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An oil processing facility has effectively utilized an inventive onsite heat treatment technique to accomplish a crucial project with exceptional efficiency and safety measures.
This ambitious undertaking involved the process of solution annealing five 10.9'' OD Header Tees, with a wall thickness of up to 1.5'', alongside a range of other essential components that were identified during the initial discovery phase. However, before delving into the intricate specifics of this project, it is essential to first understand the unique challenges faced by the client and the overarching objectives that drove this achievement.
Identifying customer and scope concerns:
The client's foremost concern centered around ensuring safety, particularly in addressing the intricacies of confined spaces and adhering to site-specific safety protocols. Additionally, it was imperative to prioritize the well-being of field personnel who faced significant exposure to high temperatures generated by radiant heat during the heat cycle process's hot strip/air quench phase.
During previous attempts, the client struggled with persistent challenges in achieving and sustaining the desired set points and soak times required for the successful solution annealing of its components. The compounding failures prompted the facility’s decision-makers to seek a more reliable and effective approach. Heater integrity was put into question due to their inability to control the power output percentage per zone, resulting in frequent burnouts. Another contributing factor during initial attempts was the need to fold heaters, leading to the formation of hot spots and undesirable electrical shorts from piggybacked elements. These repeated setbacks raised concerns about the overall ability to complete the heat treatment scope at all. Therefore, demanding a new methodology capable of overcoming past limitations and guaranteeing superior results was necessary.
To address these obstacles and provide an optimal solution, Superheat proposed a solution annealing technique utilizing their Superheat SmartWay process.
Scope and schedule:
A solution anneal heat treatment application involves subjecting a component to a specific procedure that reduces the crack sensitivity of the base metal, which arises in response to thermal stresses caused during welding. The component's ductility and fracturing toughness are significantly enhanced by employing solution annealing prior to welding. This is achieved by eliminating secondary carbides that precipitate during the component’s in-service use. As a result, it is considered both standard practice and an industry-recommended approach to perform solution heat treatment on higher alloy cast materials after prolonged service exposure before proceeding with any weld repairs.
Onsite heat treatment: SmartWay to success
The scope of the project encompassed the solution annealing of five 10.9’’ OD Headers Tees, material type 20 Cr-32Ni+Nb, which measured up to 1.25’’ wall thickness. Based on discovery work, additional weldolet and thermowell tubes composed of alloy 800HT up to 1.25’’ wall thickness was added. The project complied with applicable codes and recommendations: ASME B31.3 Edition and AWS D10.10 Edition.
The heat cycle involved a soak temperature of 2120 °F with a tolerance of plus or minus 18 degrees, maintained for 30 minutes. The subsequent cooling process entailed removing heaters and insulation immediately, followed by applying compressed air from 14 air blowers evenly distributed around the circumference. This rapid and even cooling reduced the temperature of the heater at a staged rate that produced the desired metallurgical results.
The Superheat SmartWay solution:
The Superheat SmartWay solution, encompassing its equipment, technology and specialized manpower, played a crucial role in the success of the project. The following elements had significant impacts:
Preplanning, Collaboration and Engineering/Quality Department Support:
Two months of preplanning, collaboration and the support provided by Superheat Engineering and Quality teams were instrumental in ensuring project execution. Through an engineering process that involved communication with facility engineers, they achieved meticulous planning and customization, yielding results in effective solutions precisely tailored to meet the client's unique requirements.
The Superheat SmartCenter, SmartView and SmartReports:
The synergy of Superheat's SmartCenter, SmartView and SmartReports electronic project data packages provided advanced monitoring, analysis and reporting capabilities. These tools allowed for real-time visibility into the heat treatment process, enabling prompt adjustments and ensuring compliance with quality parameters. This strategic approach enabled us to streamline operations, resulting in a remarkable 30% reduction in manpower requirements.
Onsite heat treatment: SmartWay to success
Equipment usage:
Onsite heat treatment: SmartWay to success
The use of Superheat SmartPoint and SmartPak significantly contributed to achieving project KPIs. Superheat SmartPoint enabled precise control of power output percentages, ensuring meticulous temperature regulation within designated zones and preventing any breaches of temperature quality parameters. The ability to control the power output percentage ensures the heating element’s temperature synchronizes with that of the component, whereas the traditional method requires the heating element to significantly surpass the actual component temperature to achieve heat distribution and penetration. This overloading causes heater burnouts based on the elevated soak temperatures required for solution annealing.
Moreover, the industry-leading output capacity of a single SmartPoint console minimized the overall machine footprint on the project site, contributing to resource-efficient operation that was 25% less than the traditional approach.
Custom-shaped and built Kanthal D wire 40V multidirectional flexible ceramic heating elements were also designed and manufactured specifically for the configuration of the header. This helped eliminate the need to overlap traditional off-the-shelf sizes of heater elements.
An additional project-specific item was the development of a custom-built stripping apparatus. This device, known as the "pike," enhanced the Field Tech’s ability to strip the insulation, metal banding and resulting heaters quickly and effectively from the heater. This device made certain the rapid cooling required in the solution annealing procedure could take place.
Personnel:
The project greatly benefited from the expertise and experience of key individuals involved. Effective communication and collaboration between Superheat team members and the client were essential in overcoming challenges and achieving objectives. The market’s fluctuation in the skilled labor pool serves as evidence of the dedication and loyalty of Superheat’s field staff, showcasing the effectiveness of the company’s workforce team.
Final outcomes:
The Superheat SmartWay solution and its customized approach significantly impacted the project's overall success. The heat treatment scope was executed according to the procedure, with Superheat demonstrating its ability to achieve and maintain the desired temperature hold points. The experience gained from working on Header A was applicable to the remaining four headers, further improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire heat treatment process.
Superheat also delivered cost and schedule savings, which had a significant impact on various aspects of the turnaround project. Additionally, Superheat had the advantage of providing an ample workforce to complete the required scope, whereas lack of manpower was a major concern for other contractors.
Furthermore, Superheat not only improved the quality of the project but also prioritized safety. This included the use of fire suits and multiple pairs of high-temperature gloves, ensuring the safety of the workers involved. The sequence of operations was meticulously designed to maintain safety standards throughout the entire heat treatment process.
The Superheat SmartWay solution demonstrates its value through cost and schedule savings, improved quality and a strong commitment to safety. With a blend of collaboration, expertise and cutting-edge technology, Superheat solidifies its standing as a leader in onsite heat treatment solutions.
For more information, visit Superheat.
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