CASE STUDY NDT SCOOP

P
Onur ÖZUTKU
ressure Vessels
Inspection Challenges
Master's Degree Mechanical Engineer
Ank a r a ,Tur k e y
Milangaz - LPG Terminal Manager.

What is Pressure Vessel? When is it Required inspection?

What are the inspection challenges?
Inlet Manhole
Nozzles Shell

Dish
Head
Dish
Head

Saddle

Nozzle Nozzle

Outlet
Pressure vessels are critical Complex Designs and Configurations.
components used in various industries,
including oil and gas, chemical Pressure vessels come in a variety of shapes
manufacturing and power generation. and sizes, often with complex geometries.
Their primary function is to contain gases These designs can include nozzles, flanges
or liquids at high pressure, so their and internal components that make access
integrity is essential for safety and and inspection difficult.
operational efficiency.
INSPECTORS must be familiar with the
However, the inspection of these vessels
specific design features to identify potential
presents several CHALLENGES that must
failure points, which can vary significantly
be addressed to ensure compliance with
from vessel to vessel.
safety regulations and prevent
catastrophic failures.

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 CASE STUDY NDT SCOOP
CONTINUE Pressure Vessel Inspection Challenges!

Inspection, testing, involves non- Deterioration and Wear Over Time

destructive tests that ensure the Pressure vessels are subject to wear and
tear due to the harsh conditions in which
integrity of a new pressure vessel
they are often operated, including extreme
or on previously installed pressure temperatures and corrosive environments.
equipment that has been altered or Over time, materials can deteriorate,
leading to problems such as corrosion,
repaired.
cracking and fatigue. INSPECTORS must
use advanced techniques such as ultrasonic
In the early days of pressure vessels, many testing, radiography or acoustic emission to
pressure vessels were over-pressurized, and detect these subtle signs of deterioration,
they would explode. This problem was part of which may not be visible to the naked eye.
why the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME) formed. This body came up
with specifications to govern the way pressure
vessels are manufactured and maintained.
Today, the ASME is still responsible for
establishing standards for pressure vessels in
the U.S. Other countries have their own
standards for pressure vessels.

There are two standards that every

manufacturer and user of pressure vessels Access Restrictions
should be aware of: Many pressure vessels are in areas that are
difficult to access, whether due to their size,
• ASME Section VIII: ASME Section VIII location within a plant or the need for
scaffolding. This can complicate the
covers the requirements for both fired and inspection process, requiring additional time
unfired pressure vessels, including how and resources to ensure a thorough
they’re designed, the way they’re assessment. INSPECTORS often must rely on
remote inspection technologies, such as
fabricated, how they should be inspected
drones or robotic devices, which can further
and tested and what’s required for their complicate the inspection process.
certification.

• API 510: Another relevant standard to be

aware of is API 510, which is an inspection
code from the American Petroleum
Institute. This standard specifies how
inspections, repairs, alterations and other
activities should be carried out on
pressure vessels and pressure-relieving
devices.

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 CASE STUDY NDT SCOOP
CONTINUE Pressure Vessel Inspection Challenges!

Regulatory Compliance Technological Advancements

Pressure vessel inspections must comply with As inspection technologies evolve, staying
strict industry standards and regulations, such current with the latest methods and
equipment is essential for inspectors. While
as those set by the American Society of
advanced tools can improve accuracy and
Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the efficiency, they also require ongoing
National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel training and investment. FACILITIES must
Inspectors. Keeping up with these regulations weigh the benefits of new technologies
against the COSTS and potential
can be a challenge, especially for facilities that
DISRUPTIONS to operations.
operate in multiple jurisdictions with different
compliance requirements.

Interpreting Inspection Results

Interpreting inspection results can be complex.
Data from various non-destructive testing
(NDT) methods must be accurately analyzed to
determine the condition of the vessel. Human Factors
MISINTERPRETATION can lead to incorrect Human’s factors play an important role in
conclusions about the integrity of the ship, the inspection process. The EXPERIENCE
and TRAINING of inspectors can influence
potentially compromising safety.
the outcome of an inspection. Ensuring that
personnel are trained and competent in the
use of inspection tools and the
interpretation of results is critical to
Scheduling and Downtime
maintaining safety standards.
Pressure vessel inspections often require
equipment to be taken offline, resulting in
production downtime. SCHEDULING
INSPECTIONS without disrupting operations
can be challenging, especially in plants that
operate continuously. Balancing safety with
operational efficiency is a critical management
consideration.
Conclusion
Inspecting pressure vessels is a complex
task with many challenges, ranging from
designs and access to regulatory
compliance and technological advances. To
ensure the efficiency of these critical asset,
it's essential that organizations invest in
proper training, adopt inspection
technologies to safety and regulatory
compliance. By addressing these challenges
head on, industries can mitigate risk and
improve the reliability of their pressure
vessel operations.

