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Workshop on RLA of Power and Process Boilers

Indian Institute of Metals Baroda Chapter and TCR Advanced Engineering P. Ltd. conducted a Two-Day Advance workshop on RLA of Power and Process Boilers on 13 & 14 December 2013 in Vadodara.


The practice of remaining life analysis and assessment requires a complex combination of skills, experience and equipment. At TCR, we have the necessary resources to get the job done in a thorough and timely manner. Our chemists, metallurgists and professional engineers work as an experienced problem-solving team to determine the cause of component or plant failures and estimate the remaining life through a scientific approach.


Some plant owners may want to operate their plants safely, reliably and profitably for as long as possible. Standing in way of this, however, is not only the ageing process of the materials used, but also on-going technical developments, which create ever more profitable and environmentally tolerate production processes.


Cost, risk and time consumed for new installations as well as environmental demands have given rise for residual life analysis and life extension of existing power plants. In the past years high investments for existing power plants have become necessary to cover new environmental restrictions for their continued operation. These high investments can only be made in the case, that the plants are found fit for purpose for many more years of operation.


Boiler pressure parts like super heater tubes, steam pipes and headers are operating in the creep range and are designed for a certain minimum lifetime. These components deteriorate continuously during their service as a result of time dependent material degradation process like creep, fatigue, corrosion and oxidation. In actual practice material damage results from interaction between two or more of these mechanisms, causing unanticipated failures. Such failures may be catastrophic in nature and may lead to huge loss.


It has been observed by the utilities that the useful life of components in service may well exceed or fall significantly short of the designed life based on its operational, metallurgical, design and manufacturing conditions. Sometimes-premature failures occur due to unforeseen system stresses and stress concentrations, temperature excursions, cycling, corrosive and erosive environments.


Remaining life assessment is an acceptable and proven technology that has helped many plants world over to extend and judge the remaining life of power boilers. RLA is mandated for all components, which are designed for finite operational life. The central purpose of RLA is to determine, by accepted methods, the extra duration until which the component can safely remain in service without jeopardizing in any manner the reliability and economic viability of the unit. However, in terms of its common usage, the term RLA covers a wider spectrum of engineering activities used for enhancing the life of components through renovation and by incorporation of newer technologies. RLA also seeks to take remedial measures so that the unit as a whole operates reliably at a high plant load factor by avoiding/minimizing unscheduled and premature component failures.


At TCR, we have a passion for using science to give solutions, advice and data to our customers that helps them comply with the relevant quality improvements for their markets. Science is the tool we use, not just to deliver results, but to guarantee outstanding customer service.


TCR's mechanical, chemical, metallurgical and nondestructive testing services provide the answers you need about material properties, characteristics, composition, defects or discontinuities. We have an extensive track record. Our dedicated, energetic team of experts can draw on over forty years’ experience of inspection, testing and in-depth analysis.



Many industries require routine material testing to specified standards to ensure materials and products will perform for their intended use and endure for their expected life. Many other businesses choose to have testing performed to verify materials, to meet customer requirements or to research the failure of a material or product. Whatever your needs, TCR is ready and able to handle your orders.


Working across the public, private and regulated sectors, our goal is to provide our customers with high quality, reliable results on time and on budget – every time. We are driven by value – giving our customers solutions and answers that benefit their organization.

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