Mr. Steve Paterson has extensive experience in metallurgical engineering; welding engineering; mechanical testing; failure analysis; nondestructive examination; fractography; theoretical and experimental fracture mechanics; analysis of material degradation at elevated temperatures; and forensic engineering.
Past work includes developing and implementing analytical and experimental methods for estimating the remaining life of metal components operating at elevated temperatures. This work includes developing new, and improving existing, methods for the prediction of the remaining life of feedwater piping subject to flow accelerated corrosion, superheater tubes, reheater tubes, waterwall tubes, steam headers, steam piping, and turbine casings; developing Tolerable flaw diagrams for weldments in steam piping systems using plastic instability and time dependent elastic/plastic fracture mechanics principles; assessing the influence of welding variables and weld residual stresses on the fracture potential of structures; and implementing these new and well developed existing remaining useful life analysis techniques for numerous commercial clients.
Recent work includes developing and implementing predictive and proactive maintenance programs (to inspect smarter, not more); developing real-time on-line life assessment systems (used to develop lowest-cost operating strategies); and developing new knowledge for the diagnosis and prevention of boiler tube failure mechanisms (e.g., phosphate corrosion, erosion corrosion, and corrosion-fatigue) which previously were not well understood.
EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
- M.S. (Metallurgy and Materials Engineering), Lehigh University (1982)
- B.S. (Metallurgy and Welding Engineering), California Polytechnic State University
(1980)
- A.S. (Welding Technology), Contra Costa College (1976)
- Certified AWS Welding Inspector
- Recipient, American Society for Metals, Metallography Award
- Teaching Credential, Metallurgy and Related Topics
Member:
- American Society for Metals International (ASM)
- American Welding Society (AWS)
- American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
- The Metallurgical Society (TMS)
- Tau Beta Phi (Engineering Honor Society)
SELECTED REPORTS, PUBLICATIONS, AND INVITED LECTURES
HRSG Tubing Evaluations at Jacksonville Electric Authority's Brandy Branch, APTECH Report AES 05025698-2-1 (February 2005).
Metallurgical Evaluation of High Pressure Evaporator Tube Leaks from Jacksonville Electric Authority's Brandy Branch HRSG, APTECH Report AES 04125624-2-1 (January 2005).
Metallurgical Evaluation of an Economizer Tube Sample from Union Transitoria's La Plate, Unit 1, APTECH Report AES 04085488-2-1 (August 2004).
Main Steam Piping Steamside Oxide Evaluation for the HL Spirit, APTECH Report AES 04065433-2-1 (June 2004).
Calpine's Morgan, Unit 1 - Waterside Corrosion and Deposition Evaluation of a Tube Sample from the Final High Pressure Economizer 2 (HPECON2), APTECH Report AES 04055429-2-1 (June 2004).
Calpine - Deer Park Plant, Unit 1 - Metallurgical Evaluation of High Pressure Economizer 1 (HPECON1) Return Bend Cracking, APTECH Report AES 04015281-2-1 (February 2004).
Metallurgical Evaluation of Intermediate Pressure Superheater 3 Tube-to-Outlet Header Cracking of Calpine Deer Park Plant, Unit 1, APTECH Report AES 03105197-2-1 (October 2003).
Calpine – Deer Park Plant – Metallurgical Evaluation of HP Evaporator Tube Deposits, APTECH Report AES 03065096-2-2 (September 2003).
Calpine Deer Park Plant, Metallurgical Evaluation of High Pressure Evaporator Tube Failures, APTECH Report AES 03065096-2-1 (June 2003).
Finishing Superheat Outlet Header Stub Tube Failure Analysis First Energy Corporation, Bruce Mansfield Plant, Unit 2, APTECH Report AES 02014621-2-1 (February 2002).
Interim Report on the Root Cause Evaluation of the Encina Unit 5 Main Steam Wye Safe-end Weld Cracking, APTECH Report AES 01114553-2-1 (January 2002).
Ford Motor Company Steam Turbine Failure Analysis Investigation, with M. Cronin, et.al., APTECH Report AES 01034327-25-1 (November 2001).
Visual Examination of Mebetron Aluminum Frame Welds, APTECH Report AES 01074435-5-1 (July 2001).
Visual Examination of Gantry Structures, Unit 407 and Unit 333, APTECH Report AES 01074432-5-1 (July 2001).
Condenser Tube Failure Analysis TransAlta Power Company Keephills, Unit 2, APTECH Report AES 99033644-2-5 (December 2000).
