Overall Approach to Managing Degradation of High-Energy Piping

High-energy piping at fossil-fired units is susceptible to a host of damage mechanisms: creep, fatigue, creep fatigue, corrosion fatigue, and flow-accelerated corrosion. This Webinar provides an overview of SI's approach for managing degradation in main steam, cold reheat, hot reheat, and feedwater piping. The approach includes diligent review of unit history and data, prioritization to allocate resources to highest-risk components, and appropriate inspection, monitoring, and maintenance. The Webinar includes discussion of Vindex©, SI's vulnerability index methodology for risk-ranking girth welds within a single HEP piping system or across several systems.

Presented on: July 1, 2008

Instructors: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Steve Gressler, PE holds a BS in Metallurgical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh. Throughout his career he has been involved in failure analysis and maintenance of power generation systems and equipment, with experience in laboratory analysis, field inspection, maintenance practices, and engineering evaluation related to fossil power plant components, particularly boiler and high-pressure piping. Gressler is an expert in optical and scanning electronic microscopy.

Mario Berasi has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, and a MBA from the University of Akron. He is experienced in fossil plant condition assessment for utility and industrial clients. Berasi is also expert in finite element analysis techniques, as well as structural analysis and creep fatigue evaluation of fossil-fired boiler components.