National Seminar & Exhibition on Non-Destructive Evaluation, NDE 2014, Pune, December 4-6, 2014 (NDE-India 2014)

Vol.20 No.6 (June 2015) - The e-Journal of Nondestructive Testing - ISSN 1435-4934
www.ndt.net/?id=17892

NDE Requirements Of In-Service Inspection Codes

Diwakar Joshi1,a , Amit V. Deshpande2,b, Hanuman M ane3,c and Aditya Bhagwat 4,d
1, 2, 3,4
Insight Quality Services, Office No. 507/508, Siddharth Towers, Nr. Karishma Chowk,
Kothrud – 411 029, Pune, M aharashtra, India
a b c
diwakarj@gmail.com, amit.deshpande@iqs-ndt.org, hanuman.mane@iqs-ndt.org,
d
aditya.bhagwat@iqs-ndt.org

Abstract
Integrity assessment of ageing equipments becomes a very important aspect of remaining life
calculations. The nondestructive evaluation techniques are playing an important role in in-service
inspection. Non-destructive Examination (NDE) is the soul of in-service inspection. In-Service
requirements for NDE are specified in different codes for pressure vessels (API 510), piping (API
570) and Storage tanks (API 653).
M any methods and techniques of NDE are employed routinely. Codes specify the method of NDE.
Visual testing is of great significance. In general, to cover detection of discontinuities throughout
the cross section, surface and volumetric techniques are always specified. Some techniques have
branched and evolved very well for in-service inspection – for example, Ultrasonic testing of heat
exchanger tube (bobbin probe), M FL of tank bottom. M any recently developed techniques, as
compared to the classical techniques, have taken their place in codes, and are now used.
In-service inspection requirements can vary. M ethodology of inspection is service based. An
industry may go for on-stream inspection rather than internal inspection. One may opt for risk based
inspection which adopts a different methodology. Frequency of inspection is critical. Codes will
provide recommendations on frequency. Personnel qualification requirement is strictly specified.
Customer specified acceptance standards may be more stringent than those specified by code.
Planning and executing NDE precisely is of importance. All such plans have to be time-based.
Quality and completeness of NDE is of utmost importance.
Results of in-service inspection are important and may lead to major decisions by the owner user.
This paper is detailing the NDE methods applied for different equipments and evaluation / analysis
methodology.

Keywords: In-service inspection, Codes and their requirements, NDE and NDE methods,
M ethodology of inspection, Industry requirements, Owner/User, RBI – Risk based Inspection,
American Petroleum Institute (API)
Introduction

Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) is widely used in in-service inspection; moreover NDE is the
soul of in-service inspection.

The word inspection spells out the following –

‘What is required? What is actual? What is the tolerance? Whether it is acceptable or not? And
make a report.’

For finding out what is required, you must have knowledge to know the requirement. For knowing
what is actual, you must have skill to measure the actual. Once you know actual values, you need to
segregate them as Accepted or Rejected. This is the base for inspection.

The Plant Inspections can be broadly divided as:

1) Inspection of new plant equipment and piping prior to placing them in service (during
fabrication / installation) - i.e., to ascertain the fitness for “proposed use”

2) Periodic inspection of “In-service” plants - i.e., to ascertain the “fitness for continued use”

Major Inspection Codes For Oil And Gas Industry

Purpose Pressure Vessels Plant Piping S torage Tanks

New Construction ASM E Sec. VIII ASM E API 650

Div. 1 & 2 B 31.3
BPV Codes
In-S ervice Inspection API 510 API 570 API 653

Objective-“New Construction” Code V/S “In-S ervice” Code

Inspection Codes for New Construction In-S ervice Inspection Code

1) Gives Rules for new construction using 1) Focus is totally different. Does not give any
a) Right design rules of construction but gives methodology to
b) Right material deal with equipments put in service.
c) Right M anufacturing Process
2) M ain Purpose is to find discontinuities 2) M ain purpose is to find service-related
arising during Design and M anufacturing Stage degradations of Equipments (corrosion, erosion,
fatigue, HIC, etc.)
3) Gives how to construct a vessel rightly 3) Takes 3 ‘R’ decisions based on results of
before putting it into service NDT and Inspection:
a) Run
b) Repair
c) Replace

New construction equipments are inspected against drawing and specified requirements, whereas,
the in-service inspection is carried out to assess the deterioration caused by different damage
mechanisms and the status of equipment in comparison with the original status. The general damage
mechanisms for pressure vessels, storage tanks and piping are listed in Table 1
 Table 1
General Damage Mechanisms
Prominent For Pressure Vessels, S torage Tanks And Piping [1]

