Are you comfortable making a quarter of a million dollar decision regarding your tank fleet without the best possible information? Of course not — but with MISTRAS Group’s Acoustic Emission (AE) monitoring system with integrated Risk-Based Inspection (RBI) via Plant Condition Management Software (PCMS®) you won’t have to.
That’s because MISTRAS’ AE monitoring, when combined with RBI, gives aboveground storage tank operators the facts to make informed decisions. This alleviates the potential of having to spend $250,000 — an industry standard cost for a large crude oil aboveground storage tank opening, including disposal — opening a perfectly healthy asset.
The fusion of two proven MISTRAS design procedures — AE monitoring via TankPAC™ and RBI via PCMS — enables nonintrusive inspection of aboveground storage tank floors and shells, ensuring asset integrity and maximizing cost-benefit efficiency, while also qualifying tanks for API 653 compliance and potentially extending inspection intervals. MISTRAS continues to be a worldwide leader in AE design and manufacturing of system hardware, sensors and application software for more than 35 years.
TankPAC is an in-service, AE-based monitoring service package that identifies corrosion on the tank floor and annular ring. AE transducers mounted on the outside of tank walls listen for active corrosion and leaks inside. Shells are inspected via ultrasonic scans. The floor condition is graded from “A” (best) to “E” (worst) — a simple result based off complex damage algorithms.
An independent analysis of 157 tanks compared TankPAC grades with subsequent internal inspections. Consequently, 100 percent of tanks graded “A” by TankPAC had no damage and required no repair; and about 60 percent of “E” tanks required major repair or floor replacement. The correlation between “A” grades and do-not-open recommendations supports savings potential.
Combining a TankPAC examination and the RBI Calculator tool in PCMS gives the tank owner a plan for inspections moving forward by proactively identifying the “bad actors;” along with target dates, customizable risk thresholds and the potential to extend inspection intervals based on positive test results.
TankPAC data feeds the RBI Calculator that maintains data, identifies damage mechanisms, and recommends techniques and intervals — making the integrated process API 653 compliant.
“The fusion of TankPAC and RBI is possible due to the recent adaption of RBI into the API 653 recommended practice,” said MISTRAS Senior Group Vice President of Oil & Gas David Thigpen.
“MISTRAS provides inspection and operating recommendations based on real-time data by combining TankPAC with API 653 in-service inspections and then performing the RBI study,” said MISTRAS Services Vice President of Sales & Marketing Nick Sowa. “This combination gives our clients the added confidence that these results are based on the current condition of the tank and not prior history.”
Together, MISTRAS Group’s integrated tank inspection approach takes the guesswork out of aboveground storage tank inspection planning, which means next time you get a $250,000 question, you’ll already have the million-dollar answer.
For more information, visit www.mistrasgroup.com or call (609) 716-4000.
