Oil refineries are an integration of different process units made up of a large number of components, the quantity and complexity of which varies in each facility. The long list of these components includes reactors, furnaces, columns, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, pumps, compressors, pipes, fittings, storage tanks, docks, electrical installations and instrumentation, concrete and metal […]
Equipment inspections in an industrial plant are essential to ensure the safety and operability of the plant. Inspection plans should detail both the inspections to be carried out, mentioned in the previous blog article, and the frequency with which they should be carried out. Firstly, it is essential to carry out pressure vessel (PV) inspections […]
The primary purpose of performing inspections on equipment at an industrial plant is to ensure that the equipment is currently operating safely and to determine whether it will continue to be safe until the next inspection interval. This process is crucial to prevent catastrophic failures, ensure mechanical integrity, and maintain plant operability. Inspection plans must […]
API RP 579-1 is a practical recommendation developed by the American Petroleum Institute (API) that provides a comprehensive methodology for Fitness for Service Evaluation. This guide provides a structured approach to evaluating the ability of equipment to continue operating safely, specifying under which conditions once some type of damage, deterioration or defect has been detected, […]
API 570 establishes requirements to maintain the safety and integrity of piping systems already in service. This code is not a substitute that replaces the original design code used for the development of the piping systems. It defines in-service inspection procedures, line condition monitoring, repair, and maintenance, ensuring accurate and timely evaluations to ensure operation […]
Let’s consider, for example, a fully pressurized pressure vessel with a load applied on the nozzle as shown in the picture. This load creates a bending stress (secondary stress) at the nozzle-to-head juncture. In the left-hand side of the nozzle, this load creates a tension strain value ε1 (see below), somewhat beyond the yield strain […]