On the use of elliptical side branches to thick-walled cylinders

The boundary integral equation (boundary element) method of numerical stress analysis is used to compute stress concentration factors at the intersections between side branches and thick-walled tubes or pressure vessels. Cases of both circular and elliptical side branch cross sections are considered, the effect of the latter being to significantly reduce the maximum stresses generated under internal pressure. For the typical geometries considered, reductions of more than 20% are obtained at optimum ellipse aspect ratios of about 0·8.