Applicable Above
Pressure
S r. No. Damage Piping Ground Applicable NDE Method [Note 1]
Vessels
Mechanism S torage Tank
Susceptible vessels should be inspected
for pre-existing flaws/defects. No NDE
1 Brittle Fracture
M ethod applicable as it is a sudden
failure.
VT, M T, PT; SWUT for non-intrusive
inspection of internal cracking;
2 Thermal Fatigue - Specialized ultrasonic
Techniques for heavy wall reactor
internal attachment welds
Erosion/Erosion- VT, UT, RT; IR Scans for refractory loss
3 -
Corrosion on stream
M echanical PT, M T, SWUT for fatigue cracking; VT
4
Failure for small diameter piping
5 Vibration- - - VT, PT, M T
Induced Fatigue
Galvanic
6 Corrosion - - VT, UT
Atmospheric
7 VT, UT
Corrosion
VT (Partial/Full Stripping); UT
(Thickness); Real Time Profile X-ray
(Small Pipe Boring); Neutron Backscatter
Corrosion Under Technique (Identify Wet Insulation);
8
Insulation (CUI) Deep Penetrating Eddy-Current
Inspection; IR Thermography (Wet
Insulation and M issing Insulation Under
The Jacket); Guided Wave UT
Ultrasonic Flow M eters (Check Flow
Cooling Water
9 Corrosion - - Velocity); EC or IRIS Inspection of
Tubes
Boiler Water
10 Condensate - WFM T (Deaerator cracking problems)
Corrosion
M icrobiological
11 Induced - VT
Corrosion (M IC)
VT, Guided UT (Buried Or On-Grade
12 Soil Corrosion - -
M etallic Components)
Caustic
13 VT, UT thickness, UT, and RT
Corrosion
14 Sulfidation - UT thickness and Profile Radiography
(Thinning)
Chloride Stress
15 Corrosion VT (Cracking); PT or Phase Analysis EC
Technique; ECT; UT
Cracking
 (ClSCC)
UT and M T (Rotating Equipment);
Corrosion
16 - - WFM T (Deaerators); UT/EM ATS
Fatigue
(Cycling Boiler)
Caustic Stress
Corrosion WFM T, EC, RT or ACFM (Cracks);
17 Cracking AET (Crack Growth); UT including
(Caustic External SWUT (Crack Depth); No PT
Embrittlement)
Hydrochloric UT thickness or Profile Radiography
18 -
Acid Corrosion (Thinning)
Sour Water UT thickness or Profile Radiography
19
Corrosion (Thinning)
Sulphuric Acid
20 - - UT / RT
Corrosion
Amine Stress VT, WFM T or ACFM
21 Corrosion - Techniques; AET (Crack Growth); UT
Cracking including External SWUT (Crack Depth)
Wet H2S
WFM T, EC, RT or ACFM (Cracks);
Damage
22 - AET (Crack Growth); UT including
(Blistering/HIC/
External SWUT (Crack Depth); No PT
SOHIC/SCC)
High
Temperature
UT; VT; WFM T/RT (Advanced Stages
23 Hydrogen -
Of Damage); AET – Not Proven
Cracking
(HTHA)
[Note 1]
VT – Visual Testing
RT – Radiographic Testing
UT – Ultrasonic Testing
PT – Liquid Penetrant Testing
M T – M agnetic Particle Testing
WFM T – Wet Fluorescent M agnetic Particle Testing
SWUT – Shear Wave Ultrasonic Testing
IR – Infrared Testing
ACFM – Alternating Current Field M easurement

The application of the NDE M ethods for different equipments is dependent on the type, location and
orientation of the discontinuity and accessibility. The methods used for on-stream inspection and
internal inspection may differ. A summary of the NDE carried out for pressure vessels, piping and
tanks is described in Table 2
 Table 2
Application of the widely used NDE Methods on Pressure Vessels, Piping and Above Ground
S torage Tanks

S r. Component NDE Method Application Area / Extent Areas of

No. (Acceptance S tandard As Per concern
Construction Code)
1 Pressure Vessel VT 1. External Inspection – Ladders, The two eyes
Stairways, Platforms and are not
Walkways sufficient for
2. Foundation and Supports visual
3. Concrete foundation inspection. A
4. Anchor Bolts trained brain
5. Concrete Supports behind the two
6. Steel Supports eyes will do
7. Vessel Buckling and Bulging this. The
8. Vessel Supports lugs experienced
9. Fire-Proofing for support beams inspector can
and guy wires see through the
10. Grounding Connections material and
11. Auxiliary Equipments analyse the
12. Protective Coatings situation
13. External Supports
14. Soil Corrosion
15. Leaks
16. Pitting
17. Cracking
18. Lamination
19.Blistering
20. Deformation
21. M etallic linings
22. Localised and uniform
corrosion – process side
PT 1. Vessel Supports lugs Right
2. Nozzle Fillet Joints procedure,
3. External Supports (Fatigue technique and
Cracking) equipments are
essential
MT 1. Vessel Supports lugs Right
2. Nozzle Fillet Joints procedure,
3. External Supports (Fatigue technique and
Cracking) equipments are
4. Deaerator Cracking (WFM T) essential
RT 1. Profile Radiography for Correct
Insulated Small Bore Pipes Interpretation
2. Repair Welds
UT 1. Thickness M easurement (High API QUTE
temperature probes for on-stream) qualification is
2. Anchor Bolts, if required becoming
3. Thickness gauging for steel popular for on-
supports stream
4. Shear Wave for Vessel Supports
 lugs
5. Nozzle Fillet Joints
6. Lamination
7. Erosion
8. M etallic Linings
9. Repair Weld
ET 1. Heat Exchanger Tubes Thinning Baffle areas
critical
M iscellaneous 1. Neutron Backscatter for CUI Experience
2. M etallic Lining – Spark Test required
3. M etallography (Replication)
4. Hammer Testing

