Delayed Coke Drum Damage & Assessment (ASME FFS - 1 / API 579 – 1)

About the Course

This three-day course will examine the application of the ASME VIII Division 2 and ASME FFS-1 / API 579 industry standard practices to the evaluation of undamaged and damaged coke drums. To date, these documents have not been successfully applied leading to alternative "backbox" or "trademarked" approaches that have not been technically detailed and are unsubstantiated by usual engineering practices. These "black boxes" are mostly heuristic and provide unquantifiable and arbitrary guidance.

The major deficiencies in these methods are that they cannot quantitatively answer for a specific drum:

• what is the current damage status; bulging, skirt cracking
• what is the projected service life
• what is the incremental damage for each cycle
• what is the service life for an unbulged drum
• what is the impact of weld overlay

Who should attend

This course is intended for individuals who are responsible for the design, installation, inspection, repair & maintenance, or fitness for service assessments of delayed [DCU] coke drums in the hydrocarbon processing (HP) and oil sands industries. This includes inspectors, reliability & asset integrity engineers and business unit managers who have an interest in obtaining "hard numbers" to make better repair / replace and business decisions.

Course Outline - Body of Knowledge (BOK)

• Overview & Introduction to Delayed Coking: Process & Operation. Construction. Reliability Issues
• ASME VIII Div 1,2 for Coke Drum Design: Design by Rules. Applicable Engineering Principles. Limitations of Principles
• ASME FFS - 1 / API 579: Introduction to ASME FFS-1 / API 579, Application to Coke Drums. Limitations of FFS Practices
• Damage Mechanisms in Coke Drums: Primary, Secondary Damage Mechanisms. Fatigue Strength of Materials. Particularization
• Thermo-mechanical Loading: Scope. Determination of TM Loading. Application to Undamaged Drum. Application to Damaged Drum
• Impact of Bulges, Skirt Cracking: Stress / Strain Concentration. Impact on Fatigue Service Life
• Rational Service Fatigue Life Assessment: Design versus Service Life.
• Skirt Crack Remediation: Weld Overlay. Operational Opportunities. Optimal Service Life Practices
• API TR Publications: API TR 935 G. API TR 935 J
• Class Challenge: Coke Drum Experiences