Structural Integrity Associates Revenue and Competitors

Structural Integrity Associates (SI) has been involved in all aspects of MIC, including technology transfer (books and software), diagnosis, consulting, and monitoring, since 1986. George Licina of SI is the author of both of the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI) reference documents on MIC, "Sourcebook for Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion in Nuclear Power Plants", and "Detection and Control of MIC - An Extension of the Sourcebook". The information in these books led to the development of MICPro, a pc-based predictive advisor on MIC that uses the knowledge in the Sourcebooks and an expert systems approach to provide users with an easy-to-use tool for predicting the susceptibility of systems and components to MIC and corrosion. Mr. Licina has also performed "hands-on" investigations of raw water corrosion and potential MIC situations under EPRI and utility sponsorship. One such project involved the evaluation of corrosion of existing and candidate replacement materials (including weldments) for the service water system of Duke Power Company's Catawba Nuclear Station. For this project, electrochemical methods were used as a supplement to the corrosion coupons that were installed and monitored by Duke Power. Others have included root cause failure analysis, on-line monitoring of biolfilm activity, open circuit potentials, corrosion of coupons, and pipe spools. Monitoring is particularly important for early detection and effective control of MIC. Biofilms can form on metal surfaces very rapidly. Mitigation measures such as water treatment are far more likely to be effective during the early stages of biofilm formation. Once a mature biofilm has become established, the slime layer produced by the microorganisms along with corrosion products and suspended and dissolved solids from the water, make the biofilm extremely resistant to the effects of biocides or other water treatments. An early warning of the onset of biofilm is essential for effective control. A sensor that also provides an indication of the effectiveness of treatments provides the user with a powerful tool to control biofilm. If biofilm is controlled, MIC is controlled. SI has developed such a sensor, the BIoGEORGEÔ probe, that provides the capability for on-line monitoring of biofilm activity. The probe has been shown to be an effective tool for tracking biofilm activity in a variety of cooling water chemistries, including both hard and soft fresh waters, brackish water, seawater, and in highly unpredictable and difficult-to-monitor gas field produced water. BIoGEORGE probes have been installed at TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (October 1991 and October 1993), at Philadelphia Electric Company's Limerick Station (September 1992), the United States Miliary Academy as part of an Army Corps of Engineers monitoring project (June 1993), and Alabama Power Company for demonstrations of monitoring of corrosion and fouling in their fossil and nuclear facilities. A complete corrosion monitoring project, including a BIoGEORGE probe, was performed for Pennsylvania Power & Light Company at their Susquehanna Steam Electric Station (June, 1994). Three BIoGEORGE probes were installed at Pacific Gas & Electric Company's Pittsburg Power Plant in 1994. Two probes were also installed at Southern California Gas Company's Montebello Station for tracking biofilm activity in gas field produced waters. SI has also applied its expertise in nondestructive examination to inspection for MIC. The closed tunneling pits that are often produced in stainless steels by MIC attack are difficult to detect by methods other than radiography and are virtually impossible to size by standard volumetric methods. SI's Focused Array Transducer System (FATS) has been demonstrated to be an effective method for characterizing MIC in stainless steel weld metal. If you would like to obtain additional information regarding the BIoGEORGE probe, MIC, or SI's capabilities in this area, please contact SI. BIoGEORGE is a trademark of Structural Integrity Associates. Patent rights to the probe, U.S. Patent Numbers 5,246,560 and 5,356,521, are owned by EPRI. The probe is marketed and manufactured by Structural Integrity Associates under a license from EPRI.