Abstract In limit design，how to determine limit load of a structure is the pivotal job in engineering design．Research on limit load of spherical vessel with elliptical nozzle is conducted through testing the strain and adopting the method of double slope of elastic curve，and the results：minimum limit load of vessel-P=9．48 MPa，burst pressure-P=16．7 MPa，and design pressure according to limit design method-P =6．32 MPa．are achieved．These results indicates that under the circumstance of not opening reinforcement，the weakest area of spherical vessel with elliptical nozzle lies on the intersection of the major axis of elliptical nozzle and the spherical vessel，which is near the spherical vessel．In addition，the vessel always bursts there first too．
JIN Zhi-Jiang, CAO Ming, XIE Tao. Test research on lim it load of spherical vessel with elliptical nozzle. Chinese Journal of Engineering Design, 2004, 11(5): 256-259.
