Outlet Collector Pressure-Drop Assessment

Why do outlet collectors only rarely fail, even when subjected to pressure-drops well above the design basis of the collector? The answer lies in the design approach which incorporates simplifying assumptions to accommodate a tractable and conservative approach.  These conservatisms can be relaxed where necessary to give results much more in line with actual experience […]

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Why do Clamped Connections With Metallic Seals Sometimes Leak?

Clamp connections with metallic seals can offer superior joint integrity over traditional flanged connections but caution must be exercised regarding the service conditions, especially when cyclic thermal loading is present. This blog post highlights aspects of a clamp connection analysis performed by Becht Engineering. The client had observed significant loss of bolt preload at several […]

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Fitness-For-Service API 579-1/ASME FFS-1: Substantive Changes to the 2016 Edition

Contributing Authors: Eileen Chant, Greg Epremian, Ranjan Nadarajah, Mark Stonehouse  Summarized herein are the substantial changes to API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, Fitness for Service, that were incorporated in the 2016 edition, as reviewed by Becht Fitness for Service experts. API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 is a Standard jointly published by API and ASME.  The purpose of the document […]

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Piping Settlement Screening Tool

Settlement of a pipe support foundation is usually not a big deal to assess. A local piping flexibility model will reveal if the settled support keeps the pipe bending stresses within the allowable codes and, if the bending stresses are unacceptable, modifying the support and monitor periodically for further settlement is normally a quite manageable […]

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Estimating Creep Life of Fluid Catalytic Cracker Internals Using FEA

How long will the cyclone system in a Cat Cracker reactor or regenerator last? Cyclones systems in Fluidized Catalytic Cracker units (FCC) are typically designed to a creep allowable stress, where the stress field at various locations of the system has been determined by linear elastic analysis. The basic allowable stress for such internal structures […]

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FFS Assessment of Crack-like Flaws Discovered in Pressurized Equipment

It is often unsettling to have an inspection group discover a crack-like flaw in a piece of pressure containing equipment, particularly when the turn-around schedule is aggressive. Fortunately, there are well-established Fitness-for-service procedures in place to assess such flaws and help guide decision-making on whether to repair or to leave in place with a monitoring […]

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