Estimation of corrosion rates for corrosion under insulation in petrochemical plants using self-organizing map

Over many years, External Corrosion under Insulation (CUI) scientists and engineers have been recognizing it as a very critical and serious case where inspection and maintenance of pipes are greatly needed. CUI is insidious damage mechanism which causes a large percentage of maintenance expenditures. It is the hidden external corrosion that occurs beneath the jacketed thermal insulation in pipes as a result of water penetration. Most of the petrochemical plants in Japan were built over than 40 years ago, and the problem with this kind of corrosion is localized in areas that are not detected directly by inspection programs. Thus, it is especially hazardous when the insulation covers pipes until it reaches dangerous levels that truly threaten the life of pipes. The purpose of this research is to estimate corrosion rates by using Self-Organizing Map (SOM).