The Effects of Hydrogen for Establishing a Minimum Pressurization Temperature

Hydrogen, dissolved in the thick wall of a steel pressure vessel during steady-state operation in elevated temperature, high-pressure H2 can cause both slow-subcritical crack advance as well as unstable-catastrophic fracture during shutdown and startup. This behavior is defined in Section 2. It follows that modern fracture mechanics assessments of the minimum pressurization temperature (MPT) and fitness for service (FFS) must include the deleterious effect of H on both subcritical and unstable internal hydrogen assisted cracking (IHAC). Two approaches are in draft stage to develop standard procedures that address this need; an API 934-F recommended practice and a WRC Bulletin 562 basis for ASME/API 579. The objective of this technical report is to establish the technical basis necessary to enable and validate these best practices for quantifying the effects of hydrogen on: (a) the MPT, and (b) FFS of a thick wall hydroprocessing reactor. The approach entails two Parts. Part 1 emph