The overhaul of Quanzhou Petrochemical will kick off in December 2021 with 10,000-member inspection and maintenance teams being well prepared.
Of them, the service team sent by the Non-Destructive Testing Technology Center under Tianhua Institute will complete the inspection of 280-plus kilometers of pipelines and 300-odd containers within 10 days.
Such a huge workload is undoubtedly an unprecedented challenge in such a short period. “But we must not relax the requirements for inspection quality because of the tremendous task,” said Ma Xiaoqiang, who is in charge of this project at Tianhua Institute, “Facing this inspection and maintenance task that features tight schedule, heavy workloads, large scale and demanding requirements, we have held multiple meetings to study the plan and formulate detailed measures to ensure accurate implementation.”
At that time, Tianhua Institute will send a domestic leading team consisting of 26 pressure vessel inspectors, 24 pressure pipe inspectors, 8 senior NDT professionals and 30-odd NDT and physical and chemical analysis technicians to the maintenance and repair site of Quanzhou Petrochemical.
Tianhua Institute’s forward team at Quanzhou Petrochemical
To better complete this overhaul, Tianhua Institute, in addition to the conventional NDT technology, will also be equipped with a number of high precision inspection equipment and use a variety of new NDT technologies in this project, such as multi-functional ultrasonic imaging inspection technology (TOFD, phased array), low-frequency ultrasonic guided-wave detection technology for long-distance pipelines, high-frequency ultrasonic guided-wave detection technology, low-frequency electromagnetic tank-bottom corrosion detection technology, eddy current imaging inspection technology with anticorrosive layer array, DM anticorrosive layer inspection technology, X-ray stress analysis technology, overdue service pressure vessel safety evaluation (for use evaluation) technology, on-site digital metallographic microscopy technology, and industrial DR X-ray digital imaging technology.
At present, the forward team has been stationed at Quanzhou Petrochemical to carry out a series of preparatory work, such as original data review, view drawing of to-be-inspected equipment and grinding and pre-treatment of to-be-inspected parts.
Tianhua Institute’s forward team operates at Quanzhou Petrochemical
Autumn has arrived, but the sun is still scorching in Quanzhou. The technicians stationed in Quanzhou Petrochemical carry five or six kilograms of equipment every day to carefully measure all kinds of pipelines step by step.
Every container requiring internal inspection is restricted space, with no safety measures missed. The life-saving regulation set by Sinochem Holdings is a must for every inspector to follow. Before inspection, inspectors isolate the blind plate of a reactor and implement ventilation, with gas analysis done in each timeframe. During the inspection, they wear a full set of protective clothing, safety belts, safety ropes, fall arresters, helmets, headlights, and essential long-tube positive-pressure respirators and four-in-one gas alarms.
Equipped with these devices, they operate in a container exposed to the sun, sweating profusely within five minutes. Every time a technician rests and takes a breath, water can drip from his protective clothing.
Isometric drawings of pipelines must be drawn by technicians in the field. Due to many complex pipelines in the production plant, an isometric drawing requires a technician to observe and measure many times in a bid to make it more accurate. To inspect 200-km pipelines, technicians need to cover 600 km or more. It is common to climb pipe racks and reaction towers.
Tianhua Institute’s forward team operates at Quanzhou Petrochemical
Personnel is tired but energetic, saying that the pain and tiredness are worth it as long as a task is completed on schedule and with good quality.
The service team’s experience goes far beyond that. At this tense moment when every second counts, Putian, Fujian, was suddenly hit by a COVID-19 outbreak, with a relevant outbreak soon occurring in Quanzhou and Xiamen.
Amid the epidemic, members of the Non-Destructive Testing Technology Center under Tianhua Institute in Fujian immediately responded to the company’s epidemic prevention and control requirements, collaborated with the local government and Quanzhou Petrochemical, and made every effort to block epidemic channels. In the meantime, their itinerary in Fujian was quickly reviewed, with nucleic acid testing conducted. Up to now, all the personnel at Quanzhou Petrochemical have held onto their posts and shouldered their responsibilities while doing a good job of preventing and controlling the epidemic. On National Day, they continued to work on the maintenance site to celebrate the motherland's birthday in a special way.
Currently, all preparations for this overhaul and maintenance are progressing in an orderly manner. Armed with highly sophisticated equipment for inspection and testing, a strong technical team is determined to complete the overhaul task around the clock. Tianhua Institute’s non-destructive testing team is poised for the Quanzhou Petrochemical overhaul.