G.Budynas, Advanced Strength and Applied Stress
Equations (8) and (9) are expressed in matrix form as below. Analysis, 2nd ed., Mc Graw Hill International Editions 1999.
dVT

tan 1 d 1 tan VT PR2 2 [2] Henry Edwards and David E.Penney, Differential Equations
1
tan dVN tan 1
VN PR2 tan
2 and Boundary Value Problems, 3rd Ed, Pearson2012,
d pp.370-380.

AUTHORS PROFILE
1
tan 1 tan 1
1 cos 2 N. Thiagarajan,
tan 1 tan Senior Engineering Manager, EDRC-WET Mechanical,
dVt Email: thiagfea@yahoo.co.in
tan 1 1 tan VT Mob: 07598480775
d cos 2
dv N 1 tan tan 1 V N
d

tan 1 PR 2 2
cos 2
1 tan PR 22 tan
dVt ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS
0 1 v
d
0
T

dv N 1 0 v N PR 22 M.Tech in Construction Technology and Management from IIT,
d Chennai in 1999-2001

VT C1 cos C 2 Sin PR 22 ; (14) B.E in Mechanical Engineering from Amrita Institute of Technology,
V N C1 Sin C 2 Cos (15) Coimbatore in 1995-99
Applying Boundary Conditions ,
PROFESSIONAL SYNOPSIS
PR 22 PR 22
VT (0) ; C1
2 2 11years of experience in the design and analysis of pipelines and
PR 22 PR 22 pumping system
VT (0) ; C2
2 2 Presently associated with Engineering Design and Research Centre,
PR 22 PR 22 Larsen and Toubro, ECC Division as Senior Engineering Manager
VT Cos Sin PR 2
2
2 2 EXPERTISE
PR 22 PR 22
VN Sin Cos Stress analysis of Piping system
2 2
Design of Water Pumping systems
dM
VT R1
d PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN
M M 0 * Pipe stress analysis and detailed engineering design for

2 SALPG (South Asia LPG) piping system, Mora Vaapi - Gujarat Gas
Pipeline, Jamnagar Loni Pipeline Project, Salala Power Project
2
PR 22 PR 22 Oman, Petronet Gas Pipeline, Hot water piping system for IDCT

0 2
Cos
2
Sin PR 22 d

KAIGA 3&4, and Steam Piping system for HZL (Hindustan Zinc
Limited) EPC-04 and EPC-05.
PR 22 2 PR 22 * Water pipeline system design and analysis for
*2 1.79321 PR 22 (16)
2 2

316
 ISSN: 2277-3754
ISO 9001:2008 Certified
International Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology (IJEIT)
Volume 2, Issue 7, January 2013
Vemagiri Power Plant - Andhra Pradesh, Sagardighi Power
plant-West Bengal, Delhi water supply project Phase I and II,
GIDC Effluent Water Transmission design, Jaipur-Bisalpur
Water Supply Project, Dhanbad Water Supply Project, Vellore
Water Supply Project, Bankura Water Supply project and
Sahibganj water supply project.

PUBLICATIONS
Technical Paper

Stiffness of Pipe Elbow published in the proceeding of

International Conference on Mechanical, Production and Automobile
Engineering in 2011. The paper deals with the quantitative estimation
of stiffness of pipe elbow.

PERSONAL DETAILS
Date of Birth: 15th January 1978
Languages Known: English, Tamil, and Hindi

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