Equipment Inspection
Ensuring reliability and long lifetime of the most critical equipment
The Challenge
Reliable and durable high-pressure (HP) equipment is critical for successful urea production. However, being exposed to highly corrosive ammonium carbamate at high temperatures and pressure puts stress on your HP equipment. As a result, equipment failures can severely interrupt plant operations and even cause serious safety risks and fatal accidents.
These risks, however, can be prevented with a proper inspection program in place.
Regular inspections will help to ensure safety, optimal performance, and maximum lifetime of the HP equipment in the urea synthesis section.
The Solution
Advance Inspect™ offers an inspection strategy to identify failure modes present in your urea process equipment, estimate its remaining lifetime, and provide actionable advice on mitigation measures and best procedures for extending the lifetime.
Stamicarbon’s experienced corrosion engineers and non-destructive testing (NDT) experts perform a thorough inspection over several days. Inspectors prepare daily field reports with inspection findings and advice to management, and a final report with root-cause findings is developed at the end.
The final report includes:
- Detailed information on the condition of HP equipment
- The type and level of failure modes identified, such as overall corrosion, corrosion under insulation (CUI), condensation corrosion, crevice corrosion, SIIC, stern-face corrosion, etc.
- Advice on repair and maintenance procedures
- Recommendations on plant operations concerning corrosion and damages
- An estimate of the scope and time interval for the next planned inspection
- Equipment lifetime prediction and due dates for follow-up actions or replacement
In case of extensive corrosion in the protective liners covering the carbon steel HP vessel, Stamicarbon can perform a relining procedure to replace the damaged liners.
Advantages of Equipment Inspections
It is essential to have a state-of-the-art and well-maintained leak detection system, along with performing regular inspections, to prevent catastrophic failure in the plant.
Equipment inspections should be performed every 2-6 years, depending on corrosion-resistant materials used and inspection results.
Stamicarbon gives advice and recommendations on repairs, modifications and the next recommended inspection date for your HP equipment.
Gain the following advantages:
- Information about the actual condition of the plant
- Increased plant safety
- Reduced costs of maintenance and/or repairs
- Improved productivity
Stamicarbon offers inspections in urea plants based on a thorough understanding of the process, materials of construction and failure modes, and experience gained from over 500 inspections executed worldwide over many years.
Learn about other types of inspections we offer:
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