Vessels

Pressure Vessel Life-Cycle Management

Equity Engineering is a leader in the design, rerate, and Fitness–For–Service (FFS) evaluations of pressure vessels for the oil refining and petrochemical industries. Many of our engineering staff serve on various ASME and API committees and have been principle authors of the co–branded FFS Standard, API 579–1/ASME FFS–1, and the new pressure vessel design code, ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Division 2, published in 2007. Our staff has been involved in the entire lifecycle of a pressure vessel, from design, fabrication, and installation, to in–service, repair, and extension of service and finally retirement.

Our engineers are internationally recognized as leaders in the development of standards for pressurized equipment. As lead investigators and principal authors of the new ASME Section VIII, Division 2 Pressure Vessel Code, they developed a new organization and writing style for this code and were responsible for introducing the latest developments in materials, design, fabrication, and inspection technologies. These technologies include new brittle fracture evaluation methods, a complete re-write and update of design-by-rules procedures, new design-by-analysis procedures including the introduction of elastic-plastic analysis methods, and a new fatigue method for welded joints.

Development and Review of Engineering Standards

Equity has used its vast industry experience to develop pressure vessel practices for the oil refining and petrochemical industries. In addition to the requirements of the ASME Code, the practices address:

• Vessel details covering the design of saddles, skirts and lifting lugs
• Design requirements of vessel internals such as liquid distributor trays, pipe distributors, catalyst bed support grids, baffles and wear plates
• Supplemental requirements of fractionating tray and tower packing and cyclone systems for Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units (FCCU)
• Welding requirements

ASME Section VIII, Division 1

We have performed many analyses in accordance with the design–by–rule methodology of Division 1. Whether for design or rerate applications, our engineers are familiar with the various sections of the Code, the interdependency of each of the sections, and have applied both mandatory and non–mandatory appendices as well as Code Cases to optimize the evaluations.

Our engineers have also performed local Post Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT) evaluations and have developed Minimum Design Metal Temperature (MDMT) envelopes using the applicable paragraphs contained in the Code in conjunction with alternate resource documents.

ASME Section VIII, Division 2

Equity has Registered Professional Engineers in many U.S. states, which permits our staff to certify User’s Design Specifications and Manufacturer’s Design Reports as required for the design of Division 2 pressure vessels.

Our engineers are well versed in Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and have applied the design–by–analysis methods to both design and in–service pressure vessel applications. We are also experienced in thermal, stress, and structural stability type analyses and have applied advanced material modeling to many pressure vessel evaluations.

Our engineers have built a strong foundation in fatigue analysis and have applied the leading edge Battelle Verity™ Method as well as the classic ASME smooth bar methodology to numerous pressure vessels subject to cyclic service.

Rerating

Equity is authorized by the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors to use the "R" Symbol Stamp in accordance with the provisions of the National Board Inspection Code. The Scope of Authorization is limited to Alterations for design only (without fabrication).

• Certificate Number: R–6157
• Issue Date: September 23, 2008
• Expiration Date: October 15, 2011

API 579–1/ASME FFS–1

With many of the principal authors of the new FFS standard on Equity’s staff, our engineers have strong fundamentals and knowledge in the evaluation of in–service equipment. Our engineers balance the required level of evaluation based on damage mechanism and the requirements on appropriate levels of inspection to provide sound engineering assessments. We have performed numerous levels of FFS evaluations concerning brittle fracture, general metal loss, local thin areas (LTAs), hydrogen blisters, crack–like flaws, and component operating in the creep regime.

Design of Repairs and Modifications

We have provided turnaround support and are familiar with the repair and alteration guidelines established in the pressure vessel inspection codes of NBIC ANSI/NB23 and API 510. Our engineers have designed repairs and developed repair strategies.