Enter the total pressure, mean diameter and wall thickness of a pressure vessel. The calculator will display the total hoop stress seen by that vessel.
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Hoop Stress Formula
The following equation is used to calculate the hoop stress in a pressure vessel.
HS = P*r/t
- Where HS is the hoop stress
- P is the pressure (either internal pressure or difference between outside and inside pressure)
- r is the mean radius
- t is the wall thickness
To calculate hoop stress, multiply the pressure by the mean radius, then divide by the wall thickness.
Hoop Stress Definition
Hoop stress is a measure of stress contained within a thin-walled tube under axial stress.
How to calculate hoop stress?
How to calculate hoop stress
- First, determine the pressure acting on the pressure vessel
Often time this is considered just the internal pressure, but hoop stress can also be calculated by using the difference between the external and internal pressure.
- Next, determine the mean radius
This is the mean radius of the pressure vessel that can be calculated by subtracting the wall thickness from the OD.
- Next, determine the wall thickness
Measure the wall thickness of the pressure vessel.
- Calculate the hoop stress
Calculate the hoop stress using the information from steps 1-3.
FAQ
Hoop stress is a measure of stress within a thin-walled tube. In theory, this could be applied to thicker walled tubes as well, but the stresses are not equal in that case. The more pressure and larger a tube, the more stress the tube sees.

