Client: [Client Confidential] Location: North Africa
Customer Challenge
The client operates several fired heaters at its facilities in North Africa and wanted to determine the remaining life of the fired heater tubes based on the past and future operating conditions.
The operator also wanted to determine the integrity operating window (IOW) for the safe operation of the fired heater.
ASSETT Solution
To determine the remaining life of the fired heater tubes, ASSETT performed a combination of creep and fatigue assessments on the fired heater tubes. The creep and fatigue assessments were performed based on the methodology in API 579-1 / ASME FFS-1 methodology. In the methodology, the creep assessment utilises the Materials Properties Council (MPC) Project Omega methodology which predict the rate of strain accumulation, creep damage accumulation, and remaining time to failure as a function of stress state and temperature.
Value Delivered
The remaining life assessment performed by ASSETT has predicted the end of life for the fired heater tubes based on the current tube’s condition and past and future predicted operating parameters. From the remaining life prediction, the client was able to plan the tube replacement strategy.
In addition to this, ASSETT highlighted risk mitigation actions to minimise the risk of creep failure for the fired heater tubes. The key risk mitigation actions include the following:
Maximum permitted skin temperature for the fired heater tube
Detailed monitoring strategy while heater is operational
Inspection strategy during shutdown
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