News & View, Volume 48 | Bypass Line Spray Issues

News & Views, Volume 48 | Bypass Line Spray Issues

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News & View, Volume 48 | Bypass Line Spray IssuesBy:  Ben Ruchte and Kane Riggenbach

To provide operating flexibility, combined cycle plants are typically equipped with bypass systems (high pressure routing steam to cold reheat and hot reheat routing steam to the condenser).  These bypass systems include conditioning valves designed to reduce steam pressures followed by outlet desuperheaters which inject water to reduce steam temperatures.

This service environment exposes the downstream piping to a high frequency of temperature transients making these areas one of the most prominent ‘industry issues’.

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News & View, Volume 48 | Considerations of Pin Cracking in Finger Pin Turbine Blade Attachments

News & Views, Volume 48 | Considerations of Pin Cracking in Finger Pin Turbine Blade Attachments

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By:  Cliff Lange and Matt Freeman

OEMs recommend periodic inspection of pinned finger turbine blade attachments for detection of service-induced damage as part of ongoing rotor maintenance activity. 

This article provides an example where ultrasonic inspection detected cracking in several pins of finger attachments and outlines an engineering assessment to support continued operation and identify a re-inspection interval.  This approach can be applied to other pinned finger blade attachments to determine suitability for service.

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News & View, Volume 48 | SI Field Service Quality and Efficiency Solutions

News & Views, Volume 48 | SI Field Service Quality and Efficiency Solutions

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By:  Robert Chambers and Trey RippyNews & View, Volume 48 | SI Field Service Quality and Efficiency Solutions

To help meet demanding outage schedules and stay within lean operation and maintenance budgets, Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SI) has implemented several new field data collection and analysis tools that enable delivery of a higher-quality final inspection product in a more efficient manner. These include customized software tools for streamlining the NDE data acquisition, analysis, and reporting processes. Moving forward, these tools will reduce time-on-pipe for inspections, as well as the associated analysis and reporting time.

For large inspection scopes, collecting, tagging, managing, transferring, and documenting data can be a very labor-intensive process with opportunities for human performance errors. While inspection instruments and analysis software typically have built-in reporting capabilities, these tend to be very general so they can be applied to a wide variety of applications. This can make it cumbersome to tailor these features to a specific application.

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News & View, Volume 48 | Post Seismic Certification - What Do Manufacturers Do to Keep Their Products TRU Listed?

News & Views, Volume 48 | Post Seismic Certification: What Do Manufacturers Do to Keep Their Products TRU Listed?

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By:  Galen Reid and Katie Braman How does TRU or the public know the manufacturer is continuing to produce a product that complies with the certified construction and configuration without retesting periodically? Certification of products to withstand extreme event loading can open many opportunities for manufacturers to sell high value products when others have a […]

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News & View, Volume 48 | SI Supports Parsons' “DetectWise Modular COVID Test Facility

News & Views, Volume 48 | SI Supports Parsons’ “DetectWise” Modular COVID Test Facility

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By:  Zach Withall and Matthew Naugle, PENews & View, Volume 48 | SI Supports Parsons' “DetectWise Modular COVID Test Facility

The health facility is designed to fully separate patients from medical workers, protecting both parties and minimizing the PPE required to operate the suite.

COVID-19 has presented humanity with unprecedented challenges.  As economies reopen, solutions are needed that allow businesses to operate while protecting the health, safety, and security of the general public.

In an effort to positively impact that change, Structural Integrity Associates (SI) is working with Parsons Corporation, a global technology leader, to design a self-contained, mobile health screening facility for rapid, efficient and scalable testing.

The mobile facility is part of Parsons’ DetectWise™ suite of health solutions meant to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. SI provided structural design services for the facility.

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News & View, Volume 48 | Implementation of Material Verification In Support of Mega-Rule Part 1 Requirements

News & Views, Volume 48 | Implementation of Material Verification – In Support of Mega-Rule Part 1 Requirements

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By:  Roger Royer, Scott Riccardella, and David BabbittNews & View, Volume 48 | Implementation of Material Verification In Support of Mega-Rule Part 1 Requirements

Operators are now required to define sampling programs and perform destructive (laboratory) or non-destructive testing to capture this information and take additional actions when inconsistent results are identified until a confidence level of 95% is achieved.

Various sections of Mega-Rule 1 require operators of natural gas transmission pipelines to ensure adequate Traceable, Verifiable, and Complete (TV&C) material records or implement a Material Verification (MV) Program to confirm specific pipeline attributes including diameter, wall thickness, seam type, and grade. Operators are now required to define sampling programs and perform destructive (laboratory) or non-destructive testing to capture this information and take additional actions when inconsistent results are identified until a confidence level of 95% is achieved.  Opportunistic sampling per population is required until completion of testing of one excavation per mile (rounded up to the nearest whole number) up to 150 excavations (if the population exceeds 150 miles).  Regulators have communicated an expectation that sampling locations or test sites are to be equally spaced throughout the population mileage.

