Testing pressure vessels operating in the HF acid environment by acoustic emission method

Abstract

The article presents some results of using the acoustic emission method (AE) in testing of pressure vessels which use hydrofluoric (HF) acid as a catalyst to produce different oil products. The results of consecutive AE testing of vessels carried out with an interval of several years are discussed. The possibility of detecting some operational defects at different stages of their growth is considered.In particular, the possibility of early diagnosis of blistering and de-lamination of the vessel wall is shown. Elements of the AE testing data analysis are proposed, which make it possible separate signals from the evolution of two different types of metal damage (de-lamination and general corrosion) using the integral characteristics of the signals.