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API RP 572 Inspection of Pressure Vessels, Fourth Edition
standard by American Petroleum Institute, 12/01/2016
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API RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 572 FOURTH EDITION, DECEMBER 2016
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iii
Scope 1
Normative References 1
Terms and Definitions 1
Definitions 1
Acronyms and Abbreviations 6
Introduction to Pressure Vessels 6
General 6
Methods of Construction 6
Materials of Construction 7
Internal Components and Equipment 8
Uses of Pressure Vessels 11
Design and Construction Standards 12
Reasons for Inspection 15
General 15
Safety 15
Reliability and Efficient Operation 16
Regulatory Requirements 16
Inspection Plans 17
General 17
Inspection for Specific Types of Damage 17
Developing Inspection Plans 18
Reviewing and Updating Inspection Plans 18
RBI 19
Frequency and Extent of Inspection 19
General 19
Opportunities for Inspection 20
Safety Precautions and Preparatory Work 21
Safety Precautions 21
Preparatory Work 21
Inspection Methods and Limitations 24
General 24
Thickness Measurements 24
External Inspection 27
Internal Inspection 36
Special Methods of Detecting Mechanical Damage 48
Metallurgical Changes and In-situ Analysis of Metals 49
Testing 49
Condition Assessment and Repair 53
General 53
Visual Inspection 53
Thickness Measurements 54
Remaining Life 54
Methods of Repair 54
Repair of Supporting Vessel Equipment 55
v
Records and Reports 56
Records 56
Reports 56
Annex A (informative) Exchangers 57
Annex B (informative) Towers 74
Annex C (informative) Sample Record Forms 131
Bibliography 144
Figures
Type 3016 Stainless-clad Vessel 8
Weld Metal Surfacing 9
Strip-lined Vessel 9
Principal Strip-lining Methods 10
Hex Mesh Installation for Refractory Lining 10
Reinforced Refractory 11
Vertical Heat Exchanger 12
Horizontal Vessel 13
Spheres 14
Horton Spheroid (Noded) 14
Process Tower 15
Exchangers 16
Exchanger Installation and Foundation 28
Severe Deterioration of Anchor Bolts 29
Method of Obtaining Vessel Profile Measurements 35
Corrosion in Channel 38
Crack in Weld Seen by PT 39
Hydrogen Blistering 41
Self-vented Hydrogen Blisters 41
Radiograph of Self-vented Hydrogen Blisters in Carbon Steel 42
Catalytic Reactor Internals—Cyclones 43
Corrosion Tab Method of Determining Metal Loss on Vessel Linings 45
Strip-liner Damage 46
Deteriorated Refractory-tile Lining 48
Steps in Using Special Equipment to Test Individual Tubes 52
Properly Rolled Tube 58
Tube-bundle Type of Tank Heater 60
Air-cooled Exchangers 61
Clean-service Double-pipe Coils 62
Tank Suction Heater with Everything but Forward End Enclosed; Shell Suction Nozzle Enclosed in Far End 63
Fin-type Tubes in Double-pipe Coil 64
Plate-type Exchanger 64
Tubes Thinned at Baffles 66
Tubes Fretting at Baffles 67
Erosion–Corrosion Attack at Tube Ends 67
Heat Exchanger Parts 70
Heat Exchanger Types 73
Typical Trays in a Tower 74
Random Packing in a Tower 74
Trays with Downcomers 75
Bubble Cap Flow Path 75
Tower Stripping and Rectification Section 76
Disk/Donut Tray 77
Baffle Tray Arrangement 78
Figure Tray 79
Sieve Tray Distortion 79
Typical Trayed Tower 82
Float Valves with Two Weights 83
Fixed Valves 83
Bubble Cap Valves 84
Extruded Valves 84
New Floating Valve Tray 85
Caged Valves 85
Typical Packed Tower Drawing 86
Random Packing, Pall Rings 87
Structured Packing 87
Grid-style Packing 88
Diagram of Required Scaffolding 90
Hexagonal Manways 91
Standing Oil and Water 91
Trays Collapsed 92
Corroded Anchor Bolting 92
Corroded Anchor Bolting 93
Cracked and Bulged Fireproofing 93
Debris in Skirt 94
Preliminary Inspection 94
Bed Damage at Preliminary Inspection 95
Manway Corrosion 95
Manway Liner Damage 96
Corrosion on Gasket Seating Surface 96
Corrosion on Gasket Seating Surface 97
Surface Corrosion of Shell 97
Inspection from the Bottom Head 98
Inspection of Packing via Riser 98
Demister Bypass Deposits 99
Fouled Demister Pads 99
Faulty Demister Installation 100
Preferential Corrosion of the Head-to-Shell Weld 100
