REMAINING LIFE ASSESSMENT OF IN-SERVICE COMPONENTS


Effective management of capital-intensive major equipment requires strategic decision-making as the equipment approaches the end of its anticipated useful life. The replacement alternative may involve the expenditure of millions of dollars. If maintenance can be performed to extend the life of the equipment, that expenditure might be postponed, having a positive effect on corporate financial performance.

The determination of maintenance costs relating to equipment life extension requires an assessment of remaining life in critical components. Maintenance recommendations can then be made to extend equipment life for a desired period. Analysis will include recommendations for future preventative maintenance scheduling, operating condition improvements, repairs and replacement.

Remaining Life Assessment technology can be used to assess:

  • Boiler components
  • Steam-turbine components
  • Combustion turbine components
  • Hydraulic turbine components
  • Pressure vessels
  • Welded structural components
  • Storage tanks
  • Pipes and pipelines

Fatigue, creep, stress corrosion and fractures are the four common types of phenomena that govern component life. Powertech Labs assesses the remaining life using the latest state-of-the-art techniques including finite element analysis and fatigue and fracture mechanics.