Enhanced Fitness for Service Evaluations

Evaluations of aged and critical service vessels such as FCUU's and Delayed Cokers have been aided by the addition of two physical measurements referred to as Structural Characterizations. These are placed in perspective with the classic description provided by John Reynolds in his presentation of a multidisciplinary team effort in Fitness For Service (FFS) evaluations. The enhancements shown in Figure 1 promote a more complete Fact Based FFS review during plant turn-around inspections. The goal of a Fact Based FFS is to minimize assumptions regarding unknown conditions pertaining to the continued use of plant facilities. Such assumptions can lead to economically non-conservative decisions regarding structural integrity.

This is the first of a series of articles with co-authors describing how the components of the Fact Based Fitness For Service Approach work using typical examples from the real world.