Acoustic Induced Vibration: A need for harmony

The potential for catastrophic or even minor failures from Acoustic Induced Vibration (AIV) is a serious concern that can potentially result in not only millions of dollars in economic losses, but in worker injury or death. Currently, there are several methods for predicting locations along piping where fatigue may occur. The empirically based CONCAWE method and the stress strain method are the basis for the majority of the AIV studies and they were developed to create a workable solution to avoid failure. Though there are significant differences in analyzing the potential problem, the methods for fixing the problem should be harmonious. This work examines the differences in the results of the methods and how they are utilized to recommend fixes for the potential failure points. A natural conclusion from this paper is that there is a need for additional failure data to make the criterion more robust. One way to achieve this is to create a database where people can report failures which can then be used to develop and test failure criteria. A proposal for creating this database is set forth in this work. The reporting can be done in a protected manner in the event that affiliation with a failure will be detrimental.