THE LARGEST COKE DRUM
BULGE REPAIRS IN INDUSTRY
HISTORY
Amish Jani
Asst. Vice President (Corrosion & Inspection),
Reliance Industries Ltd., Jamnagar
+91-9998214992
[email protected] Mahmod Samman, Ph.D., P.E.
President
Houston Engineering Solutions, LLC
+1-832-512-0109
[email protected] New Delhi, India • October 2013
Overview
• Technical Background.
• Repair implementation.
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Technical Background
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History of Shell Bulging & Cracking
• Major problem for
decades.
• Despite design
improvements, still
a problem- perhaps
more severe today.
Courtesy of CB&I
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API Surveys
• 1968 Survey:
– Carbon steel drums bulged far more extensively
than C-Mo drums before giving through-wall
cracks.
• 1996 Survey:
– 97% said cracks were primarily circumferential.
– 57% reported shell bulging. Of the drums that
bulged, 87% cracked.
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Bulging Types
There are different types of bulges that are
created by different mechanisms and should be
treated differently:
• Circumferential welds (especially w/ thickness
change)
• Middle of drum
• In plates away from welds
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Bulging-Induced Cracks
• Bulging-only
• Combination of
bulging and weld
defect
• Combination of
bulging and weld-base
mismatch
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Bulging-Induced Cracks
INTERIOR
EXTERIOR
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Consequences of Bulging
• PRIMARY: Excessive strain
Local failure
Initiation of bulging cracks
Strain age embrittlement.
• SECONDARY: Increase in nominal stress
More fatigue damage
Accelerated propagation of cracks
• Leaks and fires
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Bulging Assessment
per API-579 / ASME-FFS
• Level 1: N/A to coke drums
• Level 2: Does not exist
• Level 3: Infeasible and costly process
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Industry Practice
• Stress analysis (1st generation)
• Geometric analysis (2nd generation)
• Strain analysis (3rd generation)
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Strain Analysis
• Plastic Strain Index (PSI)TM
• Based on failure limit of industry standard API
579/ ASME FFS
• Focuses on primary mode of failure.
• Excellent correlation with bulging cracks.
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PSI Analysis
• Four-tier severity system: Design, Concern,
Danger, and Failure.
• Used to determine likelihood of bulging-induced
cracking and frequency of laser scanning.
• Can be used for other pressure vessels with bulges
of similar failure modes.
PSI Severity Likelihood of Recommended
magnitude Grade Bulging-Induced Frequency of Laser
Cracks Scanning
80% to 100% Failure Likely 6 months to 1 year
60% to 80% Danger Probable 1 year
40% to 60% Concern Possible 1 to 2 years
0 to 40% Design Unlikely 2 to 3 years
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Radius Map
Various degrees of ovality circled
Excessive cracking Localized Bulge
Cracking
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Plastic Strain Index (PSI)
Negligible
impact of ovality High Severity at crack sites
on PSI results
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PSI Trend => Repair Need
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Common Types of Bulge Repairs
• Window replacement
• Can replacement
• Weld overlays
– Internal
– External
– Sandwich
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Window Replacement
• Advantages
– Simplest
– Least expensive
• Disadvantages
– Fit-up stresses
– Two-way material mismatch
– Short-term repair
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Can Replacement
• Advantages
– Better than window replacement
– Effective solution for
• Diagonal bulging
• Extensive widespread cracking
• Remote locations
• Disadvantages
– Fit-up stresses
– One-way material mismatch
– Medium-term repair
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Advantages of Weld Overlay Repair
• Advantages:
– Lower nominal stresses under mechanical loads.
– Favorable residual stresses on application surface.
– Possible reduction of bulging severity.
– Most effective and longest-lasting repair, if designed and applied
properly.
• Disadvantages:
– Need good automated procedure.
– Unfavorable low tensile residual stresses.
– Need proper engineering to handle potential for:
• Instability / buckling
• Excessive distortion.
• Impact of transition stress riser on fatigue life.
• Excessive thermal expansion stresses from repaired zone expanding differently
from rest of wall.
• Ratcheting in thinner wall that could result in generation of new bulges.
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Buckling / Local Failure
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Non-symmetric Distortion
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Repair Implementation
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Time History
• 08 coke drums commissioned in 1998
• Drums are 1.25Cr0.5Mo/SS410 clad
• Shell bulges monitoring since 2001
• Bulges >3” since 2007
• First shell crack: Apr2009 (2500cycles)
• First throughwall crack: Feb2010 (2740cycles)
• BOL repairs started: June2010
• Approx cycles:3650 Oct13
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Scope of Repairs
• Total repairs with Controlled-Deposition
Welding (CDW, without PWHT)
• Total Surface Area BOL repairs: 3350sqft
• Max size single location BOL repairs: 663sqft
(2.2m x 28m)
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Inspection requirements
Preparatory
• Repair specific PQR: Hardness, Toughness, Microstructure
• Mock-up with approved WPS/PQR: I, V, S
Site execution
• Mapping+Marking
• Clad layer removal – Cu Sulfate test (A380)
• Thickness check, Base line diameter measurements
• BOL as per approved WPS: Surface finish at edges/interface, PMI, Thk,
Fluorescent DPT, Distortion measurements, Taper edges 10:1, hardness
limits for overlay/interface/HAZ
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Challenges
• Overall process safety, Planning and scheduling for drum-pair repairs, with
other drums in line.
• WPS/PQR: CDW with 3layers min, hardness control
• Quality welders/operators specific to CDW requirements
• Working crew within one single confined space
• Simultaneous repairs for multiple locations in a drum
• Mapping/marking on drum wall
• Distortion measurements
• Controlling WPS parameters during execution at site
• Prediction of subsequent bulge growth
• Residual stress control
• Expected life post repairs, esp due to shake-down effect
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Photographs
Typical Shell Map with repair areas on Typical Shell cross section:
shell courses as-is/post-repairs
Confidential:
This slide cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LIMITED.
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Photographs
Typical bulge overlay repairs inside of the coke drum
Confidential:
This slide cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LIMITED.
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Performance
• Bulge growth under control, steady.
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