Recertification of Aging Pressure Vessels/ Systems at NASA Facility

We developed a seven-year program for the recertification of aging pressure vessels and pressure systems for the NASA-Glenn Research Center.

Some of the vessels and systems were over forty years old, and were part of the original NACA installation. Some were layered vessels for 3-6000 psi service, some were monobloc high pressure vessels, and others were for mundane service. In addition to the determination of lifetime/ intervals between NDT examination, we were also asked to evaluate the vessels to conformity to ASME Code – despite some of the vessels not designed to the Code.

The program covered vessels and piping systems, including:

1. Performing stress, fatigue and fracture analyses to establish regions to be subjected to nondestructive examination.
2. Performing nondestructive examination of selected regions and features.
3. Performing repairs or analysis to determine the permanent or temporary acceptability of defects.
4. Defining the conditions and lifetime for which the system has been recertified, and the calendar or cyclic interval at which inspections are necessary.
5. Establishing a Fitness for Service program – identifying locations requiring repair and recommending repair and/or replacement based on cost effectiveness. In addition, vessels were evaluated in conformance to ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. Pumps and valves were also analyzed to various conditions, and cost-effective solutions were made for malfunctions.

We perform design, analysis and troubleshooting services to codes including AWS, API and ASME.

Give us a call to discuss your engineering challenges.

Related Projects

– API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 Fitness for Service on a Brewery Tank
– API 579-1/ ASME FFS-1 Fitness for Service on Boiler

Similar Services

– Fitness For Service Evaluations
– Material/ Metallurgical Consulting

Resources

– Introduction to Fatigue Analysis
– (PDF) “Weld Defects and Failures: Quantifying Fitness For Service – How Finite Element Mathematical Simulations can Mitigate Risk, Cut Costs and Improve Overall Safety” 
– Publications – Heat Exchangers, Pressure Vessels, Weld Applications, Fatigue, Elevated Temperature