The paper considers three different pressure system components—a nozzle in a torisphere subjected to moment loading, a piping branch junction subjected to out-of-plane moment loading and an unpierced torispherical head under pressure loading. The results from non-linear, finite element, stress analyses are used to compare the limit and plastic loads obtained using the ASME III twice-elastic-slope and the CEN TC54 tangent intersection definitions. The results highlight the difficulties involved in quantifying limit loads and plastic loads for such components.
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