Hybrid Laser-Arc Welding of Thick-Walled, Closed, Circumferential Pipe Welds

The application of hybrid laser-arc welding (HLAW) for joining closed circumferential welds is a challenge due to the high risk of forming a defective overlap area with a shrinkage void or solidification cracks in the material thickness. A series of HLAW experiments were performed to understand the development of a faulty overlap area when closing the circumferential weld. Welding trials on flat specimens and pipe segments were supported by numerical analyses in which the thermomechanical behavior of the welds in the overlap area was investigated. Different process control strategies were tested, including variations in defocusing levels and the overlap length. The newly developed HLAW head, including laser optics with a motor-driven collimation system, made it possible to defocus the laser beam during welding without disturbing the stability of the welding process. High-level defocusing of the laser beam of more than 40 mm relative to the specimen surface with a resulting beam diameter of > 2.9 mm, and in combination with a short overlap length of 15 mm, was promising with respect to the formation of a desired cup-shaped weld profile that is resistant to solidification cracks.

Challenges due to Welds Fabricated at a Close Proximity on Offshore Structures, Pipelines, and Piping: State of the Art

In offshore structures, pipelines and piping, there are various configurations where welds are often in close proximity to each other. TKY joints in offshore structures, welds of nozzles, tees, elbows and circumferential welds of piping in compact layouts are a few examples. Depending on their application, different codes (ASME B31.3, ISO 19902, etc.) either recommend different criteria or provide no explanation for deciding a minimum distance between proximity welds. The guidance provided in these codes is inadequate for a field inspector to make an informed decision on site. Some international standards specify a minimum distance between welds, based upon some factor regarding the diameter or thickness of the parts under welding or they give no explanation, which creates an ambiguity among contractors and inspectors on site. The overlapping of two adjacent heat affected zones (HAZ) can have a deleterious effect on the material properties of the metals, eventually leading to catastrophic failures in the life cycle of high-risk components like offshore structures, process piping, etc. The different thermal cycles of adjacent welds with varying cooling times can drastically change the microstructure/mechanical properties of the metals, where locked in residual stress can amplify the effect towards failure. Since the aforementioned codes are deficient in providing technical justification regarding noncompliance of maintaining proximity distances, an approach for understanding close proximity effects on structural integrity is needed. This manuscript presents a brief assessment of international standards for specifying the minimum distance between close proximity welds for structural and pressure vessels’ codes. Challenges like residual stresses’ impact on fatigue strength, fatigue crack growth and fitness for service for fracture assessment are discussed briefly for proximity welds. Finally, building on the literature review, a framework for future research is presented.

Laser Welding of SLM-Manufactured Tubes Made of IN625 and IN718

The advantage of selective laser melting (SLM) is its high accuracy and geometrical flexibility. Because the maximum size of the components is limited by the process chamber, possibilities must be found to combine several parts manufactured by SLM. An application where this is necessary, is, for example, the components of gas turbines, such as burners or oil return pipes, and inserts, which can be joined by circumferential welds. However, only a few investigations to date have been carried out for the welding of components produced by SLM. The object of this paper is, therefore, to investigate the feasibility of laser beam welding for joining SLM tube connections made of nickel-based alloys. For this purpose, SLM-manufactured Inconel 625 and Inconel 718 tubes were welded with a Yb:YAG disk laser and subsequently examined for residual stresses and defects. The results showed that the welds had no significant influence on the residual stresses. A good weld quality could be achieved in the seam circumference. However, pores and pore nests were found in the final overlap area, which meant that no continuous good welding quality could be accomplished. Pore formation was presumably caused by capillary instabilities when the laser power was ramped out.

Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Aging Layered Pressure Vessels

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) operates approximately 300 aging layered pressure vessels that were designed and manufactured prior to ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel (B&PV) code requirements. In order to make decisions regarding the continued fitness-for-service of these non-code carbon steel vessels, it is necessary to perform a relative risk of failure assessment for each vessel. However, risk assessment of these vessels is confounded by uncertainties and variabilities related to the use of proprietary materials in fabrication, missing construction records, geometric discontinuities, weld residual stresses, and complex service stress gradients in and around the welds. Therefore, a probabilistic framework that can capture these uncertainties and variabilities has been developed to assess the fracture risk of flaws in regions of interest, such as longitudinal and circumferential welds, using the NESSUS® probabilistic modeling software and NASGRO® fracture mechanics software. In this study, the probabilistic framework was used to predict variability in the stress intensity factor associated with different reference flaws located in the head-to-shell circumferential welds of a 4-layer and 14-layer pressure vessel. The probabilistic studies predict variability in flaw behavior and the important uncertain parameters for each reference flaw location.