Waterwall Tube Failure Analysis TransAlta Power Company Keephills, Unit 1, APTECH Report AES 99033644-2-4 (December 2000).
Metallurgical and Fitness-for-Service Evaluation of a Waterwall Tube Sample from Wabamun, Unit 4, APTECH Report AES 00084104-2-1 (October 2000).
Engineering Evaluation in Support of TransAlta's Root Cause Investigation of the Wabamun Unit 4 Waterwall Tube Corrosion Fatigue Failures, with P. Besuner, M. Cronin, and K. Hara, APTECH Report AES 00094126-2-1 (October 2000).
Metallurgical and Fitness-for-Service Evaluation of a Waterwall Tube Sample from Wabamun, Unit 4, APTECH Report AES 00084104-2-2 (August 2000).
Evaluation of Cayuga Power Station, Unit 1 Hot Reheat and Link Piping, with J. Yavelak, R. Moser, and M. Cohn, APTECH Report AES 99083760-2-1 (July 2000).
Metallurgical Evaluation of Central Louisiana Power Company's Jog 4438 Front Street Double Circuit 230 kV Transmission Line Pole - Tangent Static Arm Bracket Failure, APTECH Report AES 00054030-5-1 (June 2000).
Metallurgical Failure Investigation of the Wastage of the Low Pressure Drum Primary Separator Plates at Hermiston, Unit 1, APTECH Report AES 00064038-2-1 (June 2000).
Engineering Evaluation of Fluor Daniel's Delay Claim Related to the Heat Recovery Steam Generators Rabigh Steam Power Plant Extension Phase IV, with K. Clark, et.al., APTECH Report AES 97113243-2-2 (May 2000).
Engineering Evaluation of Fluor Daniel's Delay Claim Related to the Heat Recovery Steam Generators Rabigh Steam Power Plant Extension Phase IV, with K. Clark, et.al., APTECH Report AES 97113242-4-2 (May 2000).
Cholla Unit 3 Main Steam Piping Girth Weld Tolerable Flaw Diagrams, APTECH Report AES 99083779-2-3 (February 2000).
Evaluation of Leaks in the Phase I Portion of the Process Cooling Water System Located at Applied Materials Arques Campus, with T. Kuntz, et.al., APTECH Report AES 99113842-5-1 (January 2000).
Main Steam and Hot Reheat Piping System Evaluations, Cholla Station, Unit 2, with M. Cohn and R. Seals APTECH Report AES 99083779-2-2 (December 1999).
Baseline Examination of the High Pressure Turbine Shell for Engine 1 on the USS Cleveland, APTECH Report AES 99083771-5-1 (August 1999).
Root Cause Evaluation of Piping Fitting Failures at the City of San Diego’s Waste Water Pump Station No. 65 Relocation, with J. Grover and H. Vaillancourt, APTECH Report AES 98013278-4-1 (June 1999).
Engineering Evaluation of the W.C. Beckjord Station, Unit 6, Clamshell Elbows, APTECH Report AES 99043667-2-1 (May 1999).
Allowable Groove/Corrosion Pitting Depths and Remaining Wall Thickness for the Site 3 In-Bed Steam Generating Piping, APTECH Report AES 99043685-2-1 (April 1999).
Metallurgical Evaluation of Cracking in the Desuperheater Zone Shell of Gibson Station Unit 1 High Pressure Feedwater Heater 1F-1, APTECH Report AES 99043666-2-1 (April 1999).
Metallurgical Evaluation of Wet Fluorescent Magnetic Particle Indications in a Dumbo the Flying Elephant Arm Assembly Trailing Beam Clamp, APTECH Report AES 99043669-5-1 (April 1999).
Effects of Coal-Fired Plant Aging on Expenditure Levels, APTECH Report AES 98083471-2-7 (March 1999).
Preliminary Results of Unit 2 Heat Recovery Steam Generator Failures, with T. Burnett and T. Kuntz, APTECH Report AES 87113560-2-1 (January 1999).
Engineering Evaluation of the Effect of Operating Load on Equipment Damage and Forced Outage Rates, with M. Cronin, et.al., APTECH Report AES 98083486-2-2 (October 1998).
Main Steam Piping System Evaluation, Encina Station, Unit 4, with M. Cohn, APTECH Report AES 98043360 2-2 (September 1998).
Weld Quality Audit and Engineering Assessment of the Structural Steel and Critical Weld Details in the San Diego Airport, Concourse F, Terminal 2 Construction Project, with G. Egan, et.al., APTECH Report AES 97022975-4-1 (June 1997).
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