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 CASE STUDY NDT SCOOP
CONTINUE Pressure Vessel Inspection Challenges!

Advanced NDT used for PRESSURE VESSEL internal & external Inspection!
Most common methods are Phased Array UT, Auto matic UT Corrosion Mapping, Acoustic Emission,
Pulsed Eddy Current, Short Range guided wave. In these tests, you will have a permanent record
and digital report for corrosion assessment. Defects such as corrosion, cracks, decrease in wall
thickness or gaps in internal structures are identified in ferritic and austenitic steels, aluminum
alloys, nickel, copper and titanium alloys during production or usage. NDT methods can change
depending on the PROCEDURE, SIZE, THICKNESS, and STRUCTURE of the object need to inspect.

Ultrasonic Thickness - Grids Measurement

UT Grid scan with spot digital reading & A-scan.

Th e po rt abili ty o f th e t esti n g e qui pm e nt allo w s f o r o n-sit e

ins pec tio n an d r esu lts a re i ns ta nt. If a pro bl e m h as b e en det ect ed
by t he t ec h niq ue , a ddi tio n al no n- de str uctiv e t est in g m e tho d s ca n
be u se d to fur th er inv es tig ate t he fin di ng s.

Ma n ual po i nt t hick n ess me as ur em e nts usi ng co nve ntio na l

ultr aso u n d ( U T) i s a wid ely u se d t ec h niq u e fo r mo ni to ri ng co rro sio n
in m an y infr ast ruc tur e ap plica tio n s. T his ho w ev er ca n le ad to
inco nclu siv e i nsp ect io n dat a d ue to mi ni mal co v er ag e o f lar ge
are as, o p erato r va ria bility , la ck o f pitti ng o r lo ca liz ed co rro sio n
det ectio n, a nd i nad e qu at e d ata r epo rt in g a n d a n alysi s.

Au to m atic U T M ap pin g Phased Array UT Pulsed Eddy Current Acoustic Emission

