DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COATESVILLE MEDICAL CENTER SCOPE OF WORK ENGINEERING EVALUATION OF BOILER RELIABILITY/LIFE EXPECTANCY FOR BOILERS 1,2,3,4 1. Introduction: VA medical centers provide critical health care which requires reliable steam supply for sterilization, domestic hot water, kitchens, and building heating/air conditioning. Boilers serving VA medical centers must be reliable, safe and efficient. The age of boilers is often a major indicator of reliability. The VHA Directive 2003-050, BOILER PLANT OPERATIONS, assigns useful life expectancy, in years, to the boiler plant equipment. The Directive requires that retention of equipment beyond the useful life expectancy must be based on an engineering evaluation of the reliability, efficiency and cost effectiveness of continued operation. Following are boilers to be included in evaluation #1 - D-type E. Keeler Company mfg. 1968, 20,000#/hr, serial # 14579-1 #2 - D-type E. Keeler Company mfg. 1968, 20,000#/hr, serial # 14579-2 #3 - D-type E. Keeler Company mfg. 1968, 40,000#/hr, serial # 14580-2 #4 - D-type E. Keeler Company mfg. 1968, 20,000#/hr, serial # 14580-1 2. Summary of Requirements: When boilers reach the end of their expected lives, VAMC engineering personnel should review the condition of the boilers as reflected in the operational records, maintenance and repair history and in the reports of the annual boiler inspections. If there is no clear indication on whether the boilers should be retained or replaced, an engineering evaluation of life expectancy should be commissioned. A professional engineering firm that specializes in life expectancy evaluations should be contracted to evaluate the boiler by means of visual inspection and non-destructive testing utilizing experienced boiler inspectors and non-destructive testing experts. Their report must describe all conditions found and include sufficient information that VAMC engineers can make decisions on retaining or replacing the boilers. 3. Qualification Requirements for Inspection Personnel: A. The inspections shall be supervised on-site by a Qualified Professional Inspector, defined as any one or combination of: 1) A boiler inspector who has a valid commission from the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors. 2) A boiler inspector who has qualified by passing a written examination under the laws, rules and regulations of a jurisdiction of a state. 3) A boiler inspector who is regularly employed as a boiler inspector by a jurisdiction that has adopted and administers one or more sections of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code as a legal requirement, and has a representative serving as a member of the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Conference Committee. 4) A boiler inspector who is regularly employed by an insurance company that has been licensed or registered by the appropriate authority of a state of the United States to write boiler and pressure vessel insurance. B. Non-destructive testing personnel shall be certified to American Society for Non-destructive Testing (ASNT) Level II, who are experienced in evaluating boilers. 4. VAMC Responsibilities for Preparation of Boiler for Inspection: A. All preparation work shall be done prior to arrival of inspection personnel. B. Coordinate preparation work with the requirements of the inspection firm. C. Records of maintenance and repair activities, water treatment logs, operational logs, inspection reports, and histories of prior problems shall be readily available during the inspection. Records for three years are suggested. D. Remove all manway and handhole covers, access panels. E. Remove all drum internals. F. Furnish copies of the original National Board (NB) Manufacturers Data Report inspection form that was prepared for the boiler when it was new and NB Report of Repair forms if boiler pressure vessel repairs have been performed. 5. Inspection Requirements: Contractor shall arrange for personal protective equipment and safety personnel for any OSHA requirements to include confined spaces. A. Visually inspect: 1) All welded and threaded pipe connections to the boiler shell or drum for signs of leakage or defects in the welded areas. Defects should be non-destructively tested. 2) Boiler support structure for proper alignment, evidence of sagging, shifting or misalignment. 3) Boiler casings for signs of warping, misalignment and overheating. 4) All furnace tubes and all accessible convection tubes for alignment, evidence of corrosion, erosion, bulges, sagging, defective or deteriorated welds. 5) Exposed surfaces of steam and mud drum in furnace, particularly ligament areas between tubes, for evidence of corrosion, cracking, scale buildup, other defects. 6) Refractory for cracking, shifting, sagging, bulging or general deterioration. 7) Internal areas of steam drum and mud drum (inside boiler shell in fire tube boilers). a. Welded outlet connections. b. Surface of drums for pitting or surface discontinuities. c. Ligament areas between tube holes for cracking. d. Each tube end and internal surface of representative number of tubes for pitting, erosion, corrosion and excessive scale buildup. Utilize fiber optic inspection equipment to inspect interior of tubes. e. Clean and inspect shell or tube sheet between tube holes for cracking. B. Non-destructive testing: 1) Ultrasonic thickness testing of representative samples of all components. Note: A specific number of tests at various areas should be specified. 2) Ultrasonic thickness testing of all areas visually noted to have corroded or eroded. 3) Magnetic particle testing of all areas where indications of defects have been found visually. 4) Metallurgical analysis of representative samples of boiler metal if there are indications or a record of overheating. C. Calculation of maximum allowable working pressure and remaining life expectancy: 1) Utilize ASME Code formula. 2) Remaining life calculation based on original material thickness, current material thickness, evaluation of other factors in the condition of the boiler. 3) Obtain sufficient material thickness measurements to accurately reflect the condition of the entire boiler. This shall include removal and reinstallation of casing and insulation as necessary to inspect lower D-tubes near mud drum. 6. Report Requirements: A. Provide oral report of condition of the boiler to VAMC engineering management at the conclusion of the inspection. B. Provide six hard copies and electronic version of report. 1) Provide complete narrative, test results, photographic views of deteriorated areas. 2) Calculate remaining life based on calculated present maximum allowable working pressure vs. original maximum allowable working pressure when the boiler was new. 3) Describe all deteriorated areas; provide expert judgment on need for repairs, repair methods and cost estimates. 4) Provide expert judgment on cost effectiveness of retaining the boiler in service.
