Objective:

• Development and validation of an inspection prioritisation and life prediction programme for a fleet of stations with seam-welded hot-reheat lines

Approach:

• Review of world-wide experience
• Draft procedure addressing piping geometry, stress analysis, weld profile and local metallurgy
• Validation on a selected unit, including testing of full-thickness cross-weld specimens, monitored for strain and damage accumulation

Benefits:

• Definition of the relative effects of global stress and local metallurgy, and how these interact for different weld geometries
• Production and acceptance of guidelines for inspection and life management
• Realisation of the need for selective cross-weld testing in certain circumstances
• Definition of safe operating conditions as component life is exhausted

Published:

Asquiedge, P., Guttmann, D., Rivron, J-P., Thoraval, G., Annis, V. A., Brear, J.M., Cane, B.J., Kermad., A., Middleton, C.J., Soo., J
“Remaining life assessment of single-V seam weld 2Cr1Mo hot reheat pipework”
ASME Symposium ‘Service Experience on Operating Fossil Power Plants’, 1995