PWHT Procedure
PWHT Procedure
PWHT Procedure
Revision: 1
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Date: 20/01/2014
QUALITY CONTROL
PROCEDURE
Industrial Projects Company (INPEC)
0.0
First issue
01/09/2012
Name
REV.
COMMENTS
DATE
Sign/date
PREPARED BY
Table of Content
Name
Sign/date
APPROVED BY
Name
Sign/date
ACCEPTED BY
INPEC-PWHT-01
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Date: 20/01/2014
1) Scope
2) Reference Code
3) General Requirements
4) Temperature Control
5) Thermocouples, Thermal Insulation and Recording Instruments
6) Preparation for Heat Treatment
7)
Calibration
11)
Reporting
INPEC-PWHT-01
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1 Scope:
INPEC-PWHT-01
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INPEC-PWHT-01
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1 Thermocouples
a) all thermocouples shall be checked to ensure chromel-alumel
type is used.
b) Thermocouples, and thermocouple wires, shall be purchased
to standard limits of error of not more than 0.75 percent in the
range of 270C or 1200 C. This requirement shall be so stated
in the purchase requisition. Thermocouple wire for capacitor
discharge applications shall be covered with high temperature
(1200C) insulation.
c) thermocouple wire less than 1m in length shall not be used,
and care shall be taken to ensure that the thermocouple
conductor wires do not touch each other, or metallic
components.
d) thermocouples shall be attached at the extremities of the
required heated bandwidth and in the weld metal area.
Attachment shall be by the capacitor discharge method or by
GTAW, if capacitor discharge method is used related WPS
should be followed.
e) Indicated temperatures for each thermocouple shall be
indicated on a recorded chart with increments of 10 C as a
number or color.
f) Copper constantan compensating cable shall be used for
extension of the thermocouple to the recording instrument. The
copper lead (+ve) shall be connected to the Chromel conductor
of the thermocouple (non-magnetic), and the constantan lead
(-ve) shall be connected to the Alumel conductors (magnetic).
2 Thermal Insulation
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INPEC-PWHT-01
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INPEC-PWHT-01
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Preheating
a) Before welding weld or cutting operations the edge
preparations shall be preheated according to the prescriptions
of par. 3.1.
b) The heat of welding may assist in maintaining preheat
temperature after the start of welding.
c) The extent of application of preheat and the maintaining shall
be recorded if required.
1 Heating Rate
a) The heating rate above 300 C shall not exceed 222 C /hr
divided by the maximum metal thickness in inches, but in no
case shall the rate exceed 222 C /hr.
b) During the heating period, there shall not be a greater
variation in temperature throughout the portion of the pressure
retaining items being heated than 139 C within any 4.6m
interval of length.
c) Rates of heating and cooling need not be less than 56 C /hr.
INPEC-PWHT-01
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2 Cooling Rate
a) Cooling should be done with the insulation in place, except
for the quartz lamp method and for those ferritic stainless steels
that require rapid cooling to avoid embitterment.
b) The cooling rate above 427 C shall not exceed 278 C /hr
divided by the maximum metal thickness in inches, but in no
case shall the rate exceed 278 C /hr Cooling
c) From 427 C cooling may be done in still air for any metal
thickness.
d) For P-No. 6 materials, cooling may be done in still air from
the PWHT temperature.
e) For P-No. 7 Group Nos. 1 and 2 materials, the cooling rate
above 650C shall be a maximum of 56 C /hr, after which the
cooling rate shall be sufficiently rapid to prevent embrittlement.
Shut off heat at 650 C and remove insulation, if any, as soon
as possible.
f) For the quartz lamp method, cooling from the post weld heat
treating temperature shall be performed by properly down
sloping the radiant heat input in still air so as not to exceed the
maximum specified cooling rates.
3 Heat Band Width of Local Treatment
a) For local heat treating of circumferential joints of pipe or
tubing, the width on each side of the center line of
circumferential joints in piping or tubing to be heated to the
post weld heat treatment temperature shall be at least three
times the greatest width of the finished weld. The portion
outside the heating device shall be protected so that the
temperature gradient is not harmful.
b) Nozzles or other welded attachments shall be heat treated by
heating a circumferential band around the entire vessel or
header. The heated bank shall extend at least six times the wall
thickness beyond the weld that connects the nozzle or other
attachment. The portion outside the heating device shall be
protected so that the temperature gradient is not harmful.
4 Heat Treatment Temperature and Time Cycle
a) The holding temperatures and the related holding time are
limited by Code requirements and shall be indicated clearly in
the WPS.
b) For dissimilar P-numbers, refer to the WPS and/or the
applicable code. In general, the heat treatment requirements for
the higher P-Number material should be used.
INPEC-PWHT-01
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INPEC-PWHT-01
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The PWHT Report (Exhibit No. 38) shall be used to document the
PWHT parameters and the thermocouples location during the
heating cycle.
A unique No. for each recorded chart shall be established to provide a
relevant connection to the reporting form.
The chart and the related reporting form shall be reviewed and
signed by the assigned QCM.
All PWHT charts shall be made available for the AI.