Vessel supports — Bracket (lug) supports are most suitable for which type of vessel configuration in process equipment design?

Introduction:
Pressure vessels require supports that match their geometry and load path. Common supports include skirts (vertical tall vessels), saddles (horizontal drums), legs/lugs (brackets) for shorter, stiffer vertical vessels, and column supports for spheres.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Process vessels in typical refinery/chemical service.
• “Bracket supports” refers to lugs welded to the shell and connected to structural steel.
• Focus is on suitability rather than code details.

Concept / Approach:
Lug or bracket supports are commonly used for vertical vessels of moderate height where shell thickness is sufficient to distribute local stresses from the lugs into the shell (often “thick walled” relative to load). Very tall vertical vessels generally use skirts to reduce shell discontinuity stresses. Horizontal vessels use saddles, and spheres use column legs or specific structural systems—not brackets.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify vessel orientation: brackets best suit vertical configurations with adequate shell thickness.Eliminate horizontal (saddle support preferred) and spherical (column supports) options.Select “thick walled vertical” as the most suitable description.

Verification / Alternative check:
Design manuals show lug-supported vertical tanks/vessels up to certain heights and weights; beyond that, skirts dominate for global stability and stress distribution.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Horizontal: saddles distribute longitudinal loads; lugs are not standard.
• Thin spherical: requires dedicated column legs and special details, not simple brackets on thin walls.
• None of these: incorrect since a valid case exists.

Common Pitfalls:
Ignoring local shell reinforcement beneath lugs; neglecting wind/seismic load combinations when sizing lugs.

Final Answer:
thick walled vertical