FITNESS FOR SERVICE CONSULTANCY

EVALUATING SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF
IN-SERVICE EQUIPMENT
Real-life conditions can often differ
considerably from original design parameters
with significant consequences on deterioration
mechanisms which affect equipment reliability
and safe operational life.
numerical simulations to support any fitness IMPROVING ASSET SAFETY AND
for service programme. As a long-standing
RELIABILITY
independent consultancy, our knowledge and
expertise able us to provide the impartial
advice valued both by our clients and across-
industry.

Owners and operators of critical assets,

therefore, need to rely on expert engineering
assessments when making decisions
to continue operation, alter operating
parameters, repair or replace plant
equipment.
RINA Consulting engineers have a proven
international reputation for the planning,
performing, supporting and auditing of
inspection and assessment programmes for a
variety of industries and equipment.
The spectrum of mechanical and electrical
engineering knowledge and experience
enables us to offer a broad range of technical
services from on-site field support to complex
HELPING CUSTOMERS TO RESOLVE DAMAGE
ISSUES
RINA Consultings involvement in fitness
for service assessments extends over
the past 30-years which has enabled
us to develop a deep understanding of
industry-specific issues and life-limiting
damage mechanisms.
As a result, we have a successful track-record
of helping our clients identify safety-critical
items in need of immediate remediation
as well as support for long-term strategic
asset planning for inspection, repair and
replacement programmes.
SERVICES
Global on-site mechanical and electrical
inspections
Damage evaluation employing latest defect
assessment tools and techniques
Modern metallurgical testing and analysis
facilities
State-of-the-art computational simulation
methods
In-house lifing and industry standard lifing
techniques
EXPERIENCE-BASED ASSESSMENT
It has been often found that risk-based
inspections (RBI) will highlight likely damage
mechanisms for a component as a whole,
but will not provide inspection teams with
specific information concerning critical
areas where examinations should focus.
RINA Consulting is able support its clients
with developing appropriate inspection
plans to identify susceptible life-limiting
locations as well as to provide on-site field
operatives to undertake the inspection and
carry out on-site assessments to provide
immediate engineering recommendations.
Following on-site examinations, RINA
Consulting can offer a comprehensive
list of services including detailed defect
assessments (including API Level 3) and
finite element simulations in order to
evaluate any damage identified during
inspections.
ENSURING SAFETY IN A CHANGING
ELECTRICITY MARKET
The current electricity market means that
power generation companies need to
respond rapidly to changes in consumer
demand in order to remain competitive.
Commercial pressures subsequently
influence engineering and operational
decisions which often requires outside
technical support.
RINA Consulting was commissioned by a UK
power generation company to evaluate its
proposed operational changes to one of its
combined cycle power stations. In particular,
we were asked to study the fatigue lives of
key components within the Heat Recovery
Steam Generation (HRSG) as a result of
changes to standard 2 Shifting starts to
so-called Fast starts.
ASSET EXPERIENCE:
Rotating equipment: gas and steam turbines
Combined cycle power generation equipment
Conventional boilers
Heat exchangers
Columns and reactors
Pipework
Fired heaters
Offshore structures
Storage tanks
Electrical generation, distribution and
switchgear.
Based on our previous experience with
this equipment, we were able to identify
key locations on which to focus damage
assessments.
Consequently as part of this study,
computational simulations of equipment,
including the high-pressure steam drum
and outlet headers, were generated to
determine changes in transient thermal
stresses at key locations during the two
start-up conditions.
Following this, fatigue assessments in-line
ABOUT RINA CONSULTING
with industry codes were conducted which
RINA Consulting is the engineering consultancy
supported the changes to the proposed
division of the RINA Group, and provides a wide
operational conditions. To reinforce this
range of services to critical industry sectors,
decision, further fracture mechanics studies
including oil & gas, power, renewables, space &
were conducted to determine the tolerability
defence, transport & infrastructure sectors.
to defects of HRSG components.
The end result of this work enabled our
client to provide technical justifications to www.rinaconsulting.org
operate with new rapid starts.