Thin-Wall Cylinder Stress Calculator

Estimate ideal hoop and longitudinal stress for a thin-walled cylinder under internal pressure.

Use internal gauge pressure and a representative inside diameter. This model applies only when wall thickness is small compared with the diameter.

Hoop stress (σh)25 MPa3.626 ksi
Longitudinal stress (σl)12.5 MPa1.813 ksi
Diameter-to-thickness ratio50Thin-wall screening: D/t is typically much greater than 20

Important: this is not a pressure-vessel design calculation. It excludes thick-wall behavior, heads, openings, weld efficiency, corrosion allowance, fatigue, external pressure, temperature effects, test pressure and code-specific allowable stress rules.

Method

For an ideal thin-walled closed cylinder, hoop stress is σh = pD/(2t), while longitudinal stress is σl = pD/(4t).

Worked example

A cylinder with 1 MPa internal pressure, 500 mm diameter and 10 mm wall thickness has 25 MPa hoop stress and 12.5 MPa longitudinal stress under this idealized model.

Important limits

This is only a preliminary thin-wall screen, not a vessel, pipe or tank design. Use the applicable pressure-equipment code and account for material, joints, corrosion, temperature, fatigue, openings, heads and test conditions.

References

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