allowing safe vessel repair.
Client: Petroleum refinery
Tough Problem: A depropaniser vessel required in-situ Post Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT) 15 metres above its base following some repairs. Given the significant drop in mechanical properties that occur at PWHT temperature (650°C), the risk of vessel collapse due to weight and wind loads was extremely high.
Practical Solution: SVT calculated thermal stresses due to temperature gradient at the location where the circumferential heating band was installed. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was performed to calculate the stresses due to weight and wind loads at the location of interest.