2 Piping VT 1. Vibrating Piping Experienced

2.Internal Visual Inspection for inspector is a
Big Piping must
3. External Visual Inspection – For
misalignment, vibrations and
leakage
4. CUI
5. Valves
6. Flange Joints
7. Buried Pipes – Holiday Survey
8. Hammer Testing
PT 1. Surface Cracks Correct
2. Pin Holes Procedure
MT 1. Surface Cracks Correct
Procedure
RT 1. CUI by Profile Radiography Qualified NDT
2. Injection Point operator
3. Repair Welds
UT 1. Thickness M easurement Specialised
2. CUI Technique
3. Injection Point
4. CM L M onitoring
5. Long Range UT
6. Shear Wave UT – For ID
Breaking Flaws
7. Repair Weld
8. Long Range UT
M iscellaneous 1. AC Flux Leakage for surface Special
breaking flaws Training
2. Replication for metallurgical
changes
3. Leak Testing
4. PM I
5. Neutron Backscatter for CUI

3 Above Ground VT 1. Welds Experienced

Storage Vessel 2. Cavities person
3. Inside surfaces
4. Bottom to shell welds
 PT 1. Welds Correct
2. Cavities Procedure
3. Back gouged surface of
root pass (shell thickness >
1 in.)
MT 1. Welds Correct
2. Cavities Procedure
3. Back gouged surface of
root pass (shell thickness >
1 in.)
RT 1. Welds – Vertical / Correct
Horizontal Technique
UT 1. Welds– Vertical / Correct
Horizontal Technique
M iscellaneous A. Vacuum Box Testing for – Experienced
1. Welds operator is a
2. Bottom plate leak paths must
B. Tracer Gas Testing for –
1. New bottom welds, unless
vacuum box tested
C. Diesel Oil Test for –
1. First pass of new shell-to-
bottom welds and final pass
of new shell-to-bottom
welds unless vacuum box
tested
2. Floating roof deck seams
and other joints required to
be light/vapour tight
D. Air Leak Testing –
1. Welds
2. First pass of shell-to-
bottom welds and final pass
of shell-to-bottom welds
unless vacuum box tested
E. Low Frequency ECT

As compared to the new equipments, the difficulties faced in in-service inspection are equipment
specific, viz., high temperature, equipment accessibility, etc. Therefore, in-service inspection by
NDE demands more knowledge and understanding for application of NDE. Calibrated machines,
correct procedure and qualified personnel are the basic requisites for any NDE and in-service
inspection is not an exception for that. Quality and completeness of NDE is of utmost importance.

Generally, all the in-service inspection codes are referring the acceptance standard from the original
construction codes. The procedures for NDE are in-line with original construction codes and in-turn
it refers to ASM E Section V. However, as the situation in which these NDE Techniques are to be
employed, being different, one has to take special precautions while doing in-service NDE.

High temperature probes are a common requirement. Alternatively, the temperature correction
factor can be used. API is specifying special qualification – ‘Industry Qualified UT Shear Wave
Examination’ – for inside surface breaking flaws detection. A lot of relevant information can be
obtained from API website – www.api.org. TOFD and PA are also used in some specific cases.

High magnification boroscopes and fibrescopes are in use now. However, standard workmanship
samples shall be used to avoid overrating the discontinuities. M easurement devices are available
with these equipments.

PT and M T are common techniques in in-service inspection. However, sulphur and chlorine content
control for the chemicals used on Austenitic Stainless Steels, Titanium and Nickel become very
important. Also, comparators shall be sued for sensitivity control. Calibration of M T equipments,
lux meter calibration and maintaining light requirements on job is critical.

Correct radiographic technique is primary requirement; however, is a common problem too. We

have to keep in mind that we need an ‘OK’ joint and not an ‘OK’ radiograph. On-site radiation
safety is very important. Digital radiography is making its own place.

In Eddy Current Testing, calibration with properly machined standard tube is very important to
simulate the actual situation. Cleaning of the tubes is very important.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that when NDE is carried out by service agencies, the competence of
service agency needs to be established. The following ASTM standards are very useful for this
purpose –
1. E 1212-12 Standard Practice for Establishment and M aintenance of Quality Control
Systems for Non-Destructive Testing Agencies
2. E 1359-12 Surveying Non-Destructive Testing Agencies

Conclusion –
If we apply in-service inspection techniques intelligently and effectively, and if we ensure that NDE
is carried out completely and correctly, the assessment of remaining life becomes more accurate.
Hence, one has to understand the NDE requirements and methodology in a greater detail.
Generally, in in-service inspection, we are focusing on the smallest discontinuity we can detect.
However, we shall also think of the biggest discontinuity we can miss. This is an essential
philosophy to end with a safe and reliable operation.

References –
[1] API 571 – 2011 Damage M echanisms Affecting Fixed Equipments in the Refining Industry