MISTRAS provides inspection & engineering services for newly-constructed and existing coal-fired, natural gas, and many other fossil plants. MISTRAS' fossil plant services use non-destructive examination (NDE) technology to identify defects in your facility, promoting facility production and preventing costly unplanned shutdowns.
All of our fossil power asset protection solutions are designed to increase productivity by leveraging our unique services approach with our manufacturing and research capabilities in order to deliver the optimum inspection solution.
The blending of our traditional and advanced technologies allows our utility clients to optimize their inspection dollars with reliable, repeatable, and accurate inspection techniques, designed to detect the most common problems they deal with, including:
- Corrosion
- Cracking
- Fatigue
- Flow-Accelerated Corrosion (FAC)
- Leaking
Many of our inspection methodologies have been developed in conjunction with our clients and with industry research organizations and are designed to replace more-costly out-of-service inspections.
These techniques help reduce downtime, minimize the cost of internal entry, extend component life and reduce costs by enabling the planned replacement of components as they reach their retirement limits.
Fossil Plant Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) Services
MISTRAS supplies both traditional and advanced non-destructive examination (NDE) techniques to the fossil power industry.
These inspections meet or exceed the strict regulatory codes and standards that govern the industry, and help to maximize your plant's efficiency.
Using technology-enabled advanced inspections, we prescribe the appropriate inspection technique based on the anticipated damage mechanism of your asset, including but not limited to:
- Boilers
- Condensers
- Feedwater Heaters
- Fuel Tanks
- Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs)
- High-Energy Piping
- Pumps
- Turbines and turbine Components
- Valves
Boiler and HRSG Inspection Services
In most fossil plants, boiler tube failures are usually the number one cause of forced outages. MISTRAS’ inspection and engineering consulting services help to identify some of the most common causes of these failures, including:
- Erosion
- Corrosion
- Overheating
- Hydrogen damage
- Caustic corrosion
- Chemical attack
- Cracking
- Thermal Fatigue
- Stress Cracking
Since many of these damages occur in at-height or confined spaces, MISTRAS provides trained rope access technicians and professional unmanned aerial system (UAS/drones) operators to ensure no hidden damages jeopardize safety and productivity.
Our boiler and HRSG inspection services can help to detect:
- Tube Leaks
- Sootblower Effectiveness
- Stuck Sootblowers
- Leaking Valves
- Slag/Pluggage
- Damaging Backpass Vibration
- Aspirating and Cooling Leaks
- SCR Horn Operation
Boiler Tube Early Leak Detection Monitoring
MISTRAS’ Acoustic Monitoring System (AMS™) is an industry-proven acoustic emission monitoring standard to detect boiler tube leaks earlier than traditional methods in pressurized vessels such as gas-fired power boilers, recovery boilers, and feedwater heaters.
The AMS™ technology has been used in conventional power boilers for decades. It listens for changes in normal boiler background noise, and alerts operators to changes in acoustic emissions that may indicate a leak. It provides online, in-service, real-time data that detects and tracks the progression of tube leak as soon as they occur.
Those acoustic monitoring capabilities via the AMS™ provide early indication of tube leaks well before traditional plant methods, which reduces secondary damage and informs plant personnel in making any number of operational, market, and outage decisions.
Learn more about the AMS’ early boiler tube leak detection capabilities here.
Gas Turbine Inspection & Monitoring Services
Turbines require frequent inspection to ensure that deficiencies do not build up into more serious damage. Our advanced inspection services can detect even the smallest flaws in turbine componentry that limit asset operation and risk further damage.
We provide semi-annual or annual borescope inspections, pre-commissioning, baseline inspections, outage planning, unit troubleshooting, post-overhaul warranty inspections and engineering solutions.
MISTRAS’ other turbine inspection and consulting services include:
- Inspection of Rotors, Diaphragms, Studs, Bearings, Valves, Turbine Rebuild Inspections
- Third Party Oversight, QA Services, and Vendor Surveillance
- Lube Oil Piping Inspections
- Gland and Fitting Surface Inspections
- Sizing and Dimensional Blade Resurfacing
- Lashing Lug Inspections
- Expanded Valve Inspection on Stems, Bodies, Seating Disc Surfaces and Strainers
- Disbond Examinations on Dissimilar Material Surfaces
Gas Turbine Stator Vane Cracking Monitoring
MISTRAS provides an advanced, online, in-service acoustic emission (AE) monitoring system to detect cracking, clashing, rubbing, and foreign object impacts in turbine stator vanes.
MISTRAS’ Acoustic Combustion Turbine Monitoring System (ACTMS™) not only detects crack presence, but also locates crack position and determines if the flaw is isolated or part of a global event in a localized area.
These damages are reported to facility operators and management personnel in real time, enabling quick action to be taken to prevent additional damages to compressors and turbines.
