Mike Sparago: About the Author
Principal Engineer II, The Equity Engineering Group
Mike Sparago is a Principal Engineer II, Corrosion Subject Matter Expert at The Equity Engineering Group, Inc. in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Mike has over 40 years of experience in the Refining Industry, specializing in the development and implementation of fixed equipment inspection and corrosion monitoring programs, analysis of inspection data, turnaround engineering support, failure analysis, and repair plan development. He has participated in countless turnarounds as a Materials / Inspection & Corrosion Engineer, with particular expertise in FCC and HF Alkylation units. Mike is a recognized expert in advanced statistical modeling and corrosion trend identification based on equipment thickness data. He developed the patented Selective Corrosion Rate Analysis process and has a patent pending in Thickness Degradation Analysis.
Is this you? Please help us keep this page up-to-date by occasionally submitting your updated information.
Published Articles
“Condition monitoring location (CML) optimization” is a frequently used term, particularly for piping circuits. Everyone wants their circuits to be “CML optimized,” but what does this truly mean?
Inspection data analysis tools, like risk-based inspection, help us to focus on quantitative reliability targets. When considering thinning mechanisms, there is a certain probability that a piece of equipment will reach retirement thickness before or at the next inspection or the next turnaround. Statistical techniques can help us understand and control the probability of early retirement, allowing us to make better remaining life and re-inspection decisions.
Ultrasonic thickness monitoring programs represent one of the most intensive inspection activities in refining and petrochemical facilities. Despite numerous improvements in ultrasonic testing equipment and inspection techniques, however, there has been little advancement in analyzing this valuable data since the early 1980's.