A U T i s u s i n g m e c h a n i c a l s c a n n er s Inspect large surface areas PEC technology does not require When a material with defects is
with magnetic wheels to only quickly with high r e s o l u t i on . direct contact with a test object subjected to mechanical stress
adher i ng pur po ses t o lo cat e Typically, a thickness reading is n o r s p e c i f i c s u r f a c e c l e an i n g ,
or load, it releases energy.
i n h e r e nt d e f e c t s w i t h i n a g i v e n performed every 1 mm2, which m aki ng i nspect io n fast and easy
m a t e r i al . A U T i s t h e t er m u s e d t o represents 500 more sample e v e n a t h i g h t e m p e r a t ur e s a n d o n This energy travels in the
describe co r r o sio n mapping points than c o n v en t i o n a l o f f s h o r e w el l s . shape of high-frequency stress
i n s pe ct i on s , pulse-echo w el d u l t r as ou n d. Th i s h i gh r e s o l u t i o n waves. These waves or
i n s pe ct i on , Ph a s e d A r r a y a n d m ake s i t po s s i bl e to de t e ct s m all , Pulsed Eddy Current readings fluctuations are obtained with
Ti m e o f F l i gh t Di f f r acti o n . l o cal i zed indi cat io n s, su ch as conducted many times at the
the utilization of sensors which
co r r o sio n pi t s, and i t enabl es t he same location can be reliably
o pe r at o r to pr o f il e t h e s h ape o f r e p r o d u c e d r e g a r d l es s o f c a s i n g ,
in turn transforms th e energy
Typical Automated Co rr o s io n
mapping systems can inspect 20- the corroded area. coatings, or i n s u l at i o n . PEC into voltage. This voltage is
3 0 s q . m e t e r s p e r st a n d a r d t e c h n o l o g y p r o v i d es r e s u l t s w i t h electronically overstated with
workday. The benefit of using the The data can then be used to a pl u s / mi n u s 1 0 % accu r acy f o r the utilization of timing circuits
automated i m a gi n g systems pe r f o r m co rr o s io n as s e s s me n t s co r r o sio n de t e cti o n and a and later refined as acoustic
allows a picture (C-Scan Image) according to ASME B31G and pl u s / mi n u s 0 .2 % accu r acy r at e
e m i s s i o n si g n a l d a t a .
quickly identifies any significant other applicable standards. f o r c o r r o si o n m o ni t o r i n g .
r e d u c t i o n i n w al l t h i c k n e s s . M o r e o v er , P u l s e d E d d y C u r r e n t
M u l ti pl e xi n g, s o m e ti m e s ca l le d a n i n s pe ct i on s ca n be s u cce s s f u l l y W h e n a s t r u c t u r e i s s ub j e c t t o
A u t o m a t e d C o r r o si o n M a p p i n g e l e c t r o ni c o r l i ne a r s c a n , i s u s e d and easily carried out at an external stimulus (change in
U l t r as on i c s can s o f m at e ri al s , t o p e r f o r m c o r r o si o n m o n i t o r i n g . t e m p e r a t ur e s r a n g i n g f r o m - 10 0 ° pressure, l o a d, or
uses a range of colors to The sensor consists of a long- C to 500° C (-150°F to 932°F).
temperature), localized
represent the thickness range of phased array probe, 25 –100 mm
(1 – 4 i n.) wi th between 32 and Pulsed Eddy Current technology
sources trigger the release of
part being inspected, typically
blue colors are used to represent 128 elements. A small group of is based on electromagnetics and energy, in the form of stress
n o m i n al wall thickness w it h e l e m e nt s , d e f i n e d a s t h e a c t i v e pr o vi des aver age w all t hi ckness waves, which propagate to the
o r a n g e a n d r e d c o l o r s u se d t o a p e r t u r e , i s a c t i v a t e d t o g e n er a t e v a l u e s o v e r t h e p r o b e f o o t pr i n t surface and are re corded by
indicate si gnifi cant w all a n u l t r a so n i c b e a m p r o p a g a t i n g area. It measures and compares sensors.
reduction. n o r m a l t o t h e i n t er f a c e . T h i s the percentage variation in
group of elements is then indexed average wall thickness
M a ppi n g o f pi pe l i n e s f o r f o l l ow using e l e ct r on i c m u l t i p l e xi n g , t h r o u gh ou t a n o bj e ct . Pu l s e d Sources of AE vary from natural
up of Smart Pig surveys and c r e a t i n g a t r u e p h y s i c al m o v e m e n t Eddy Current can be effectively events like earthquakes and
L o n g - R a n g e U T ( L R U T ) p r o g r am s of the ultrasonic beam under the appl i ed fo r co r r o sio n det ect i o n r o c k b u r s t s m e l t i n g , t w i n i ng ,
al l o w s accu r at e as s e s s me n t o f array with an index as small as 1 an d m o n i t or i n g o n pi pe s an d and phase transformations in
localized areas of concern. Due mm (0.040”). The electronic v e s s e l s m a d e o f c a r b o n s t e el o r
metals. In composites, matrix
t o t h e s p e e d o f m o d e r n s y s t em s indexing is performed so fast that l o w - al l o y s t ee l w i t h o ut c o n t a c t i n g
a 4 - i n ch (1 0 0 mm ) l in e l e n gth i s t he st eel sur face it sel f. PE C
c r a c k i n g a n d f ib e r b r e a k a g e
c o n s i d e r a b l e co v e r a g e c a n b e
completed daily. If you have a covered by the ultrasonic beams t e c h n o l o g y a l l o w s m e a s u r em e n t s a n d d e b o n d i ng c o n t r i b u t e t o
cr i t i cal s ys te m an d yo u r e qu ir e i n m i ll i s e con ds . Th e t r a ve l t i m e o f t o b e m a d e t h r o u g h i n s ul a t i o n , acoustic emissions.
100% coverage for pro ce s s t h e s e be am s i s u s e d t o de t e r mi n e c o n c r e t e , o r c o r r o s i o n b a r r i er s .
r el i abil i t y, then this is the the component’s thickness at
s o l u ti o n yo u r e qu i r e . each acqui si t i o n po int .

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