Pressure Swing Absorbers (PSAs)
A leading petroleum company avoided extremely dangerous outcomes by performing thorough, proactive robotic inspections.
Challenge
- PSAs are prone to cracking due to extreme pressure swings
- The adsorption process can be dangerous and cause failures if the damage goes undetected or unaddressed
- This refinery typically inspected the PSAs using manual methods, which require scaffolding, adding additional cost, time, and safety
- Routine high-resolution inspections are needed to monitor the progression of damage growth accurately, making inspection repeatability
Solution
- Full-coverage phased array corrosion mapping via Rapid Automated Ultrasonic Testing (R-AUT)
- Full-coverage weld inspection using Automated Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT)
- High-definition corrosion mapping and weld scan data visualizations with expert analysis
Results
- Inspection completed at a 25% cost savings compared to traditional AUT
- In-depth, full-coverage corrosion mapping and weld inspections for 6 PSAs measuring 9’ diameter x 15’ 8” height (2.7 m x 4.8 m) per vessel
- Total inspection time decreased by 75% compared to conventional manual inspections, with full-coverage scans completed in 1.5 shifts per vessel for a total of 9 shifts
- The use of automated robotic crawlers eliminated the need for scaffolding access
- 42 million UT data readings per vessel obtained via Rapid AUT to create data-rich visual maps in .04” x .04” (1 mm x 1 mm) grids compared to traditional AUT in 0.10” x 0.25” (2.54 mm x 6.35 mm) grids
- The robust data sets revealed that there wasn’t any damage present in the base metal and welds of the PSA vessel
