Safety Technology and Inspection Management for Pressure Equipment

Safety Technology and Supervision Management of Pressure Equipment – that must be the book

Can those upstairs be uploaded? It would make it easier to download. Thank you

The long maintenance cycles, high costs, and significant losses resulting from downtime of large pressure-bearing equipment have always been problems that plague the organizations using them. In particular, some large-scale critical equipment cannot be shut down for maintenance due to process reasons and other factors. 　　The Shandong Provincial Special Equipment Inspection and Research Institute was the first in China to propose the use of acoustic emission technology, based on physical acoustical principles, for the online inspection and overall integrity assessment of large pressure-bearing equipment. Through continuous online inspection and monitoring of liquefied gas railway tank cars, large hydrogenation reactors, large cryogenic high-pressure separators, ammonia synthesis towers with an annual production capacity of 100,000 tons, and pressure vessels in large single-unit cold storage facilities, the Shandong Provincial Special Equipment Inspection and Research Institute has gained an understanding of the signal amplitude and waveform characteristics of large pressure-bearing equipment. The method for eliminating non-defect signals was resolved; the background noise, monitoring threshold values, and positioning methods for signals from large pressure-bearing equipment were determined, resulting in an online inspection scheme and procedures for such equipment. 　　I. Main technical principle: The phenomenon in which a local source within a material rapidly releases energy, generating transient elastic waves, is known as acoustic emission. Such acoustic signals are extremely weak and often cannot be detected by humans. By utilizing acoustic emission technology, it is possible to detect the elastic waves generated as a result of dislocation movement, lattice distortion, stress release, crack initiation and propagation, yield and plastic deformation, as well as the fracture and separation of inclusions within the material of pressure vessels or stressed structures under load. Sensors convert these elastic waves into electrical signals through the piezoelectric effect; these electrical signals are then amplified and filtered before being fed into a computer for analysis, thereby determining the severity of the defects and their locations. Due to the high sensitivity of sensors, even the initiation of microcracks generates strong acoustic emission signals. Acoustic emission technology can \"detect\" warning signals such as dislocation movement and lattice distortion occurring within a material, long before macroscopic failure takes place. This provides timely and useful information for making decisions and taking actions, thereby preventing accidents. 　　During the production of large pressure-bearing equipment or during pressure testing, sensors are used to detect acoustic emission signals on the outer surface of these large pressure vessels. The elastic energy released when defects such as cracks arise, propagate, cause yield and plastic deformation, lead to fracture, or result in separation of the metal material under pressure is captured by these sensors. The signals are analyzed and processed in order to determine the presence of defects within the material, thereby assessing the safety status of the entire equipment. 　　II. Technical approach adopted for the research: 1. Review relevant literature to stay informed about the latest research developments in online inspection of large pressure-bearing equipment ； 　　2. Understand the technical characteristics of acoustic emission and transmission sensors, and grasp the application scope of these sensors ； 　　3. Study the data files of the acoustic emission instrument to extract useful information ； 　　4. Conducting acoustic emission field inspections on in-service large pressure vessels ； 　　5. Analyze the obtained data to identify the patterns in its distribution, and develop appropriate testing procedures ； 　　6. Conduct routine non-destructive testing on the aforementioned containers, and analyze the test results in comparison with the distribution of acoustic emission signals, in order to preliminarily determine an evaluation method for online dynamic acoustic emission testing of large-scale pressure vessels in use, while continuously refining this method ； 　　7. Conduct acoustic emission testing using the acquired evaluation techniques. 　　"The research on online inspection and monitoring of large pressure-bearing equipment represents a leading level in China; this technology has been widely adopted across the province. To date, the Shandong Special Equipment Inspection and Research Institute has used this technology to conduct acoustic emission tests under simulated operating conditions on liquefied gas railway tank cars at Qilu Petrochemical Company, 1,000-cubic-meter liquefied petroleum gas storage tanks at the heavy oil plant in Shengli Oilfield, and 100-cubic-meter liquefied petroleum gas storage tanks at the Liangcheng Yanggu liquefied gas station. It has also been used for the online inspection of pressure vessels in a large single-unit refrigeration warehouse with a capacity of 35,000 tons, belonging to Yinzuo Shengyang Logistics Center Co., Ltd. All the above tests identified defects in the equipment, and corresponding actions were taken; currently, these devices are operating well. The Shandong Special Equipment Inspection and Research Institute began to apply this technology for promotion and use in 2003, initially applying it to the inspection of large hydrogenation reactors and cold high-pressure separators at Kenli Petrochemical. The service life of these two pressure vessels has exceeded the specified inspection period, and they must be inspected; however, the production process makes it impossible to stop the operation for such inspections. Thanks to this technology, issues with the equipment were detected through online monitoring, and prompt action was taken to address them. At the same time, inspection revenue of 700,000 yuan was generated. In 2004 and 2005, the Shandong Special Equipment Inspection and Research Institute applied this technology to conduct online inspections of large pressure vessels in various chemical manufacturing enterprises within the province. It was found that some of these devices posed safety risks, which were addressed promptly, thereby preventing several serious accidents from occurring.