Mechanical integrity, SEMS

In supporting its proposed SEMS rule, MMS also discussed data on 1,443 Incidents that occurred over the same years, which involved 41 fatalities, 502 injuries, 10 losses of well control, 11 collisions, 476 fires, 356 pollution events , and 224 crane and hoist mishaps. It concluded that the majority of these incidents were related to operational and maintenance procedures or human error, and that operating procedures and mechanical integrity accounted for the greatest number of spills. 

Some companies will charge costs to SEMS, others will not. For example, the entire Mechanical Integrity budget could be wrapped up with the normal maintenance costs. If, on the other hand, aU maintenance costs are included in the Mechanical Integrity element then an on-going cost in the 225,000 to 1,665,000 range is very low indeed. 

The SEMS requirements to do with Mechanical Integrity are described and discussed below. 

What criteria for mechanical integrity must my SEMS program meet ... 

FIGURE 11.13 SEM-EDX images of an embrittled membrane sample. The holes and tears resulted from reduced mechanical integrity caused by the crystallization of (a) silicon-containing and (b) calcium-containing particles from the degradation of incompatible sealing materials inside and on the surface of a membrane [100]. 

The mechanical integrity of equipment is obviously a crucial element in any SEMS program. The ultimate purpose of such programs is to ensure that hazardous and flammable materials remain confined with the system s piping and vessels. The mechanical integrity program, therefore, represents the last line of defense. 

This book should be read in conjtmction with Process Risk and Reliability Management, published by Elsevier in 2010. That book provides much more detail regarding the implementation and management of the elements of SEMS such as operating procedures and mechanical integrity. 

Computers will be integrated more and more into commercial SEMs and there is an enormous potential for the growth of computer supported applications. At the same time, related instruments will be developed and extended, such as the scanning ion microscope, which uses liquid-metal ion sources to produce finely focused ion beams that can produce SEs and secondary ions for image generation. The contrast mechanisms that are exhibited in these instruments can provide new insights into materials analysis. 

To intensify the ion current, an amplification via electron multiplication is advantageous. For this purpose a MCP is introduced into the PIMMS. An MCP rectangular cut in shape from a standard MCP [25,26] works as a secondary electron multiplier (SEM) as shown in Fig. 11. The MCP is hybrid-integrated into the spectrometer by clamping with flexible silicon springs 20 pm in thickness. They serve both as mechanical fixture and electrical contact. The MCP is operated between 400 and 1,300 V and amplifies the current by more than 1,000, which allows for measurements into the <100 ppm region. 

Figure 6 Schematic diagtam (left) and an SEM photograph (right) of two triple-track test structures that are used to study electrolytic corrosion mechanisms along with the effectiveness of passivation layers. The stmcture shown on the right was encapsulated and then exposed to HAST conditions until lailure. This particular structure is part of the integrated test device shown previously in Figure 5. These test devices contain eight triple-track sections (the left set with windows in the passivation layer) and exposed wirebond pads.

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