In this section of the site contributing authors submit interesting articles relating
to the various services, industries and research & development efforts of Becht.
Equipment Operators face hundreds of work list items while planning for scheduled maintenance events. For each item the owner must make a decision on whether to repair or replace the equipment to resolve the deficiency. In some circumstances, owners are unable to come up with a cost effective repair solution so they default to the […]
Road Map of Regulatory Requirements General Design Criteria – The protection of nuclear power plants from the effects of tornadoes (or extreme winds from typhoons or hurricanes, depending on the locality) is required through 10CFR50 Appendix A, 10 CFR 50, Appendix A, General Design Criterion 2 which requires that structures, systems, and components (SSCs) important […]
Reliable operations is a key business objective for nearly every manufacturing plant due to global economic pressures and increasing Process Safety Management (PSM) requirements. Pacesetter sites that have been successful in achieving long-term reliability are characterized by Business Units empowered and accountable to meet their reliability targets. Structured work processes, with specialist support, provide the […]
Immediately following the Fukushima accident of March 11, 2011, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission assembled a Near-Term Task Force to gather the lessons learned from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi accident. The Task Force compiled a set of “Recommendations for Enhancing Reactor Safety in the 21st Century.” The Recommendations were approved by the Commissioner and issued for […]
Overview Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) units were first developed in the 1930s. Over the years this technology has evolved and it is one of the most important processes used in refineries. The FCC units are used to convert high boiling point, high molecular weight hydrocarbon fractions of crude oils to gasoline, olefinic gases, and other products. […]
This article outlines the procedure to evaluate the fitness-for-service of corroded buried pipe, and explains what CC N-806 covers … and what it does not cover. What are the Damage Mechanisms in Metallic Buried Pipe? The inspection of a buried metallic pipe, after years of service, can reveal that the pipe has little if any […]
This article describes an integrated study of thermal-hydraulic and structural loading of bounding piping systems, to establish an operating envelope, screening criteria, and rules of good design practice to protect piping systems from damage caused by valve closure water hammer. Introduction In many cases of operation or flushing of piping system, it is necessary to […]
Note: This blog is a continuation from the previous article from Becht Engineering, “Shaft Fatigue Failures – Part I”. It is suggested that the reader review “Shaft Fatigue Failures – Part I” before proceeding with this article. Click Here to view Part I. Before getting into the calculation methods, first a quick refresher on high […]
Many years ago when I first started my career in a rotating equipment maintenance organization, I was spending the day with a senior metallurgist, which was part of my orientation process as a new technical employee. He was well known to not have the best “bedside manner” and it was clear he was not thrilled […]
Achieving “State Special” designation for a pressure vessel can require a fair amount of effort in documentation development. This process is warranted – for example – when a company wants to move a pressure vessel from one facility for operation in a facility located in another state, or when they purchase a used vessel located […]
