The inspection plan for ethylene towers at Shanghai Petrochemical and Qilu Petrochemical, developed by Lanshi Heavy Equipment, has been approved

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On April 11, the process plan for phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) of the longitudinal, circumferential, and fillet welds on the ethylene tower shells—applied to both the 1.2 million tons/year ethylene plant under Shanghai Petrochemical’s comprehensive technical renovation and quality improvement project, and the 1 million tons/year ethylene plant under Qilu Petrochemical’s transformation and upgrading project—developed by Lanshi Heavy Equipment was successfully reviewed and approved by experts. As a cutting-edge technology in the field of non-destructive testing, phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) boasts significant advantages such as high detection accuracy, high operational efficiency, and strong adaptability to various working conditions. It is widely used in industries such as industrial equipment, energy and power generation, special equipment, and major infrastructure projects, serving as a key technical support for ensuring the intrinsic safety of critical equipment. The two ethylene towers, which are the core equipment of the two ethylene plants manufactured by Lanshi Heavy Equipment, are both large-scale pieces of equipment. Some assembly procedures must be carried out on-site at the project site; however, the on-site working conditions do not permit radiographic testing. After extensive discussions with the design institute and the owner, it was decided to use the PAUT testing method as a substitute for on-site radiographic testing. During the review meeting, the expert panel listened to Lansi Heavy Equipment’s detailed presentation on the PAUT testing procedures for the two projects, examined the process specifications, verification reports, and supporting documents. Through on-site data verification, technical inquiries, and in-depth discussions, they formulated their final evaluation opinions. They unanimously agreed that both testing procedures were scientific and rigorous, with sufficient verification; their technical parameters and implementation results met the requirements of the NB/T 47013 standard for non-destructive testing of pressure equipment as well as relevant design documents, making them reasonable and feasible for use in engineering applications.