Head Seam Preferential Corrosion 101
Preferential Corrosion of the Shell 101
Perforation Degradation 102
Chimney Tray Deformation at Draw Sump 102
Fouled Troughs on Box and Trough Distributor 103
Obstructed Pipe Distributor Perforations 103
Box and Troughs 104
Hit the Washers, Not the Bolts 104
Random Packing on Valve Tray 105
Bed Limiter Above Random Packing 105
Dislodged Packing 106
Damaged Packing Support Grid 106
Support Grid from Below 107
Corrosion Inside Sightglass Nozzle 107
Bottom Head, Vortex Breaker, and Debris 108
Fouled Grid-type Packing 109
Cracked Plug Weld 109
Stainless Steel Donut Cladding Breech 110
Cladding Breech at Gouges in Bottom Head 110
410 Stainless Steel Clad to Carbon Steel Interface Weld 111
Supplemental UT Markings 111
Cracking at Tray Support Ring Weld 112
WFMPT Discovered Cracking 113
Supplemental NDE May Be Needed 113
Areas of Chemical Activity 114
Areas of Activity 114
Hardware Corrosion 115
Stuck Valves Always Open 115
Clean Square-edged Perforation 116
Valve Fretting 116
Slotting from Below 117
Valve Leg and Perforation Inspection 117
Indentation of Valves 118
New Caged Valves with Dimples 118
New Caged Valve Cage Tabs 119
Small Fixed Valves 120
Fixed Valved Lateral Vapor Directional Flow 120
Removable Fixed Valves Reduce Fouling 121
Removable Fixed Valves Tray Damage 121
Bubble Caps on Stepped Trays 122
Fibrous Deposits and Fouling Under Bubble Caps 122
Tray Deck Should Be Scraped Clean 123
Tray Fatigue Cracking 124
Light-to-moderate Weir Corrosion 124
Loose and Missing Hardware Failure 125
Downcomer and Seal Pan Clamps Loose 125
Downcomer Clamp Loose 126
Tray Support Ring Corroded to Failure 126
Shell Corroded to Half Wall Adjacent Top Three Rings 127
Support Ring Grooving 127
Deposits Adjacent to Shell Are on Ring 128
Cracking of Ring Attachment Weld 128
Tray Support Ring Butt Weld Cracking 129
Breeching of the Seal Weld 129
Shadowing Inside the Downcomer 130
Shadow the Downcomer Shell Every Tray 130
Inspection Practices for Pressure Vessels
This recommended practice (RP) supplements API 510 by providing pressure vessel inspectors with information that can improve skills and increase basic knowledge of inspection practices. This RP describes inspection practices for the various types of pressure vessels (e.g. drums, heat exchangers, columns, reactors, air coolers, spheres) used in petroleum refineries and chemical plants. This RP addresses vessel components, inspection planning processes, inspection intervals, methods of inspection and assessment, methods of repair, records and reports. API 510 has requirements and expectations for inspection of pressure vessels.
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
API 510, Pressure Vessel Inspection Code: In-service Inspection, Rating, Repair, and Alteration
API Recommended Practice 571, Damage Mechanisms Affecting Fixed Equipment in the Refining Industry
API Recommended Practice 574, Inspection Practices for Piping System Components
API 579-1/ASME FFS 1 1, Fitness-For-Service
API Recommended Practice 580, Risk-Based Inspection
API Publication 2217A, Guidelines for Safe Work in Inert Confined Spaces in the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC), Section VIII: Pressure Vessels
For the purposes of this document, the following definitions apply.
3.1.1
alteration
A physical change in any component that has design implications that affect the pressure-containing capability of a pressure vessel beyond the scope described in existing data reports. The following should not be considered alterations: any comparable or duplicate replacement, the addition of any reinforced nozzle less than or equal to the size of existing reinforced nozzles, and the addition of nozzles not requiring reinforcement.
3.1.2
cladding
A metal integrally bonded onto another metal under high pressure and temperature whose properties are better suited to resist damage from the process than the substrate material.
1 ASME International, 3 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016, www.asme.org.
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