The Applied Technical Services Family of Companies (FoC) provides an advanced and thorough high energy piping (HEP) management program. Failures in HEP systems must be avoided at all costs. They represent a significant personnel safety risk as well as having a major negative impact on reliable and profitable operation.
Why Do Plants Need a High Energy Piping Management Program?
When plants operate for longer hours, run at full capacity, or have their maintenance budgets cut, the probability of failure increases. Owners of these systems are being tasked by management and insurance companies to minimize the chance of failures, often with minimal budgets and staff to get the job done.
Under these circumstances, it is essential that the available resources be optimized. For example, if your budget only allows you to inspect a limited number of welds, it is vital not only that they are the correct welds, but that the evaluation protocol is capable of detecting the conditions that could ultimately lead to a failure. Additionally, damage should be detected early enough to allow proactive management of the systems.
The next step is the analysis of the results, which is at the heart of an effective Program. Proper interpretation and analysis of the results is critical. It helps ensure that only defects that could ultimately result in failures are repaired or only the affected components are replaced. Provided the damage is detected early enough, any necessary repair action can be planned and performed in the most cost-effective manner. This will help change your operational mode from Reactive to Proactive.
Field Evaluation & Data Collection Techniques:
- Magnetic Particle Examinations
- Linear Phased Array UT
- Replication
- Hardness & Material Composition Analysis
HEP Management Program Outline:
The ATS FoC’s management program follows a systematic outline for planning, inspection, and analysis of high energy piping. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of our process:
I. Development or Review of a Corporate-Level Program Document:
This will help ensure that all the overall goals, roles, and responsibilities are established. Additionally, it can be updated to ensure that current industry best practices are being implemented.
II. Develop Risk-Based Prioritized Inspection Locations:
A risk-based, prioritized inspection is a relative ranking process that takes into account various parameters influencing the probability of a weld failing. This is done in a systematic and structured method that can be implemented across a group of systems. This list is the “Road Map” for the ongoing execution of the Program.
Our process includes a detailed review of the existing data, a site walkdown, and interviews with plant personnel. As evaluations are completed and data is gathered, the ranking is updated, and the list of inspection locations is developed for the next outage. This tool is also used for developing budgets and schedules for upcoming outages.
III. Field Evaluation and Data Collection:
This is the field execution phase of the process. This typically occurs during a planned outage and involves various non-destructive examinations to collect the necessary data for a thorough evaluation of the critical welds. The data to be collected can include visual examinations, magnetic particle examinations, linear phased array UT, replication, hardness, and material composition analysis. Depending on the results, additional testing may be required.
During the outage, a preliminary analysis of the data is performed, and recommendations for any additional testing or immediate corrective action are provided. A formal report is prepared, including recommended re-inspection intervals and updated Risk Rankings.
IV. Pipe Stress Analysis:
A critical influence on the probability of failure is the stress level at a specific weld. Depending on the results of the initial data review, a recommendation for a current stress analysis may be provided. This would include walkdowns of detailed support systems in both the hot and cold conditions. The results can be used to recommend hanger adjustments and to update Risk Rankings.
V. Flaw Evaluation:
Significant defects noted during the Field Evaluation will be further evaluated. This can include finite element/fracture mechanics to determine flaw propagation and help to make run-repair-replace decisions.
VI. Life Assessment:
Once the significant flaws have been evaluated, a Life Assessment is performed. This is done using a life fraction method, and re-inspection intervals are defined.
VII. Repair Program Development:
In the event repairs or replacements are needed, a detailed repair program will be developed. This involves preparing step-by-step technical specifications for executing repairs.
Contact Us
Contact ATS today for a high energy piping management program tailored to your needs. Call +1 (888) 287-5227 to speak with a representative about your requirements or complete our request webform now.
