Process equipment, structures, and piping systems can encounter harsh operating conditions that involve high and fluctuating stresses, extreme temperatures, and different forms of corrosion. These conditions have the potential to compromise the structural integrity of the equipment, leading to degradation and damage over time. Failure to promptly detect and assess such damage could have devastating consequences, including catastrophic failures that may result in significant loss of life and assets. It is crucial to proactively identify and address any signs of deterioration to mitigate the risks associated with these severe service conditions.

Course Objectives:

At the end of this training course, you will learn to:

· Understanding and prediction of the degradation mechanisms that affect process equipment fitness for service and could result in significant potential failures.

· The inter-dependence of design, operation, and maintenance for achieving mechanical integrity of mechanical equipment.

· Have a sound knowledge of the various types of’ mechanical failure mechanisms, including fracture mechanics, Fatigue, Creep, and corrosion.

· Understand the basic concepts of inspection and NDT methods and their effective application.

· Be familiar with relevant failure mitigation principles.

Who Should Attend?

This course is intended for:

Staff who use or supervise activities requiring the selection, design/fabrication or use of mechanical equipment or component parts
Engineers who seek a basic understanding of the practical aspects of the evaluation of structural integrity
The operation, technical service and maintenance professionals from various processing plants involved in everyday operation, control, inspection and maintenance of equipment.
Engineers and consultants dealing with the planning of new production plants, retrofitting plants and introducing new technologies
Technical professionals responsible for the maintenance and repair of equipment

Course Outlines:

Materials Testing and Failure

Course objectives and overview
Materials Testing – Tensile, Impact, Hardness
Types of Failures – Ductile/brittle fracture, Temperature Effects
Analytical Tools – Visual examination of the fracture surface, Fractography, Microscopy
Industrial Failures – Examples of Failures and Causes

Damage and Interpretation of Failure I

Stress Concentrating
Fracture Mechanics
Fatigue Failure
High-temperature creep
Thermal Expansion and deflections
Worked examples

Damage and Interpretation of Failure II

Wear, Galing and Fretting
Principles and types of Corrosion damage and Mitigation
The vibration of Equipment and Piping
Vibration Condition Monitoring
Technical Problem Solving and Decision-making Approaches

Examples of Equipment Failure

Pressure vessels and life extension
Heat Exchangers
Pumps and Compressors
Mechanical Seals and “O” Rig Failures
Bearing failure
Pipes and Repair Techniques

Inspection, Testing and Condition Assessment

NDT Methods and Techniques
Inspection of Process Equipment
Examples of Remaining Life Calculations
Relevant Inspection Codes, API 570, etc.

Filters