Welded Tanks, Leak Tests and API 650

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Cyp Participant Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: France Posts: 2	Welded Tanks, Leak Tests and API 650 06/19/2009 10:52 AM
	Hello I would like to read your opinion on leak tests on a welded tank according to API 650. We are building a tank (15000 m3) in Gulf states and we need to perform a leak test before filling. API 650 requirements is to perform this test with water. (...) "If sufficient water to fill the tank not available the tank may be tested by (1) painting all of the joints on the inside with a highly penetrating oil, such as automobile spring oil, and carefully examining the outside of the joints for leakage" Please could you help me and detail which type of oil can we use or what is the procedure to apply without water to meet the requirements of API. Thank you for your help
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Keith E Bowers Power-User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Houston,Texas Posts: 378 Good Answers: 24	#1 Re: Welded Tanks, Leak Tests and API 650 06/20/2009 9:42 AM
	The requirement is to use a low viscosity oil that is non-volatile AND has a wetting agent added to increase the 'oiliness' and increase the penetrating ability. Pure petroleum oil has too high a surface tension to penetrate cracks ans crevices and will not weep through to the outside. A commercial automotive product that would suffice is Marvel Mystery Oil, which is also dyed red. You may want to buy a drum of it and add an oil soluble UV fluorescing dye -like that used in A/C leak detector and transmission leak detector oils. Then the seams could be tested at night (much cooler) and the fluoresing dye leaks would be easy to see using a hand held UV light source. Fast, low cost, conforms to test requirements. __________________ Keith E Bowers, PMP
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babybear Guru Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: USA/Europe Posts: 4547 Good Answers: 68	#2 In reply to #1 Re: Welded Tanks, Leak Tests and API 650 06/20/2009 11:36 AM
	Hello Keith E Bowers, I like your idea of the florescent dye. GA to you Sir! bb __________________ Take it easy, bb. >"HEAR & you FORGET<>SEE & you REMEMBER<>DO & you UNDERSTAND"<=$=\|O\|=$=>"Common Sense is Genius dressed in its Working Clothes"<>[Ralph Waldo Emerson]
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Jerry New Hampshire Power-User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Northeast corner of the sphere Posts: 310 Good Answers: 7	#3 Re: Welded Tanks, Leak Tests and API 650 06/20/2009 11:39 AM
	Why not buy some visable dye penetrant and apply? This is purpose designed to penetrate cracks and voids. Availible as both solvent removable and water wash. Flouresants are even more sensitive. Both types usually give 90% penetration in 90 seconds. so you shouldn't have to wait long if the material isn't overly thick. Many years ago, I worked for a NDT company. Every spring and fall was spent on the road doing inspections at power stations during their maintenence outages. At one, I found a crack in the outer shell of a steam turbine from the inside. I applied Red Dye, and a millwright with a grinder chased the crack. After the third application, a voice from underneath the shell where they were stripping off the plaster called out "What's all this red crap down here?" That was in excess of 12 inches of steel. __________________ How can you be two places at once when you're actually nowhere at all?
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Cyp Participant Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: France Posts: 2	#4 Re: Welded Tanks, Leak Tests and API 650 07/06/2009 3:27 AM
	Dear all Apparently a fluorescent dye penetrant test with a UV lamp reading have been approved by our customer. the supplier able to provide this solution is Akkila. liquid used is named ;agnaflux. Thank you for your help.
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