High-Energy Piping Management Programs
Fossil plant high-energy piping (HEP) systems — including main steam, hot reheat, cold reheat, and feedwater piping — are high-stakes systems that require meticulous management. Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SI) offers its clients integrated, multidisciplinary HEP management programs to ensure the safe and reliable operation of these crucial systems. The approach uses the SI-developed Vindex™ methodology to risk-rank HEP welds for evaluation, taking into account stress, materials, inspection data, and fabrication processes. Cutting-edge nondestructive examination techniques are then deployed to detect and quantify HEP damage mechanisms, followed by advanced analytical tools to predict serviceability and facilitate run/repair/replace decisions.
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info@structint.com
Related Webinars:
- Overall Approach to Managing
Degradation of High-Energy Piping - Inspection Technologies for
High-Energy Piping - High-Energy Piping Lifing Techniques
- Vindex™: Ranking Procedure for
High-Energy Piping Girth Welds
Related Services:
Boiler Tube Failure Reduction Programs
Boiler tube failures are the number-one cause of forced outages at fossil plants worldwide, yet most of these failures are preventable repeat failures. Boiler tube failure reduction programs from Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SI) get to the bottom of boiler tube failures — the root cause — so that failures don't repeat themselves endlessly. The programs identify the root cause and implement remedial action to avert future failures, using tactics that include careful review of plant operating data, water chemistry data, and failure history; metallurgical examination of tubing samples; nondestructive examination of susceptible tubing; and installation of thermocouples, strain gauges, and even flow monitoring devices to track conditions.
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info@structint.com
Related Webinars:
Boiler Tubing Assessments
Boiler tubing assessments that characterize tube condition and predict future serviceability are the cornerstone of boiler tube failure reduction programs from Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SI). Experienced SI engineering staff are well-prepared to tackle any tubing assessment projects, including evaluations of waterwall tubes with such waterside corrosion issues as hydrogen damage, caustic gouging, corrosion fatigue cracking, and flow-accelerated corrosion; creep damage evaluations of superheater and reheater tubing operating at elevated temperatures; evaluations of superheater and reheater dissimilar metal welds for creep fatigue, oxide notching, and carbide coarsening; and examination of hard-to-reach areas of low-temperature superheater and reheater sections for internal wall loss due to corrosion pitting, or external wastage caused by soot blower erosion, fly ash erosion, or abrasion.
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info@structint.com
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Boiler Header Assessments
Boiler headers — prey to girth weld cracking, ligament cracking, stub tube weld cracking, and other issues — deserve careful consideration. Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SI) provides comprehensive header assessments to assist clients with difficult run/repair/replace decisions. Services include review of operation and maintenance data, complete header inspections, analytical life assessment, crack growth prediction, on-line monitoring of damage progression and crack growth, weld repair, and re-design engineering. Some of SI's impressive boiler header assessment specialties: advanced linear phased-array and focused phased-array inspections of header girth welds, including welds with mid-wall-initiated creep damage, and welds with tube bore holes; assessment of header ligament cracking using specialized focused ultrasonic techniques, finite-element stress analysis and creep-fatigue crack growth calculations, and on-line monitoring; and magnetic particle and advanced ultrasonic examination of tube stub-to-header welds for OD and sub-surface cracking.
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info@structint.com
Turbine & Generator Assessments
Without reliable turbine-generators, fossil power production is strictly no-go. Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SI) provides comprehensive turbine and generator inspection and life assessment services for rotors, turbine disk bore/keyways, rim blade attachment dovetails, retaining rings, turbine main inlet sleeves and nozzle chambers, turbine and valve casings, blades, tenons, shrouds, and all other components. SI's life assessment analytical services include EPRI®-licensed SAFER-PC™ rotor analysis, EPRI LPRimLife™ rotor disk rim dovetail analysis, EPRI RRingLife™ generator retaining ring analysis, and ANSYS® finite-element stress analysis of shafts, turbine disks, and other components. For client convenience, SI now offers full rotor bore machining services as well, including plug removal, honing surface preparation, corrective machining, plug manufacturing, and plug re-assembly.
