Petromaster awarded with FRP project by QAPCO (Qatar)

Petromaster has recently completed a Life assessment and Fitness for Service Project in Qatar for Non-metallic Assets in Qatar Petrochemical Company.

The Assets included Storage tanks and Piping Circuits which were constructed from Non-metallic FRP Material and had been in Service since last 15 years. The project scope included:

Data collection
Inspection Plans and Asset Files development
Engineering support before and during inspection
Fitness for Service Analysis and reporting

Fitness for Service Assessments

Petromaster has the distinct advantage of being able to provide full life cycle information about FRP Assets – from technical review and selection of manufacturer, production through use and into repair or replacement.

Level 1 FFS Assessment

Level 1 Assessments are used to evaluate the asset under the operating conditions that correspond with the specified service conditions. Behaviors evaluated include both time dependent creep and relaxation, and risk of brittle fracture. The assessment will consider the potential effect of substances and operating conditions on all constituent materials – polymer, reinforcement and others – of the composite. The assessment follows a systematic process based on standardized equipment configurations that comply with a recognized construction code or standard. Visual examination of the installation and condition of the equipment is used to evaluate the potential for loads or conditions that exceed the design values. If the acceptance criteria for Level 1 are not met, then a Level 2 Assessment may be used to further evaluate the asset for continued service.

Level 2 FFS Assessment

Level 2 Assessments may be used for supplementary evaluation of equipment that is not accepted using Level 1 criteria, or to evaluate equipment and components that are not known to comply with recognized construction codes or standards, has multiple or undefined operating conditions, and more complex construction, including for example; repairs to components, support beams and structures that are not accessible from the non-process side of the equipment, vapor spaces, packing, mixed or cyclic operating regimes, operating pressures that span from below atmospheric to above atmospheric, and others. The stress analysis for the assessment may be based on closed form stress solutions and shall emphasize analysis of any bending stresses and strains including all locations where attack from service conditions may occur. If the acceptance criteria are not met, then a Level 3 Assessment may be used to further evaluate the asset for continued service.

Level 3 FFS Assessment

Level 3 Assessments can be used to evaluate those cases that do not meet the requirements of Level 1 or Level 2 Assessments. A detailed stress analysis, particularly for strains and bending stresses is required to evaluate constituent material behavior at all locations where the equipment does not meet the requirements of Level 1 or 2. Calculations may use closed form or numerical methods for the purpose of determining the maximum ligament strains, then manual methods must be used to assess the strains for the most vulnerable constituent.