Structural components are often subjected to life limiting service conditions, such as vibrational and thermal fatigue. Monitoring the condition of such equipment is critical for its continued safe and economical operation.

SI applies a combination of technologies to develop systems for continuous, real-time fatigue monitoring of those parameters that most directly affect component integrity, and to relate them to engineering measures of component remaining life. Fatigue monitoring permits operators not only to assess the accumulated damage caused by system operation, but also to identify and avoid or minimize those operating conditions that result in significant damage or reductions in remaining life.

SI can provide monitoring as a "temporary data collection service" to support a component life assessment, as a "permanent monitoring installation," or as a "permanent comprehensive fatigue management program." For any monitoring program, SI has the capability to download operating data from the plant on a regular basis and perform all of the data processing functions at SI offices to support plant maintenance, operations, and capital budgeting.

Benefits of thermal fatigue monitoring include:

• Fulfills Plant Technical Specification Requirements
• Best Approach to Addressing NRC Issues
• Bulletins 79-13, 88-08, 88-11
• Information Notices 91-38, 93-20
• No-Break Pipe Zones (HELB, U < 0.1)·
• Reduced Fatigue Usage as Compared to Design Projections·
• Significantly More Knowledge of Plant Cycles
• Cycle counting
• Focused evaluation of critical areas
• Ability to assess alternate operating approaches
• Ability to rapidly evaluate plant transients·
• Plant Life Extension
• Provides projected fatigue usage and cycle counting estimates
• Required to demonstrate fatigue is adequately managed
• Environmental fatigue issues require more refined approach
• Required to demonstrate plant operation is within design basis
• Implementation now will require significantly less effort later
• Enormous amount of historical data
• Allows less conservative (limiting) assumptions
• Simulation Capabilities to do “What-If” Studies

Technical Literature

FatiguePro Presentation

For more information, contact SI.