Abstract
Refining industry handles highly volatile Hydrocarbons from crude oil to light gases or heavy products. Operation of refinery units while producing useful products also causes deterioration / damage to various process equipment and piping by degradation mechanisms. The design codes and standards do not address equipment deterioration while in service and that deficiencies due to degradation or from original fabrication may be found during subsequent inspections. The root causes of deterioration could be due to inadequate design considerations including materials selection and design details, or the interaction with aggressive environments/conditions that the equipment is subjected to during normal service or during transient periods.
Therefore, operation of process units within a defined Integrity Operating Window (IOW) is necessary to establish and maintain a controlled process environment which would enable feedstock to be converted into products in a safe, environmentally responsible manner without upsets and unplanned shutdowns. In its broadest context, the IOW of a process unit can be defined as the set of boundary operating conditions within which parameters must be routinely controlled to ensure safe, reliable operation.
