API 579-1 Fitness-For Service Assessment

Plant ID
Equipment Number:
Equipment Type:

ABC-1234
Vessel

Opolo
Equipment:
Date:

Separator
29th August 2014

Introduction

The following Level 1 and Level 2, Fitness-For-Service assessments were carried out on Grid Referen
accordance with API 579-1, Part 4, for Type 'A' pressurized components subject to general metal los
internal corrosion, using the methods outlined in API 579-2, 4.2. The assessement procedures are b
thickness averaging approach. As per API 579-2, 4.2, the longitudinal weld seam within the area of
corrosion is not considered to be a major structural discontinuity, though the weld joint efficiency o
taken into account.

Summary

The Level 1 assessment criteria are not satisfied due to the average measured thickness in the long
The Level 2 assessment criteria are not satisfied.
Nomenclature
CTP
D
FCA
L
LOSS
Q

Critical Thickness Profile.

inside diameter of the shell corrected for LOSS and FCA as applicable.
Future Corrosion Allowance (see API 579-1, Annex A, paragraph A.2.7).
length for thickness averaging along the shell.
amount of uniform metal loss away from the local metal loss location at the time of the asses
actor used to determine the length for thickness averaging based on an allowable Remaining
(see API 579-1, Part 2) and the remaining thickness ratio, Rt (see API 579-1, Table 4.5).

Rt

remaining thickness ratio.

RSFa

allowable remaining strength factor (see API 579-1, Part 2).

c
am

average measured wall thickness of the component based on the circumferential CTP determ
of the inspection.

tsam

average measured wall thickness of the component based on the longitudinal CTP determine
the inspection.

tc

corroded wall thickness.

tlim

limiting thickness.

tmin

minimum required wall thickness of the component (see API 579-1, Annex A, paragraph A.2).

minimum required thickness of a conical or cylindrical shell based on the stresses in the circu
hoop direction (see API 579-1, Annex A, paragraph A.2).

min

tLmin

minimum required thickness of a conical or cylindrical shell based on the stresses in the long
(see API 579-1, Annex A, paragraph A.2).

tmm

minimum measured thickness determined at the time of the inspection.

tnom

nominal or furnished thickness of the component adjusted for mill undertollerance as applica

trd

uniform thickness away from the local metal loss location established by thickness measurem
of the assessment.

API 579-1 Fitness-For Service Assessment

Plant ID
Equipment Number:
Equipment Type:

Opolo
Equipment:
Date:

ABC-1234
Vessel

Separator
29th August 2014
Note
s

Vessel Data
Material
Maximum Allowable Stress (S)
Design Conditions (P)
Inside Diameter (ID)
Inside Diameter (D)
Inside Radius (IR)
Inside Radius (R)
Nominal Thickness (tnom)

SA-516, Grade 70, year 1999

20000
psi
300
psig @ 350 F
48.000
in
48.200
in
24.000
in
24.100
in
0.750
0.100
0.85

Corrosion Allowance (FCA)

Weld Joint Efficiency (E)

including FCA
excluding FCA
including FCA
excluding FCA

in
in

Inspection Data

The grid used for the inspection and the thickness readings are shown below. The grid spacing set b
Equipment Inspector in the circumferential and longitudinal directions is 1.5 inches based on the co
Figure 1
Inspection Grid

C1

C2

C3

C4

C5

C6

C7

Grid Ref
CML-01

C8

M1
M2
M3
Vessel Shell

M4
M5
M6

Weld Seam

M7

Table 1 - Inspection Data (in)

Longitudinal
Inspection
Planes
M1
M2
M3

Circrcumferential Inspection Planes

C1
0.75
0.75
0.75

C2
0.75
0.48
0.57

C3
0.75
0.52
0.59

C4
0.75
0.57
0.55

C5
0.75
0.56
0.59

C6
0.75
0.58
0.60

C7
0.75
0.60
0.66

C8
0.75
0.75
0.75

Circumferential
CTP
0.75
0.48
0.55

0.75
0.75
0.75
0.75

0.61
0.62
0.57
0.75

0.47
0.59
0.59
0.75

0.58
0.58
0.61
0.75

0.36
0.57
0.57
0.75

0.58
0.48
0.56
0.75

0.64
0.62
0.49
0.75

0.75
0.75
0.75
0.75

Longitudinal 0.75
CTP
Grid
Spacing
0

0.48

0.47

0.55

0.36

0.48

0.49

0.75

1.5

4.5

7.5

10.5

M4
M5
M6
M7

0.36
0.48
0.49
0.75

API 579-1 Fitness-For Service Assessment

Plant ID
Equipment Number:
Equipment Type:

Opolo
Equipment:
Date:

ABC-1234
Vessel

Separator
29th August 2014

Perform a Level 1 assessment for internal pressure as per API 579-1, paragraph 4.4.2
(a) STEP 1 - Calculate the minimum required thickness.

C
tmin

PR

(SE 0.6P)

0.430 in

L
tmin

PR

(SE 0.4P)

0.212 in

API 579 refere

0.430 in

C
L
tmin max[tmin
, tmin
]

(b) STEP 2 - Thickness profiles are provided, the data for thickness readings is in Table 1, above.
0.360 in

tmm

(c) STEP 3 - Determine wall thickness to be used in the assessment.

