ETD Consulting has started a new two-year group sponsored project (GSP), which is open for sponsorship and participation.

With a number of cracking and failure incidents in P91 components worldwide, some occurring early in service, inspection and early stage damage detection and safe remaining life assessments of components made from high Cr martensitic steels has been of particular concern to plant operators, service providers and plant manufacturers. The service damage in these steels and its implications on the safe remaining life is very different from that in the traditional low-alloy steels and needs special tools and methodologies to rectify.

Development of P91-P92 inspection and life assessment tools

The P91-P92 inspection and life assessment project, which started on 1 April this year, aims to achieve the above objectives. This phase 2 project is the successor to the now completed phase 1 project, in which various new inspection and monitoring techniques and methodologies were developed and tested on P91 creep-damaged components.

The follow-on phase 2 involves P91 and P92 welded pipe testing (320mm o.d. x 25mm wall thickness pipes containing both seam and butt welds) in creep and creep-fatigue modes. The work involves using, demonstrating and validating some of the more promising inspection and monitoring techniques from phase 1, and developing damage and life assessment methodologies for P91 and P92 martensitic steel components. The pipe testing work is backed up by standard and miniature laboratory specimen testing and analytical/ FE modelling.

It is envisaged that the inspection, monitoring and reliable life assessments of P91 and P92 steels, the use of which is now becoming common in all new power plants and as replacement components in older plants, will be a dominant issue in the operation and maintenance of all power plants. Therefore, this initiative should be of particular interest to all utilities, plant operators and service providers.

Value for Money

As a group sponsored project (GSP), it is excellent value for money. In a GSP, a number of sponsors share the costs and get full results of the project, which is executed by ETD and its associated experts. The present sponsors include European and Asian utilities and service providers.

The project is open to new sponsors. Please contact ETD if you are interested in joining and we will be pleased to send you the full proposal and information on the costs involved.