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News & View, Volume 48 | Strategic Evaluation of MAOP Reconfirmation Plans and Options

News & Views, Volume 48 | Strategic Evaluation of MAOP – Reconfirmation Plans and Options

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By:  Scott Riccardella and Bruce PaskettNews & View, Volume 48 | Strategic Evaluation of MAOP Reconfirmation Plans and Options

On October 1, 2019, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published amendments to 49 CFR Parts 191 and 192 in the Federal Register issuing the Pipeline Safety: Safety of Gas Transmission Pipelines:  MAOP Reconfirmation, Expansion of Assessment Requirements, and Other Related Amendments Final Rule  (Final Rule). 

The Final Rule requires that for on-shore steel transmission pipelines in an High Consequence Area (HCA), Class 3 or 4 location without  Traceable, Verifiable and Complete (TV&C) records for §192.619(a)(2) (pressure testing, including records required by §192.517(a)) ; or where the Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure (MAOP) was established based on the Grandfather Clause and the MAOP creates a stress ≥ 30% of the Specified Minimum Yield Strength (SMYS), an operator will need to reconfirm the MAOP in accordance with the provisions of §192.624. 

News & View, Volume 48 | Optimizing Cathodic Protection Commitments Aging Management Program (AMP XI.M42)

News & Views, Volume 48 | Optimizing Cathodic Protection Commitments Aging Management Program (AMP XI.M42)

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By: Shane McManus and Mark JaegerNews & View, Volume 48 | Optimizing Cathodic Protection Commitments Aging Management Program (AMP XI.M42)

License renewal applications (LRAs) often involve commitments to future actions.  These can be classified into one of three categories: appropriate, overcommitment, and ambiguous implementation.  Appropriate commitments include those actions that are expected by the NRC (such as those explicitly identified in the GALL(1) and GALL-SLR(2)) as well as some less restrictive actions that are technically justified by engineering evaluation.  These commitments can generally be implemented within one operating cycle using existing technology, are cost-effective, and are consistent with the GALL and GALL-SLR.

Overcommitments and those commitments with ambiguous implementations can be avoided and cost-effectiveness optimized by obtaining independent third party reviews (ITPR) of the LRA.

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Structural Integrity Associates Board Elects New Chairman

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Structural Integrity Associates | Matt Sunseri, Board MemberOn August 27th, the Structural Integrity Associates Board elected Matt Sunseri as new SI Board Chairman replacing Barry Waitte who will remain on the board until his announced retirement in May. “I look forward to Matt’s leadership and insight in this new capacity,” said Mark Marano, Structural Integrity Associates CEO and Chief Nuclear Officer. “SI has a long heritage of providing high value engineering and consulting to the Nuclear Industry and this change enhances our strategic focus in this key zero-carbon industry segment.”

Matt joined the board in 2019 and is the former President and CEO of Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corp. While at Wolf Creek, he was responsible for all aspects of the safe, reliable, and cost-effective operation of the plant and supported the development of international leaders through the World Association of Nuclear Operators. Matt brings nearly 40 years of utility experience having worked in both the regulated and merchant energy markets. He also serves as a member and chairman of the nuclear safety review board for the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station in New Brunswick, Canada.

“I am honored to serve as the SI Board Chair and look forward to working with the other Board members as we fulfill our duties to the Company and its shareholders. I have always found that when transitions occur, it is a good opportunity to review our capabilities and the value we bring to clients,” said Matt.

Structural Integrity Associates is an employee owned specialty engineering and services company providing structural integrity assessment insights and services to achieve asset management excellence across multiple industries including Nuclear, Fossil, Oil & Gas, and critical infrastructure.

Structural Integrity Associates Releases 4th Generation BIoGEORGE BioFilm Growth Detector System

Structural Integrity Associates Releases BG4, a 4th Generation of the BIoGEORGE™ Biofilm Growth Detector System, enables real-time data monitoring

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Structural Integrity Associates Releases 4th Generation BIoGEORGE BioFilm Growth Detector SystemThe Structural Integrity (SI) Chemistry and Materials Team have completed the development and release of BG4, the 4th generation of the BIoGEORGE™ Biofilm Growth Detector system. The 4th generation release includes analytical software (BGConnect) and enhanced communication utilizing Bluetooth enabled phone/tablet App (BGMobile). Our system provides real-time data, customizable graphs, and shareable reports, allowing the user to evaluate their chemical treatment program’s effectiveness on-demand.

“We are excited to provide an updated version of the BIoGEORGE™ Detector system, BG4, to our clients. The BIoGEORGE product has been shown to reduce O&M costs by optimizing chemical treatments. With this next generation of enhancements, clients will be able to take advantage of real-time data with less effort”, commented Mike Ford, SI Chemistry and Materials Director. “We see this as a necessary step in product innovation for our clients as they continue to focus on controlling costs.”  SI has begun to receive orders for the BG4 units from a returning client based on their positive experiences with the 3rd generation of the BIoGEORGE™ system and SI support.

About BIoGEORGE™

For over 20 years, SI has supplied previous generations of the BIoGEORGE™ Biofilm Growth Detector system to numerous clients in the power generation, refinery, pipeline, and chemical industries with great success. The product uses electrochemical methods to detect biofilm activity in water-based buildup on the probe surface to support chemical conditioning and plant performance.

For more information on BG4 and the latest marketing flyer, visit si-biofilmgrowth.com.