By Clay White and Matt Caserta Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) for piping systems has been a hot topic at recent industry meetings.  While many operators have implemented piping RBI in the past, the results have not always been realistic.  Lately, more scrutiny has been given to the RBI methodology for piping and work process details.  Becht’s […]

In the first part of our blog series on the Life Management of Pressure Swing Absorbers (PSA), we discussed the importance of accurately measuring weld peaking and how it influences stress and fatigue life. As we delve into the second part of this series, our focus shifts to the quality of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) inspections, […]

Here’s an excerpt from the Inspectioneering Journal July/August 2024 issue. https://inspectioneering.com/journal/2024/07 Modern delayed coker heaters provide the energy to drive the coking process with challenging feeds, wide temperature cycles, and operating constraints. The balancing act maintained by the operations team to hit the correct coil outlet temperature, maintain an even heat fl ux, manage drum […]

The safe operation, maintenance, and reliability of floating roofs on storage tanks requires special considerations in their design, construction, and inspection practices. Over the past 100+ years, thousands of tanks with External Floating Roofs (EFRs), fixed roofs with Internal Floating Roofs (IFRs), and EFRs covered with domes have been used to store crude oil, refined […]

Think back on the education and training you’ve received over your lifetime. We can all pinpoint instructors who elevated our level of understanding, inspiring our curiosity and encouraging us to become excited about the topic at hand. For most of us, these exceptional educational experiences hinged on exceptional instructors – it wasn’t just about what […]

The supply chain for alloy materials is complex and appropriate safeguards and inspections must be performed from the source of raw material through the entire fabrication, shipping, warehousing and installation process. Intentional forgery of documentation and materials has occurred in the refining and petrochemical industry and can impact other industries relying on alloy materials. A […]

Inline mixers can be defined as a configuration where the materials to be mixed are flowing continuously through the device. Residence time is generally short, on the order of seconds.  Oftentimes, plug-flow behavior (minimal back-mixing) can be approached. Inline mixers are used because of the general compactness and simplicity of the equipment relative to tank […]

Mechanical Engineering Magazine put out it’s 2024 Watch List of the 25 early-career engineers that have made their mark on industry and society. To view the entire list: https://magazine.asme.org/issues/watch-list-2024/introduction   EARNING A MASTER’S DEGREE in mechanical engineering is an accomplishment on its own, but even more so when simultaneously working a full-time job and battling […]

I recently wrote about the similarities between a 12,734 mile motorcycle ride and a Reliability Program including passion, preparation and perseverance. In this blog we highlight key elements that are critical for both a ride and a Reliability Program. These elements included: 1. Setting challenging, realistic goals 2. Selecting the right team 3. Making progress […]

You may have heard the joke or seen a meme about peeling potatoes to illustrate a misunderstanding in a humorous way. Someone asked another person to “peel half of the potatoes,” intending for them to peel half the potatoes in the bag. However, the person misunderstood the request and instead peeled the skin off only […]