Across the plant, many assets fall under the API 510 Pressure Vessel Inspection Code. Equipment such as butane spheres, bullet and chemical tanks must be inspected to meet these requirements. Our API 510 inspection service is designed to slot into a plant’s current inspection plans, whether you need to fulfill a specific inspection or need to construct an entire program from the ground up taking RBI and best practices into mind.
The process stems from your inspection plan. If no plan already exists, we’ll consult with you to learn your approach to mechanical integrity. This starts the process by understanding the nature of the pressure vessel, its operating history and likely damage mechanisms. This is the basis for establishing the inspection timeline. Your plant may be using a broader RBI, in which case, we’d include the risk factors associated with the asset to hone our inspection approach. If a plan already exists, Gecko can perform your external visual, internal, thickness or on-stream inspections.
Because Gecko can provide high resolution thickness measurements via its Rapid Ultrasonic Gridding (RUG) technique and defect characterization with its Phased Array UT systems, our services have been shown sufficient to replace internal inspections or lengthen the inspection interval within RBI programs due to superior data quality and completeness of coverage.
Gecko API 510 inspections are conducted by API Level II and III inspectors. Written reports are supplied to the client along with access to our online portal, Gecko Portal, that provides interactive mapping of all thickness measurements. This allows for annotation, export, and sharing for maintenance planning.
Each report includes these sections -
- Executive Summary
- History Review
- Recommendations and Monitoring
- Report
- Comprehensive Visual Inspection
- Inspection photographs and component summaries
- Serviceability assessment:
- MAWP Determination
- Corrosion rates
- T_min evaluation
- Remaining life
- Inspection intervals
- Isometric/Construction drawings
- Manufacturer Data Reports (U-1's)
- Inspection Photos
- Construction Drawings
External Inspection in lieu of Internal Inspection
For many similar service situations, Gecko can determine asset health externally with a combination of ultrasonic techniques. Our customers have seen large cost savings by swapping out expensive, internal visual inspections for external ultrasonic inspections. The cost savings AND logistics savings are substantial. Under normal circumstances, all the contents of the tank would have to be pumped out, often destroying the product, and the pressure vessel made safe for man-entry. The costs don't stop there. Most tanks, especially spheres, will need construction of internal scaffolding to put the inspector in the right place to inspect. Most customers see an instant return on investment (ROI) from the cost savings. Talk to us about our experiences on gas spheres, ammonia tanks, and more!
