Relationships between cost and aspect ratio in the design of pressure vessels

The decisions taken in the early design are fundamental in the product’s cost, namely, in the cost of materials, and in the production cost. The objective of this paper is to show that gathering, systematizing, integrating and analysing together the technical and cost data, is of great usefulness in the conceptual design of a product, particularly in the decisions that must be made on the aspect ratio. The paper presents a study on pressure vessels, where are shown the relationships between industrial cost and functional dimensions of the product, the last ones defining the usability of the pressure vessel. In this way, is possible to find, since the conceptual phase, a vessel that performs as required, at the most favourable cost, taken into account the geometrical constraints associated to the transportation or to the place where the it will be planted, as well as the aesthetic preferences.