DESIGN AND IN-SERVICE INSPECTIONS

Guy BAYLAC
Technical Advisor to EPERC
guy.baylac@wanadoo.fr

TAIEX Workshop, Working Group 4

Bratislava – 12 April 2005
 Layout
• Introduction: PED and National legislation
• Explicit reference to in-service inspection in
EN 13445:2002
– Fatigue (Clauses 18 and 17 of EN 13445-3)
– Annex M of EN 13445-3
– Creep, fast closures
• Experience feedback
• Conclusion

2
 Classical error n°1
Legal texts
• PED applies to design, manufacture
and conformity assessment of PE
• National legislation to in-service
inspection
• Thus design and in-service inspection
would be two completely different
domains

3
 Classical error n°2
Lack of dialogue
• The Purchaser of equipment wants the
lowest possible price
• The User wants to reduce inspection,
maintenance and download costs
• But it is the total cost (purchase +
inspection + maintenance + download)
which is to consider

4
 Warnings
• PED, Annex 1
– "The manufacturer is under an obligation to
analyse the hazards …"
– Operating instructions: use, maintenance
• Requirements contained in product
standards: e.g. EN 13445:2002 "Unfired
pressure vessels"

5
 Layout
• Introduction: PED and National legislations
• Explicit reference to in-service inspection in
EN 13445:2002
– Fatigue (Clauses 18 and 17 of EN 13445-3)
– Annex M of EN 13445-3
– Creep and fast closures
• Experience feedback
• Conclusion

6
 Fatigue damage occurs
earlier with thickness
reduction!
• Higher nominal stresses f  min(
R p ,0, 2 Rm, 20
; )
1,5 3
– Yesterday R p ,0, 2 Rm, 20
– Today (DBF) f  min( ; )
1,5 2,4
– Today (DBA) R p ,0, 2 Rm, 20
f  min( ; )
• Fatigue analysis required 1,5 1,875
– Yesterday for neq  1000 pressure cycles
– Today (DBF) for neq  500 pressure cycles
– Today (DBA) for neq  500 pressure cycles

7
 Design conditions for
fatigue critical areas
• Accessible for inspection and non-
destructive testing
• Instructions for appropriate
maintenance are included in the
operating instructions
• Valid procedures are given in Annex M
"Measures to be adopted in service"

8
 Fatigue critical areas
are those for which

• The number neq of full range or

equivalent pressure cycles is greater
than 500
• And the design fatigue damage D >Dmax

9
 Definition of critical
zones in formulae
neq  500
and
Dmax  0,8 for 500  neq  1000
Dmax  0,5 for 1000  neq  10000
Dmax  0,3 for neq  10000
10
 Special case of testing
group 4 vessels

• Vessels produced in
large series, no NDT
except visual inspection
• 500 full pressure cycles
• Higher pressure test at fa emin
the end of fabrication to Pt  2,0  Ps  
f t emin  c
ensure safety
• Measured peaking
limited to
0,5  emin

11
Outward peaking

12
 HYDFAT RESEARCH
PROGRAMME
(Institut de Soudure)
Typical small
scale pressure
vessels
(MBEL)

13
 ANNEX M
"Tests during
operation"

• These tests shall be included in the

operating instructions of the
Manufacturer

14
 Annex M
Tests during operation

• Internal and external inspection at 20 %

allowable lifetime
• Record of number of load cycles
• For vessels subject to cyclic loading internal
inspections to be supplemented by non-
destructive tests
• If operating conditions deviate from those
assumed in calculation, inspection intervals
should be shortened

15
 Annex M
Measures at end of design
lifetime

• Vessels of testing groups 1, 2 and 3

– Complete NDT
• No cracks or crack-like defects:
– Continued operation may be allowed
• If cracks or crack-like defects:
– Removal of cracks by grinding …
– Change in mode of operation

16
 Annex M
Measures at end of design
lifetime

• Vessels of testing group 4

– Complete visual inspection after 500 full or
equivalent pressure cycles
– Followed by a pressure test at a pressure equal to
that used for the initial pressure test.
– This sequence may be repeated as long as the
visual inspection reveals no evidence of fatigue
cracking and the pressure vessel passes the
pressure test.

17
 Crack progression
a 500
Crack Cycles
No
depth hydrotest 1 cycle
in service per
Danger! week
~
10
years
Hydrotest in service
with crack blunting
Time 18
 Similar considerations for
Creep (EN 13445-3 New
Clause 19)
• Two safety coefficients versus creep
rupture strength

– SF=1,5 without monitoring

– SF=1,25 with monitoring

• Operating instructions shall specify

monitoring if it is a design option
19
 Fast closures : EN
13445-5, Annex C
Operating instructions shall deal with
• Service-maintenance intervals
• Conservation of records
• Checks of closing mechanism
• Tolerances for parts subject to wear and parts
to replace
• Other materials to be used with manufacturer
consultation
• Operating personnel adequate instructions
• Operating instructions available on the site
20
 Layout
• Introduction: PED and National legislations
• Explicit reference to in-service inspection in
EN 13445:2002
– Fatigue (Clauses 18 and 17 of EN 13445-3)
– Annex M of EN 13445-3
– Creep, fast closures
• Experience feedback
• Conclusion

21
 Experience feedback

Design Operation

Experience feedback

22
 Experience feedback has
beneficial consequences

• Product improvement: life extension,

easiness of operation, recycling
• Improvement of inspectability
(possibility to inspect)
• Introduction of proven materials e.g.
– Composite materials
– Spheroidal graphite cast iron (low cost)

23
 Experience feedback may
have negative aspects

• Old inspection rules may influence the

design without being justified by
integrity
– A design against time intervals of
inspection and not against design fatigue
curves may lead to unnecessary increase
in thickness

24
 Layout
• Introduction: PED and National legislations
• Explicit reference to in-service inspection in
EN 13445-3:2002
– Fatigue (Clauses 18 and 17)
– Annex M
– Creep, fast closures
• Experience feedback
• Conclusion

25
 Conclusion
• This presentation has covered
– Interaction between fatigue design and in-
service inspection
– Interaction between design and in-service
inspection for creep and fast closures
• This presentation is far from being
exhaustive

26
 Conclusion (Continued)
• It has raised questions, such as:
– A better dialogue between involved parties,
e.g. the User and the Manufacturer, which
is a source of profits
– An organised feedback, e.g. a data base
on accidents at European scale, which
could improve design and operation
efficiency.

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