Design of Equipment for Process Industry (FSI-KSZ)

Academic year 2026/2027
Supervisor: prof. Dr. Ing. Marcus Reppich  
Supervising institute: ÚPI all courses guaranted by this institute
Teaching language: Czech
Course type: departmental course
Aims of the course unit:

After completing the course, the student will:

  • be able to apply acquired theoretical as well as practical knowledge in solving real problems
  • have enhanced his/her knowledge in structural design of process equipment
  • be familiar with damage mechanisms a lifetime management of process equipment
  • be acquainted with design requirements for equipment intended for cyclic as well as creep temperature services according to European standards and with crack growth assessment possibilities
  • have overview around hydrogen damage mechanisms and hydrogen influence on strength as well as lifetime of equipment
  • be familiar with hydrogen damage assessments using standard API 579-1
  • improve the ability to use expert literature and be acquainted with specific technical terms

Course absolvents will be able to utilize acquired knowledge and come to realization that process equipment damage can be affected by operating conditions. They will be aware of available tools and of the need for continuous development. They will get an overview of extent and quality of initial information for design as well as lifetime management of process equipment.
Learning outcomes and competences:
 
Prerequisites:

Basic knowledge from elasticity and strength of structures, mechanics, limit states and theory of materials.
Course contents:

The course focuses on the ageing and lifetime management of process equipment operating under real service conditions. It provides a comprehensive overview of material degradation mechanisms and their mathematical descriptions, including fatigue, creep at elevated temperatures, and corrosion.
Special attention is given to hydrogen technologies, with emphasis on material damage processes in hydrogen environments. Topics include the assessment of allowable growth of defects identified through non-destructive examination, evaluation of hydrogen-caused defects, and methodologies for assessing material resistance to brittle fracture.
The course also covers the development of damage scenarios for process equipment, including the selection of independent variables and their statistical distributions required for the computation of failure probabilities and risk assessment of major equipment accidents
Teaching methods and criteria:
 
Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes:

Active attendance at computer-assisted exercises.

Final exam consists of written and oral parts, where students must prove acquired theoretical and practical knowledge, level of which is reflected by final grade (A-F).
Controlled participation in lessons:
 
Type of course unit:
    Lecture  13 × 2 hrs. optionally                  
    Computer-assisted exercise  13 × 2 hrs. compulsory                  
Course curriculum:
    Lecture

Basic requirements for structures and options for designer and stress engineer, lifetime management of process equipment.


Damage mechanisms of materials at operational conditions.


Material response to loading.


Stresses categories. Assessment of strength of structures at the monotonic growth load.


Assessment of damage of material at cyclic loading, high-cycle and low-cycle fatigue.


Assessment of material resistance to brittle fracture.


Allowable defect growth.


Assessment of material damage due to elevated temperature (creep).


Assessment of material damage by stress corrosion cracking.


Process equipment design philosophy according to ASME code and ČSN standards.


Using damage assessment in lifetime/ageing management systems.


Influence of hydrogen on strength and residual lifetime of process equipment – Introduction, hydrogen damage mechanisms


Influence of hydrogen on strength and residual lifetime of process equipment – Crack growth in hydrogen environment
    Computer-assisted exercise

Topic units:
1. Plasticity of materials
- description of the behavior of steels in tensile tests and under real loading
- plasticity of materials and material models of plasticity
- limit state of stress and theory of plasticity
- shakedown, ratcheting
2. Fatigue of materials
- main factors influencing fatigue
- stress cycles, Wöhler curve
- low-cycle fatigue, Manson-Coffin life curve
- calculation of fatigue life of a pressure vessel according to ČSN EN 13445-3 chapter 17
- damage accumulation hypothesis
- high-cycle fatigue, Haigh diagram
- counting cycles under general loading
3. Fracture mechanics and crack growth
- brittle fracture, transition temperatures
- fracture toughness and stress intensity factor
- Griffith fracture criterion
- crack growth, Paris-Erdogan relationship
4. Creep
- main factors influencing creep
- creep curves
- calculation of creep damage according to European standards
5. Hydrogen damage
- evaluation of hydrogen blisters and suitability of damaged equipment for further operation according to standard API 579-1
- crack assessment and growth in hydrogen environment according to standards ASME BPVC.VIII.3 a API 579-1
Literature - fundamental:
1. Anderson, T.L.: Fracture Mechanics Fundamentals and Applications. CRC Press, Inc. 1995
2. DOWLING, Norman E. Mechanical behavior of materials: engineering methods for deformation, fracture, and fatigue. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2007, 912 s. ISBN 0-13-186312-6
3. Lemaitre, J. & Chaboche, J.L.: Mechanics of Solid Materials. Cambridge University Press, 1990
4. G. A. Antaki, Fitness-for-service and integrity of piping, vessels, and tanks: ASME code simplifed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.
5. LEE, Yung-Li, Mark E BARKEY a Hong-Tae KANG. Metal fatigue analysis handbook: practical problem-solving techniques for computer-aided engineering. Waltham: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2012, l, 580 s. ISBN 978-0-12-385204-5.
6. R. D. Port and H. M. Herro, The Nalco guide to boiler failure analysis. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1991.
7. C. F. Andreone and S. Yokell, Tubular heat exchanger inspection, maintenance, and repair. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1998.
Literature - recommended:
1. Němec, J.: Prodlužování životnosti konstrukcí a předcházení jejich haváriím, , 0
2. Vejvoda, S. - Vlk, M.: Stavba chemických zařízení IIb. Pevnost a životnost tlakových nádob., , 0
3. Vejvoda, S. - Suchánek, M. - Majer, L. - Podhora, J.: Navrhování a posuzování svařovaných konstrukcí a tlakových zařízení, , 0
8.

POPOV, Branko N., Jong-Won LEE a Milos B. DJUKIC. Hydrogen Permeation and Hydrogen-Induced Cracking. In: Handbook of Environmental Degradation of Materials [online]. B.m.: Elsevier, 2018 [vid. 2023-07-17], s. 133–162. ISBN 978-0-323-52472-8. Dostupné z: doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-52472-8.00007-1 
9.

SAN MARCHI, Chris, Joseph A. RONEVICH, Paolo BORTOT, Matteo ORTOLANI, Kang XU a Mahendra RANA. Technical Basis for Fatigue Crack Growth Rules in Gaseous Hydrogen for ASME B31.12 Code Case 220 and for Revision of ASME VIII-3 Code Case 2938-1. In: ASME 2024 Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference [online]. B.m.: American Society of Mechanical Engineers Digital Collection, 2024 [vid. 2025-07-24]. Dostupné z: doi:10.1115/PVP2024-122529 
The study programmes with the given course:
Programme Study form Branch Spec. Final classification   Course-unit credits     Obligation     Level     Year     Semester  
N-PRI-P full-time study --- no specialisation -- Cr,Ex 6 Compulsory 2 2 S
C-AKR-P full-time study CLS -- Cr,Ex 6 Elective 1 1 S