The Mechanics of Safe Pressure Vessels

Mechanical Engineering Made Simple · Sep 7, 2026 · 49m

Learn how design-by-rule and design-by-analysis set safety factors. See why hoop stress is twice longitudinal stress in a thin cylinder, when Tresca shear governs yield, and how primary membrane stress, secondary bending, and peak stress are classified. Walk through SCC versus corrosion fatigue, thermal expansion ratcheting, vacuum collapse under external pressure, Appendix 2 flange moments, UCS-66 MDMT curves, Charpy impact testing, and when metallurgical exemptions skip a Sharpie test. Closes on why the same stress rules show up in aerospace shells.

Chapters

0:00 Unraveling the Mechanics of…