Ashwin Padmala

***** ******* *****, ***# ***

Charlotte, NC 28269

Tel: 704-***-****

Email: acyrm0@r.postjobfree.com

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Engineer (Analyst), Structural Integrity Associates, Inc., Huntersville, NC January 2009 – Present

Responsible for spearheading engineering evaluation for design and life estimation of crucial components in power industry.

Summary of Specialties:

Registered Professional Engineer in North Carolina and Arizona.

Over 8 years of experience working on projects that involve Fatigue, Creep, Fracture Mechanics (Fatigue and Creep Crack Growth), Heat Transfer, Structural and Thermal Stress Analyses of Piping, Pressure Vessel and other Crucial Components (Valves, Boiler Headers, Tubes, Steam Chest, Attemperators etc.,) in Fossil, Natural Gas, Solar and Nuclear Power Plants.

Expertise in using finite element (FEA) software’s such as ANSYS (Classic, Workbench) and Abaqus.

Proficient at ASME Section I, Section II, Section III, Section VIII Div. 1, 2 and 3, ANSI B31.1 Codes for design calculations and API 579-1/ ASME FFS-1 for Fitness for service calculations.

Extensively used SOLID WORKS for three-dimensional (3D) solid modeling.

Knowledgeable and hands on experience with Python coding for Abaqus and APDL Coding for Ansys.

Experience with MATHCAD and Excel VBA.

Extensively used PV Elite and COMPRESS software to perform ASME Code design calculations.

Adept at writing proposals and preparing budget estimates for new projects.

Willing to relocate to anyplace in USA

EDUCATION:

M.S., Mechanical Engineering, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, GPA: 3.9/4.0

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, India.

MAJOR PROJECTS EXPERIENCE:

Pipe Stress Analysis and Weld Prioritization for Non-Destructive Examination: Performed over a dozen Piping Stress Analysis using both 3D solids and beam elements to determine the structural, thermal and creep redistributed stresses in high energy piping systems for fossil and combined cycle power plants. Based on the stress analysis performed a weld prioritization was recommended for NDE Inspections.

Carried out fatigue and creep life assessment of HRSG systems subjected to pressure and thermal transients, using the fatigue lifetime calculation given in EN 12952-3 Code and creep life assessment in accordance with EN12952-4.

Designed the emergency diesel generator fuel oil storage tanks using ASME Section III Code calculations for component sizing. Attention was paid to design the tanks to withstand seismic loads.

Fracture mechanics analysis and lifetime assessment of a main steam non-return valve: Modelled a three-dimensional valve with complex tombstone geometry and a physical crack using Abaqus. The 3D FEM of the valve with various crack depths was modeled to simulate the fatigue crack initiation, fatigue and creep crack growth calculations. The valve integrity due to limit load /plastic deformation for the remaining ligament ahead of the crack was also evaluated using Failure Assessment diagram in API-579-1/ASME FFS-1.

Heat transfer analysis to determine the maximum permissible heat flux that may be applied to the superheater tubes: Various failure mechanisms were evaluated to provide physically based limits on the heat flux that can be applied to a superheater tube as a function of the steam temperature inside the tube.

Performed residual stress analysis on the Inconel Alloy 82/182 dissimilar metal welds (Grade 91 to Alloy 625 and carbon steel to austenitic steel) using finite element analysis.

Experienced in performing ASME Section VIII Division 1 design calculations of pressure vessels and its attachments using PV Elite and COMPRESS software.

Principal Investigator to develop the methodology to perform Elastic and Creep piping stress analysis using 3D finite element approach in Abaqus. Also developed a python tool to automate stress extraction around the circumference of the pipe.

Assessed fatigue crack growth, brittle fracture, local metal loss, pitting corrosion, creep damage and creep crack growth in accordance with API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 2007 Fitness-For-Service using Signal Fitness-For-Service (Signal FFS) software.

Performed Root cause analysis of cracking observed on the girth welds of hot reheat equalizing loop piping. Evaluation included limit load analysis, piping flexibility analysis, estimation of time to creep damage initiation, and fatigue analysis due to thermal transients. Further, provided recommendations to the client about future inspection and possible weld build up/repair.

Conducted a study to simulate the temperature distribution across the weld thickness during post weld heat treatment (PWHT) process. For this, Grade 91 welds between Valve-to-pipe and Main Steam pipe-to-drain connections were selected and parameters (control thermocouples and heating bands) involved in the PWHT process were modified to determine the efficient ways to perform a PWHT on the Grade 91 welds.