0.650 in

tc trd FCA

(d) STEP 4 - Compute the remaining thickness ratio, Rt

Rt

tmm FCA

(tc )

0.400 in

(e) STEP 5 - Compute the length for thickness averaging from API 579-1, Table 4.5,
with Rt =
0.400 in
RSFa =
0.9
Table 2.3
The equation for Q is:

Q 1.123

1 Rt

1
(1
R
/
RSF
)

t
a

0.5

for Rt < RSFa

Q=

50

for Rt RSFa

1
R
t

Q 1.123
1

(1 Rt / RSFa )

Q=

0.4581

Is Rt < RSFa YES

Q=

0.4581

0.5

for Rt < RSFa

Is Rt RSFa

Q=

50

for Rt RSFa

NO
Table 4.5

API 579-1 Fitness-For Service Assessment

Plant ID
Equipment Number:
Equipment Type:

Opolo
Equipment:
Date:

ABC-1234
Vessel

with LOSS =

Separator
29th August 2014

0.000 in

D ID 2(LOSS FCA)

48.200 in
2.564 in

L Q Dtc

(f) STEP 6 - Establish the Critical Thickness Profiles (CTP's) from the thickness profile data. Determi
measured thickness tsam based on the longitudinal CTP and the average measured thickness tcam ba
circumferential CTP.
Longitudinal CTP
Figure 2: Longitudinal Critical Thickness Profile (in)
0.75
0.8

0.75

0.7

tleft

0.6

0.55
0.48

0.5

tright
t1

0.47

tmm

t2

0.48

0.49

7.5

0.36

0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0

1.5

4.5

10.5

L = 2.564 in

Grid spacing =
tmm =

1.5 in
0.360 in

tleft =

0.550 in

tright =

0.480 in
2.564 in

L=

(L / 2)

(grid spacing)

(L / 2)

(grid spacing)

t1 tmm (tleft tmm)

t2 tmm (tright tmm)

t1 =

0.522 in

t2 =

0.463 in

API 579-1 Fitness-For Service Assessment

Plant ID
Equipment Number:
Equipment Type:

Opolo
Equipment:
Date:

ABC-1234
Vessel

Separator
29th August 2014

The area method is used to determine the average thickness.

(t1 tmm)
(L / 2)
2

(tmm t2 )
(L / 2)
2

A1

A2

A1 =

0.566 in2

A2 =

0.527 in2

A1 + A2 =

1.093 in2

s
tam

(A1 A2 )
L

s
tam

0.426 in

Circumferential CTP
Figure 3: Circumferential Critical Thickness Profile (in)
0.75
0.8

0.75

0.7

tleft

0.6

0.55
0.48

0.5

t3

tmm

tright
t4

0.48

0.49

7.5

0.36

0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0

1.5

Grid spacing =
tmm =

0.360 in

tleft =

0.550 in

tright =

0.480 in
2.564 in

L=

1.5 in

4.5
L = 2.564 in

(L / 2)

(grid spacing)

(L / 2)

(grid spacing)

t3 tmm (tleft tmm)

t4 tmm (tright tmm)

t3 =

0.522 in

t4=

0.463 in

API 579-1 Fitness-For Service Assessment

Plant ID
Equipment Number:
Equipment Type:

Opolo
Equipment:
Date:

ABC-1234
Vessel

Separator
29th August 2014

The area method is used to determine the average thickness.

(t3 tmm)
(L / 2)
2

(tmm t4 )
(L / 2)
2

A3

A4

A3 =

0.566 in2

A4 =

0.527 in2

A3 + A4 =

1.093 in2

c
tam

(A3 A4 )
L

c
tam

0.426 in

(g) STEP 7 - Determine the acceptability for continued operation using Level 1 criteria in API 579-1
The average measured thickness acceptance is used in this example.
s
tam
FCA

0.326 in

c
tmin

0.430 in

s
c
tam
FCA tmin

NO

c
tam
FCA

0.326 in

L
tmin

0.212 in

c
L
tam
FCA tmin

from STEP 1

from STEP 1

YES

The Level 1 assessment criteria are not satisfied due to the average measured thickness

API 579-1 Fitness-For Service Assessment

Plant ID
Equipment Number:
Equipment Type:

Opolo
Equipment:
Date:

ABC-1234
Vessel

Separator
29th August 2014

Check the minimum thickness criteria in API 579-1, Table 4.4

tlim max[0.2tnom, 0.10 inches]

tlim

0.150 in

tmm FCA

0.260 in

max[0.5tmin , tlim ]=

0.215 in

tmm FCA max[0.5tmin , tlim ]

YES

The minimum thickness criteria are satisfied

Level 1 Assessment Summary

The Level 1 criteria are not satisfied, perform a Level 2 Assessment using API 579-1, Table 4.4

Level 2 Assessment
s
(tam
FCA)

0.326 in

RSFa tmin

0.387 in

s
(tam
FCA) (RSFa tmin )

The Level 2 criteria are not satisfied

NO

Page 1

ents were carried out on Grid Reference: CML-01, in

mponents subject to general metal loss resulting from
2. The assessement procedures are based on a
tudinal weld seam within the area of assessed
ity, though the weld joint efficiency of 0.85 has been

erage measured thickness in the longitudinal CTP.

l loss location at the time of the assessment.

ging based on an allowable Remaining Strength Factor

ed on the circumferential CTP determined at the time

ed on the longitudinal CTP determined at the time of

e API 579-1, Annex A, paragraph A.2).

hell based on the stresses in the circumferential or

hell based on the stresses in the longitudinal direction

ed for mill undertollerance as applicable.

on established by thickness measurements at the time

Page 2

including FCA
excluding FCA
including FCA
excluding FCA

e shown below. The grid spacing set by the Fixed

rections is 1.5 inches based on the corrosion profile.
Grid Reference
CML-01

Grid
Spacing
0
1.5
3

4.5
6
7.5
9

Page 3

API 579 reference

ness readings is in Table 1, above.

API 579 par. 2.4.2.2.d

API 579 table 4.4

Page 4

m the thickness profile data. Determine the average

e average measured thickness tcam based on the

Page 5

Page 6

on using Level 1 criteria in API 579-1, Table 4.4.

o the average measured thickness in the longitudinal CTP

Page 7