Session: DA-02-06 Design and Analysis of Piping Components-6

Paper Number: 137046

137046 - Case Histories of the Resolution of Piping Vibration Failures in the Oil & Gas Industry 

Vibration in piping systems continues to be a significant source of failure within the process industry. This paper presents several case studies that are examples of the types of failure that occur oil and gas facilities. Examples from offshore facilities, refinieries and LNG plants are included. The paper sets out to understand the root causes of the failure and explain the lessons learnt about how the failure could have been prevented during design or operation.
 
Process piping is predominantly designed to the requirements of the ASME B31.3 piping code. This piping design code includes a requirement that piping shall be designed to prevent failures due to vibration. However, design methods or vibration acceptance criteria are not given. It is not a requirement (neither is it practical) to eliminate all vibration. The Energy Institute Guidelines for the Avoidance of Vibration Induced Fatigue Failure in Process Pipework (EI AVIFF) are now referenced in ASME B31.3.
 
The EI AVIFF guidelines are a comprehensive and systematic approach to preventing piping vibration. The guidelines give a proactive approach that may be applied during design and a reactive approach that may be applied to troubleshoot and existing vibration problem. The case studies highlight how use of these guidelines can be used to prevent piping vibration failure in service.

Presenting Author: Mark Rattansingh bp

Presenting Author Biography: Mark is a mechanical engineer with over 20 years’ experience with bp. He has worked on numerous Oil and Gas facilities, including offshore platforms, Refineries and LNG plants. He has a Master’s degree from Imperial College, London; is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

Mark is an Engineering Advisor in bp’s central engineering team based in Sunbury, London. Over the last three years he has led a team of SME’s to produce an Engineering Technical Practice that sets out the requirements for the lifecycle management of piping vibration. Part of this work involved identifying the causes and lessons from piping vibration failures on operating facilities. Several of these lessons learnt will now be presented.

Authors:

Mark Rattansingh bp
Geoff Evans bp
Ian Bottomley bp
Duncan Reith bp
Paul James bp
Ethan Perry bp