BlueScope Steel (Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia)
BlueScope Steel required structural assessment of a coke quench car side wall for coke ovens nos. 3-6 batteries which had been experiencing corrosion issues (due to ongoing exposure to coke and water at elevated temperatures). Structural assessment considering strength and fatigue with appropriate corrosion allowances was required in accordance with standard AS 4100 to determine integrity of the coke car side walls to assist with inspections and risk assessments in support of ongoing car operations. Loading conditions including permanent, imposed (i.e. coke bulk material, water) and thermal loads were to be considered in accordance with standards AS/NZS 1170.0 and AS 3774 to verify structural integrity.
What we did:
- Performed preliminary bulk material load calculations as per standard AS 3774 to determine coke induced hopper wall normal pressure/shear stress distribution (considering initial fill and discharge flow loads).
- Performed preliminary heat transfer calculations to determine equivalent coke/ambient air convection coefficients for subsequent heat transfer analysis.
- Performed structural assessment (i.e. thermal-structural FEA) of coke quench car side wall applying permanent, imposed and thermal loads (considering corrosion allowances as required).
- Determined deflections/stresses in critical regions (i.e. high stress areas) and confirmed structural integrity as per standard AS 4100 considering strength and fatigue requirements.
Outcome:
Avesta Consulting verified strength and fatigue performance of the coke cars as per standards AS 4100 and AS 3774 and identified critical regions for periodic inspection and maintenance to extend service life.