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info@structint.com
Related Webinars:
- Generator Rotor Inspection
& Life Assessment - Turbine & Generator Rotor Bore
Inspection & Life Assessment
Related Training:
Grade 91/Creep Strength-Enhanced Ferritics Programs
Impressive creep strength is the reason for using Grade 91 and other creep strength-enhanced ferritic (CSEF) steels, yet CSEF processing deficiencies have been implicated in numerous failures, forced outages, construction extensions, and premature component replacements. The trend may well continue: recent plant inspections have detected an alarming number of improperly processed welds and components. Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SI), in partnership with EPRI®, now offers a comprehensive CSEF asset management program to optimize service life and minimize any future problems. The program addresses all aspects of CSEF design, procurement, fabrication, installation, and operation. Specific SI services include field hardness mapping to identify hardness-deficient zones; follow-up linear phased-array ultrasonic examinations to locate cracks; development or review of purchasing/processing specifications, welding programs, and quality control programs; and vendor evaluation and on-site monitoring.
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info@structint.com
Flow-Accelerated Corrosion Programs
Insidious flow-accelerated corrosion (FAC) is a widespread problem in conventional fossil plant feedwater systems and combined-cycle HRSG tubing. FAC is so prevalent, in fact, that it can be difficult to prioritize inspections and reach repair decisions. Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SI) eliminates the guesswork by offering its clients comprehensive FAC support programs. SI's specialized services include assessment and optimization of unit cycle chemistry; piping assessments based on drawing reviews and system walkdowns; predictive assessments of FAC risk; inspection prioritization; damage screening via guided-wave analysis; ultrasonic remaining-thickness assessments; data management; guidance on damage repair options and approaches; periodic operating reviews; and FAC program improvements.
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info@structint.com
Combined-Cycle/HRSG Consulting & Engineering
Combined-cycle/heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) units lead a life complicated by rapid starts, thermal transients, cycle chemistry issues, and improperly designed attemperator systems. Combined-cycle/HRSG consulting and engineering services from Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SI) are on call to help clients deal with the resulting tube failures, flow-accelerated corrosion, piping expansion damage, weld cracks, and other consequences. SI offers HRSG operational dependability assessments, creep and fatigue evaluations, tube failure root cause analysis, water chemistry evaluations and training, P91/CSEF testing and assessment, design life analyses, and many other services to ensure more reliable HRSG operation.
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info@structint.com
Cycle Chemistry Programs
Fossil plant cycle chemistry is a behind-the-scenes influence on all too many failures, including boiler tube failures, HRSG tube failures, steam turbine failures, condenser tube failures, and feedwater heater tube failures. Knowledgeable Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SI) chemists and engineers can help clients take control of complicated plant cycle chemistry, with resulting long-term savings of up to $1000/MW/year. Cycle chemistry services include identification of cycle chemistry damage mechanisms; cycle chemistry assessments; optimization of feedwater and boiler water treatment; optimization of HRSG cycle chemistry; elimination of flow-accelerated corrosion; instrumentation consulting; and plant personnel training.
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info@structint.com
SiCAMS™ Component Database Management
Fossil plant data — including component designs, inspection reports, engineering records, and analysis documentation — is an invaluable resource, but only if it's accessible and easy to use. Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SI) offers clients a user-friendly information management system designed specifically for fossil plants. SiCAMS™ (Structural Integrity Component Asset Management System) simplifies the recording and tracking of equipment data by presenting it in familiar Web page format, navigable with a standard Web browser. The system can be used to store and manage data for a single generating unit, one plant, or an entire fleet. There are no limits on number and types of components that can be included, and there's unlimited linking of documents, drawings, photos, spreadsheets, and other information. Convenient features include customized data queries, easy report generation, and interface with Microsoft® Excel® and other popular database tools. SiCAMS can be installed on a local corporate intranet, or accessed via secure SI Web site.
For information, please contact
info@structint.com