Integrity management of steam piping systems.

STEAM PIPING IS a vital part of the sugar production process and therefore needs to be maintained and managed to ensure it is safe for operation. An effective piping management system should function to comply with legislative inspection requirements, determine the required inspection intervals and assist to identify where potential damage could be present in a particular part of a pipe system. In the context of this paper, the piping system will be considered for elevated temperatures and under fatigue loading. To complement the inspection process, non-destructive testing (NDT) should be used. Typical tests include ultrasonic testing (UT), magnetic particle testing (MT) and replication. In the event that defects are found, a fitness for service assessment can be conducted to demonstrate the structural integrity. Where the piping system is close to the design life or exceeded it, a remaining life assessment can be utilised to determine the degree and rate of damage currently in the system and what damage is allowed for continued safe operation.