Campaign Life Extension of Ironmaking Facilities

Abstract

Ironmaking assets, including mission-critical equipment and structures, are commonly exposed to extremely harsh operating conditions, which degrade their condition over time and can ultimately result in costly repairs and downtime. Pressurized and non-pressurized components in ironmaking facilities are often used for 50+ years after construction, exceeding their original design lives and requiring careful attention to their condition and remaining campaign life.

Even within the design life, ironmaking assets are commonly subjected to changes in operating conditions that may vary from those considered in the design. This may include increases in operating temperatures and pressures, either due to upset or unanticipated operational conditions, or due to purposeful changes in the process which may be associated with raw material quality, upgrades, or retrofits to system components, or increases in production beyond that originally envisioned. In addition to changes in these key parameters, many ironmaking components are subject to cyclic loading which can lead to fatigue cracking and excessive deformation through ratcheting. General harsh service during site maintenance and repair activities can also cause acute damage due to impacts or other accidental conditions / events.