HOW VALVES FLOW INTO YOUR INTEGRITY PROGRAM PART 2: MECHANICAL INTEGRITY CONSIDERATIONS

摘要

Understanding valves, their anatomy, and how they operate, gives the inspector a better sense of what potential problems exist. At the same time, knowing which problems are more common to a specific type of valve allows the inspector to connect these dots and formulate an inspection plan that ensures continued reliability of valves. In part one of this two-part series, we discussed the basics. We introduced the main valve types used in the industry and the two classifications of valves that belong in mechanical integrity (MI) programs: Emergency Isolation Valves (EIVs) and Critical Check Valves (CCVs). We summarized the industry standards and references that apply to EIVs and CCVs, and we discussed a process for identifying these valves and managing them within the MI program.