HIGH-ENERGY PIPING SYSTEMS: AVOID CRACKING UNDER PRESSURE

摘要

Avoiding cracking under pressure when managing high-energy piping systems is common subject matter in the power industry. Just as high-energy piping can give way to pressure, stress and fatigue, so can the people in charge of operating them when trying to determine what to inspect, where to inspect, and what to do with those inspection results once they have them. We have all heard the term, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." In the case of power plants that squeaky wheel tends to be boiler tube failures. Unfortunately, piping is quiet, until it isn't. In most cases, I personally enjoy surprises; however, when it comes to safety, surprises are NOT welcome. It goes without saying that high-energy piping systems are essential to the safe and cost-effective operation of power plants. Unfortunately, the likelihood for piping failures increases with the age of the systems involved. The question isn't if piping systems will fail, the question is WHEN they will fail.