Learn more about the ACTMS’ early gas turbine stator vane crack detection capabilities here.
Leak Detection Products & Services
MISTRAS has an advanced array of leak detection equipment and services to detect and quantify through-valve leaks in fossil power plants.
Leaking in fossil plants creates a huge risk for facility personnel, along with presenting a huge risk for the surrounding environment. MISTRAS non-destructive examination (NDE) solutions can detect leaks in your facility as soon as they occur, preventing costly resources from being wasted and the accumulation of further damage.
Through-Valve Leak Detection & Quantification
MISTRAS provides permanently-installed monitoring systems and handheld inspection equipment to detect and quantify through-valve leakage in normally-closed steam valves used in power generation facilities.
The systems “listen” to the energy released during the transition from laminar to turbulent flow in the steam path while filtering background noise generated by nearby mechanical components, such as pumps, motors, and actuators. The technology determines the amount of steam passed through the leaking valve set, which is critical in prioritizing maintenance and repairs to improve heat rate.
High Energy Piping (HEP) Inspection & Monitoring
High Energy Piping (HEP) can be difficult and dangerous to inspect and repair, but failure in these high-pressure, high-temperature can result in serious consequences to safety and productivity.
MISTRAS offers a range of services to identify defects in high energy piping systems, including:
- Material and seam weld verification
- Hanger verification and inspection in cold and hot conditions
- NDE weld examination
- Fluoroscopy
- HEP engineering program development of:
- Main Steam System
- Hot Reheat System
- Cold Reheat System
- Auxiliary Steam System
- Boiler Blowdown System
- Boiler Feed System
- Heater Drain System
High Energy Piping Monitoring Systems
Especially in aging infrastructure, HEP can be affected by a variety of factors, including corrosion, fatigue, cracking, flow noise variations, and other factors that add stress to HEP systems.
MISTRAS acoustic emission monitoring systems are designed to operate in high temperatures, which can be difficult to access for regular inspection and maintenance. The systems alert plant operators to these potential damages before they occur, addressing a major plant concern at a cost significantly lower than other alternatives, while extending intervals between traditional inspections.
Learn more about MISTRAS high energy piping monitoring solutions here.
Flow Accelerated Corrosion (FAC) Inspection Programs
Flow Accelerated Corrosion (FAC) is a common defect in fossil plants but can have serious consequences for asset operation and facility production.
Given that FAC occurs within pipes and other assets that contain moving materials, it generally requires assets to be completely taken out of service and disassembled in order to be identified.
MISTRAS’ FAC inspection and detection solutions inspect assets non-intrusively while they remain in service, allowing your facility to optimize production capacity and limit inspection downtime.
Through strategic partnerships with fossil plant owner/operators and with industry organizations, MISTRAS has developed an FAC inspection program to identify early signs of pipe wall thinning and ruptures. The program includes:
- Complete Program Development and Review
- Custom-Tailored Inspection Techniques and Programs
- Life Cycle Management
- Mechanical Integrity and Piping Integrity Engineering Services
- Outage Plan Development
- System Susceptibility Screening
Balance of Plant (BOP) System Inspection Services
Balance of Plant (BOP) Services support the auxiliary systems of fossil plants that play critical roles in plant operation. Our Balance of Plant Services include:
- Heat Exchanger/Condenser Inspection
- Internal Rotating Inspection Services (IRIS)
- Tank Inspection
- Construction Inspection Services
- Stack Inspection
- Traditional NDE inspection and evaluation
Tank Inspection Services
Tank inspection is essential in ensuring that your facility’s resources are adequately stored and maintained. Tank defects can cause the leaking of materials, which wastes product and creates a hazard for the surrounding environment.
MISTRAS provides tank inspection services that adhere to in-service and out-of-service tank inspection regulations, including:
- Internal and External Corrosion Survey Inspections of Roofs, Floors, and Shells
- Leak Detection
- Safe Fill Height and Edge Settlement
- Structural Deficiency Inspection
- Tank Strapping
- Ultrasonic Thickness (UTT) readings and Ultrasonic Prove-Up
- Weld Handheld Heat-Affected Zone Integrity
Shutdowns/Outages Inspection & Engineering Services
MISTRAS’ Shutdowns/Outages services and programs are designed to reduce outage runtimes and downtimes, optimize outage schedules, and ensure the integrity of all a fossil plant’s assets.
We help our clients plan their shutdowns at opportune times, identify and perform any necessary inspection and maintenance tasks, provide comprehensive reports so our clients know where recurring problems exist, and provide recommendations to ensure continued asset integrity.
Our outage services include:
- Outage Inspection Planning and Management
- Condition Assessment and Gap Analysis
- Third Party QA Services, Vendor Surveillance and Oversight
- Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) Inspection Services
- Certified Welding Inspectors (CWI) and Visual Inspection
- Pipe Stress Analysis
- Materials and Process Selection
