Preventing Refinery Corrosion through Process Monitoring and Predictive Analysis

摘要

Historically, refinery operators have performed regular inspections to identify corrosion damage and determine if equipment must be replaced. These inspections are costly; therefore, processes such as risk-based inspection methodologies to prioritize inspections were established. The use of a detailed, rational process, which is derived from risk and potential equipment damage results, aids in prioritizing inspections. Probability and consequence are the key components of risk assessment. Data regarding damage mechanisms and their effect on the life of the equipment, along with criticality of failure are typically considered. The common assumption that corrosion rates remain constant and that asset integrity degrades at a constant rate is often incorrect. Inspections reveal locations in which corrosion rates were higher than anticipated, but cannot show when the damage took place, nor how to mitigate it or avoid potential damage in the future. Additionally, inspection cannot divulge whether particular processes of metallurgical parameters are the cause of damage. Table 1 illustrates historical methods vs. software-prediction methods.