For a superheater outlet header at 500°C with a maximum allowable working pressure of 17 MPa, what is the required thickness?

To determine the required thickness of a superheater outlet header operating at high temperatures and pressures, we utilize the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, which provides guidelines for calculating the wall thickness based on operating conditions.

The thickness depends on several factors: the maximum allowable working pressure, the design temperature, and the material properties. For high-temperature applications like a superheater, the material’s allowable stress at the specified temperature is crucial. Since superheaters operate at elevated temperatures such as 500°C, one must refer to the appropriate tables in the ASME code to find the correct allowable stress for the material used at that temperature.

Using the formula for calculating the required thickness of the header involves the maximum allowable working pressure, the outside diameter of the header, and the allowable stress. The equation typically looks like this:

[ t = \frac{P \times D}{2 \times S + P} ]

Where:

• ( t ) is the required wall thickness,

• ( P ) is the maximum allowable working pressure,

• ( D ) is the outside diameter,

• ( S ) is the allowable stress of the material at the operating temperature.

With a calculated thickness of 54.35 mm aligning with the standards and