Performed Fitness for Service assessment of valve casings, steam chest to determine the critical flaw depths and remaining crack propagation life for the cracks identified. Three dimensional linear elastic finite element analysis was performed on these components using Ansys Workbench.

Performed fatigue crack initiation, fatigue crack growth analysis and determined the remaining life of the girth welds and piping downstream of the desuperheater/attemperator due to thermal shock stresses caused by impingement of the attemperator spray water on the ID pipe surface.

Performed PE review for engineering evaluation to justify the startup of the power plant, after four gouges were found in the steam generator primary head instrument nozzle.

Performed PE review of engineering evaluation to determine maximum vertical lifting load in the affected safety relief system using ASME Code, Section III primary stress design criteria and ascertain the impact on the system due to the inadvertent lifting load.

Performed PE review to evaluate operability of the safety injection system vent line for a revised branch line pipe break loading. Using the ASME Code, Section III, Appendix F Elastic collapse load of the vent line structure is determined.

Assessed a two pin design to reinforce the turbine blade on the LP steam turbine for its operability, and to support the centrifugal loads developed by rotor vibration, plus blade harmonic and forced-vibration.

Performed design calculations for Obloid flange with full face gasket using Taylor Forge Bulletin No. 502 and ASME Section VIII, Division 1, Appendix 2. Bolt torque preload calculations were performed to design the bolts.

Conducted WRC-107/537 Calculations to assess local stresses in the shell caused due to external nozzle loads and internal pressure.

Prepared design specifications and design reports for ASME Code Section III and Section VIII, Divisions 1 & 2 pressure vessels. Developed MATHCAD worksheets that minimize the engineering time to perform robust hand calculations.

Performed emergency diesel generator fuel lube oil cooler floating and fixed flange calculations using ASME Section III Code calculations.

Worked on Buckling Analysis of thermal sleeves due to radial and axial shrinkage of the weld overlay on the pressurizer spray and surge nozzles.

Performed Fracture Mechanics calculations to determine allowable flaw sizes for heat exchanger tubes, and plates to support ASME Code case 2235 for ultrasonic examination in lieu with radiography.

Performed weld calculations to determine the structural adequacy of the fillet welds on glove box components at Mixed Oxide Services (MOX, Savannah River Site).

Responsible for designing and analyzing the weld overlay (WOL) repair on Alloy 82/182 welds in primary water reactor (PWR) nozzles. Performed tasks such as sizing the WOL, performing thermal mechanical stress analysis, weld residual stress analysis, ASME Code Section III Evaluation, weld shrinkage and crack growth analyses of the Alloy 82/182 welds with WOL repair.

Conducted ASME PTC 19.3 TW-2010, Thermowell design calculations. These Thermowells were designed to withstand static pressure, steady state fluid impingement, turbulence and dynamic excitation due to vortex shedding.

Performed metallurgical replication on 9Cr-1Mo, 2.25 Cr-1Mo, carbon steel pipes and other equipment in power industry.

Hands on experience with hardness measurements using MIC20 portable hardness tester on various piping welds and mechanical engineering components in power utilities.

ACADEMIC PROJECTS:

Thesis project: Modeling of Thin Interphases in Fiber Reinforced Composites/Effective Properties

The effective properties of the composite are determined by modeling a representative volume element (RVE) structure using finite element technique.

Research Project: Optimum choice of cohesive zone parameters describing initiation and propagation of cracks

The study was performed to investigate the use of identical cohesive zone parameters to capture the failure behavior of different geometric features but made of same material. The crack initiation and propagation behavior of an orthotropic material (single edge notch tension specimen) were analyzed under Mode-I loading.

PUBLICATION:

Co-authored PTB-5-2013 ASME Section VIII, Division 3 Example Problem Manual. Developed several example problems that involved performing Linear Elastic, Elastic Plastic, and Ratcheting Assessment on High-Pressure Vessels using design criteria given in ASME Section VIII Division 3 Code.

OTHER SKILLS:

Application tools: Abaqus, ANSYS, MathCad, Solid Works, Nozzle Pro, PV Elite, Signal FFS software.

Computer skills: Windows, Microsoft Office, VBA, Abaqus python, ANSYS APDL

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