CrackSizer® - Advanced Flaw Detection 

Are you trying to minimise forced outages of your plant?

Do  you want to monitor your plant more frequently?

Pressure part failures and other structural damage in coal-fired power stations are the leading cause of forced outages.  The typical cost to the power generator of a forced outage is $250,000 to $400,000 per day.  The work to prevent forced outages is a critical activity in all power stations.

One of the ways of preventing unnecessary outages is to detect cracks and other faults in the various plant by using non-destructive testing (NDT). By finding and sizing cracks properly it can be determined whether the damaged component has to be replaced or repaired immediately, or if it can be left in service until a planned maintenance outage. However, most NDT techniques are unable to detect the depth of a crack and thus power stations have frequently had to carry out expensive repairs when perhaps it was not necessary. 

CrackSizer® is an NDT method which detects surface breaking cracks when an electromagnetic field is induced in a component. Coils in the CrackSizer® probes can detect distortions in the induced field caused by the defect, and this data is used to determine depth and length. 

The benefits of the CrackSizer® system are as follows:  

• an inspection technique that is accurate, repeatable and recordable = ability to monitor defects

• the ability to scan all metals and various geometry

• requires minimal surface preparation for inspection

• functionality through painted and oxide coated surfaces

• ability to detect changes of hardness in steels by non-destructive means

• ability to scan at higher speeds than other NDT techniques

• ability to scan at high and low temperatures

CrackSizer® - was developed in 2006-2007 as a joint research project of HRL Technology Pty Ltd and Monash University and was supported by a grant from the Victorian Government Energy Technology Innovation Strategy. 

For further information contact Bruce Ham 03 5132 1500 (International +61 3 5132 1500) or click on the contacts button below.

CrackSizer® detecting and accurately sizing cracks on power station plant

 

Case study Waterwall cracking A major base load power station was offline for a planned outage. There were known cracks and leaks in the waterwall. It was planned to replace the majority of the wall in two years time to preserve integrity. We deployed CrackSizer® and determined that only one third of the wall needed replacing.  A saving of $1.75 million on the budgeted capital cost was achieved. We also identified the critical cracks in tubes to enable selective replacement, resulting in no further leaks in the two year period until the planned wall replacement.