In 1919 a huge tank full of molasses exploded in the North End neighborhood in Boston, killing 21 people. For my Mechanics of Materials class, I modeled a thin wall pressure vessel that was capable of safely holding the 2.3M gallons of molasses that flooded the North End. Using Matlab, I ran numerous simulations to produce all of the different size combinations (varying diameter, height and thickness) that would work. The different possibilities can be seen on the Tri-Axis graph with Hoop Stress as the variable in range.

 

Long Stress Model 

 

Hoop Stress Model Accounting for Increasing Hydrostatic Pressure 

 

Suitable Containers With Varying Thickness, Diameters, Height and Corresponding Hoop Stress