Measuring the Effectiveness of Metal Weld Overlay Repairs Through Bulge Depth and Bulge Sharpness Analysis

Weld overlay is a repair method that has been used over the last 10 years to limit the growth of bulges and to extend the remaining life of delayed coking drums. Different refinery operators have used varied approaches, ranging from localized patches on specific regions of concern, to bands along circumferential welds, to large sections of structural repair that completely cover a bulged area. The authors have observed the evolution of regions repaired with internal weld overlay on 18 drums over periods of 5 and 8 years. A comparison of bulge sharpness and bulge depth on a year-over-year basis is presented to measure the effectiveness of metal weld overlay and how the overlay impacts continued distortion of the vessel. Furthermore, factors such as the taper ratio in the transition zones, and the distance between the peak of a bulged area and the edges of the weld overlay, are presented as key parameters that affect the likelihood of cracks developing along the transition zones at the upper and lower edges of the repair.

Electron Beam Welding of Large Components for The Nuclear Industry

The nuclear industry requires rapid and high quality joining of large scale components. Electron beam welding (EBW) has the potential to respond to these requirements. The aim of Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC) is to develop solutions for the future application of this technology. One example is the research on deep penetration EBW for joining large scale pressure vessels for small modular nuclear reactors. This will require several circumferential welds of ~ 6 metres length each. In addition joining of sections of the upper and lower vessel heads and of HIP sections with varying wall thickness must be developed. In collaboration with the US Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) the Nuclear AMRC is working to produce two-thirds scaled demonstrators of the lower and the upper pressure vessel assembly (based on a generic NuScale model). 100 mm deep single track, full penetration welds of pressure vessel steel have been demonstrated. In addition, within 26 minutes joining of shells was achieved with 6 metres long circumferential welds (78 mm full penetration). In future the joining of complex sections and sections with variable thickness will be investigate.

Complex Circumferential Stress Corrosion Cracking: Identification, Sizing and Consequences for the Integrity Management Program

Since the late 1980’s Ultrasonic tools have been used for the detection and sizing of crack like indications. ILI service providers developed inspection technologies for liquid and gas lines that are widely used nowadays. In comparison to axial cracking, circumferential cracking is not a prevalent risk to most pipelines and therefore is not as well understood. Nevertheless, pipeline Operators observe from time to time circumferentially oriented defects, often in combination with circumferential welds or local stress/strain accumulations. These are often caused by pipeline movement, which may especially occur in mountain areas. With the introduction of Ultrasonic circumferential crack inspection tools in the late 2000’s the knowledge has steadily increased over time. Extensive data collected from in-ditch NDE validations has provided NDT Global with an increased knowledge of the morphology of single cracking and stress corrosion cracking defects both in the axial and circumferential orientations. Field verifications have shown that not all features have the same morphology. Some of the challenges with circumferential cracking are for features that fall outside of the industry standard specifications. These types of features can exhibit characteristics such as being sloped, skewed or tilted. In 2016 NDT Global was approached by Plains Midstream Canada to complete inspections utilizing the 10″ Ultrasonic Circumferential crack inspection technology. The pipeline system spans 188km within Canada and consists of 2 segments. The pipeline traverses several elevation changes and crosses several creeks and roads. Circumferential cracking was identified during dig campaigns performed for other threats, therefore the need to inspect each pipeline segment with the Ultrasonic circumferential technology was identified. Plains Midstream Canada and NDT Global formed a close collaboration to assess the severity of circumferential crack features in this line. This paper will discuss integrity aspects from an Operator and Vendor perspective. Challenges identified due to the morphology of the circumferential crack like indications and derived analysis rules and interpretation methodologies to optimize characterization and sizing are presented. Finally, potential opportunities to maintain the integrity of similar assets by applying some of the findings and enhance the management and decision making process are suggested.

Microstructural Characterization of Base Material and Welded Joints of Serviced and Non-Serviced Coke Drums

Coke drums are massive pressure vessels used in the oil and gas industry, which are subjected to demanding cyclic thermomechanical loading. Such conditions generate severe plastic deformation that leads to bulging and cracking during service due to low-cycle fatigue. The cracks are often repaired in programed maintenance shutdowns, and the repair procedures can be significantly different depending on the organization and failure characteristics. In this work, two types of weld repairs are evaluated after six months of service: (1) a full-excavation crack weld repair, and (2) a partial-excavation crack weld overlay repair. The repair welds were executed on a 1.25Cr-0.5Mo steel coke drum after 20 years of service. This work evaluates the microstructure of the base material, the fabrication circumferential welds, and the weld repairs. The results show that, after prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures, the originally normalized and tempered heat-treated steel microstructure has undergone severe aging. Thermodynamic equilibrium and para-equilibrium calculations were used to determine the carbide formation sequence, and SEM analysis was used to characterize the carbides present on the as-fabricated and aged microstructures. Analysis of the repaired regions did not reveal new cracks.