Hinges for Autoclave?

As this device will be large enough to sterilize several motorcycles at once, we will need quite a bit more information to offer any worthwhile comments at all.

Are these 'hinges' your last design problem, or are you just getting started?

Is this all the information you have?.......

Just so we have this straight.........

we are only responsible for what I say,..... and not what you understand.

Guidelines:

1. Get a basic education.

2. Take some mechanical engineering courses.

3.Take some communications courses.

4. Learn how to search the internet.

5. Find autoclaves like the one you are "designing".

6. Determine the size and number of hinges used in a real autoclave design.

7. Determine the size and number of fasteners used in a real autoclave design.

8. Copy these features in your "design".

Did you understand anything in the thread: Calculating Root Area for Bolt ?

I don't know, but the forces involved are HUGE.

Be very careful it has the potential to kill someone.

As said many times by members of this site, you should not rely on information supplied by anonymous people, use it as a guide but check it out yourself.

Best of luck,

John

I think that you are NOT aware of the complexity your problem has. I will not give you the way to compute the bolts since the risk to have a blow up according to your knowledge degree is too high. I can only give you some general indications about the hinge:

- the hinge should NOT be loaded as a pressure fastener

- the hinge should only take the weight of your "cover" with all what will be on

- the hinge should be so designed that it will not interfere when opened or closed with the fasteners used to keep the cover tight.

- the hinge should allow a free tightening in order to avoid any problem with pressure sealing

The basic idea is to separate the sealing function from the support and rotation function.

At your place I would NOT design the bolts since you know too little and it could lead to a disaster with even loss of lives.

If it is not a school theme/project which will never be done according to your computations better give the task to a true professional, subcontract it you will be better served than by your self.

Better outsource this particular design to a professional consultancy or designer who knows what they are doing and is willing to certify the design is correct and safe.

Probably your autoclave is a tank or cylinder. I think the design of the door has to coop with the ease and safety to operate it. The safest way is to calculate the door as a manhole that has to be secured with plenty of bolts (around its perimeter) that corresponds to the flange. You can use hand wheels to secure, or one central hand wheel that controls a lot of adjustable lock pins.

Models you can see on submarine doors, and high end safe doors. The latter however do not provide adequate pressure seal.

You must make sure that the locks cannot be opened as long as there is any pressure in the autoclave, because it will be catapulted in the open position, smashing all that is in the radius.

When the door will be circular, the easiest way is to put your hinge arms in the center and vertically and make the position slightly adjustable. When you decide to use them at one end they need to give enough flexibility to tighten the door (flange) without tension on the hinge.

As far as the strength of the hinges: the weight of the door is determining the built, together with the length of the arms and for the pin material and diameter it needs to resist the shear force many times. Consider bearings that can be maintained in it.

You could also operate the door with mechanical locks (e.g. electric, cylinders )

To give you an idea of what you are up against I can relay this true story about a similar chamber that we built a number of years ago. The design was a major project as our chamber had to operate at both low and high pressure. Anyway, this chamber was operating at a few bars, and one day the large vent valves were activated, The twin vents exited through 12 inch pipes that exited to the outside. Unfortunately, a truck was driving past the vent pipes and was blown off the road as the vents were activated,

If this autoclave was manufactured, call the manufacturer for new ones.

If the autoclave is being built from scratch, bring in an autoclave consultant with good references and good experience. If he is good, pay him whatever he asks for. "You get what you pay for!"

Good Luck, Old Salt

Hi Use a design code with which you are familiar (ASME or BS). Design the hinge to support the mass of the autoclave door not as a sealing device. Use something like Lindaptors (patent) as closing devices. I have seen a similar application which was designed as a compromise and, believe me, the results were not pretty and the subsequent investigation into the three fatalities even less pleasant! Get a professional pressure vessel designer or be prepared to go to jail.

...and once it is designed, remember to pass the design before the Engineer/Surveyor for the company that will be supplying burst indemnity insurance cover for the equipment for prior approval of the design before it is built.

And once it is built, remember to invite that individual to witness the hydraulic test for the equipment before it can go onto the insurance register at the facility; the outcome of the witness test is crucial in obtaining burst indemnity cover prior to placing the equipment into service.