Dr Ninh Nguyen
Senior Engineering Consultant
Materials Services
Melbourne
Professional Background
Advanced 3D FE modelling of turbine and boiler components subjected to complex transient mechanical-thermal stresses and fatigue, creep or creep-fatigue damage, modelling of contact and vibration problems. Plant life modelling of creep-fatigue damage, rates of crack growth and defect tolerance assessment in accordance with industry advanced structural integrity procedures such as EDF R5-R6, API-579 and BS-7910. Structural integrity assessment, review and replacement design of dynamic loading components (axle shafts, cranes and bridge welded steel structures) and high temperature pressure vessel aging components in accordance with national and international standards (e.g. AS1210, AS1228 and AS4041, etc). Piping analysis and structural integrity assessment of complex welded tee components subjected to creep-fatigue damage in accordance with ASME 31.1, ASME 31.3 and R5-R6/BS7910.
Areas of Expertise
- Advanced finite element modelling and analyses (utilizing commercial software such as ANSYS et al.) to support failure investigations (inc. court case such as 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission), modal analysis, design verifications and defect-tolerance fitness- for-service, plant life assessment in power, petrochemical, structural, infrastructure and military industries.
- Piping analysis and structural integrity assessment of complex welded tee components subjected to creep-fatigue damage.
- Replacement design of aging high temperature pressure vessel components.
- Structural integrity review and assessment of steel shafts/steel welded structures subjected to dynamic loading such as fatigue and vibrations including wagon axle shafts, bridges, cranes etc.
- Heat transfer and design verification of refractory wall of electric furnaces for smelter industry.
- Development a suite of in-house standard based program/models for applications e.g. FATCREAM for creep-fatigue defect-tolerance fitness-for-service and life assessment of range of cracked components.
- Project manager for number of consulting and R&D projects.
Relevant Project Experience
- Performed numerous finite element mechanical-thermal stress, modal analyses, structural integrity and Defect Tolerance Assessments (DTA), fitness-for-service, creep-fatigue assessments, piping analyses and structural integrity replacement design (such as welded tees and primary air duct vanes) including turbine and boiler components for power generation, petrochemical, structural, smelting, infrastructure, automotive and military industries (e.g. NRG Gladstone, Synergy, CS Energy, Stanwell PS, Alinta Energy, Energy Australia (Yallourn PS), Loy Yang, Energy Brix, Esso, Santos, Tempo, Alcoa, Telstra, Holden, Pall Australia, Malaysian TNBR-TNBJ Manjung PS, Vietnam Vam Cong bridge structural integrity and failure investigation review et al.).
- Heat transfer and electrical-thermal analyses for design verification of smelter furnace refractory (Temco), failure investigation of the furnace electrodes for smelting industry (Temco & Alcoa), piping analysis (TRUenergy), piping tee design and assessment (Synergy, Esso) and concrete floor modelling to determine load capacity (Telstra).
- Developed an in-house standard-based (R5-6 & BS7910) creep-fatigue life assessment package i.e. FATCREAM (FATigue CREep Life Assessment Method). Updating this tool with most recent technical advances and its application for the remnant life assessment of boiler & turbine components and pressure vessels for numerous power generators and other industries.
- Project leader for developing a new robust DTA product for Fitness-For-Service & Defect Tolerance Assessment of cracked components.
- WTIA Panel 14 "Arc Physics" member and contributed number of technical papers to WTIA National and International Proceedings and Welding journal since 2000.
- Author of the engineering reference "Thermal Analysis of Welds", 2004, UK WIT Press and a number of articles in professional journals and conference proceedings.
- Project leader on "Investigation of creep-fatigue effect on the remaining life of the power plant components", BCIRP R&D project, 2001-2002.
- Project leader on "Investigation of ALCOA bolted joint connections to improve electrical efficiency", SECV & ALCOA joined R & D project, 2005-2006.
- Contribution to AWS Welding Standard and Handbook.
- Published numbers of technical journal & conference papers as listed in his ResearchGate profile.
- Published a technical book "Thermal analysis of welds" by UK WIT Press 2004. A Vietnamese version of this book "Phân Tích Truyn Nhit Hàn và ng Dng" has been published by Hanoi Technical University Press in 2008.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Engineering (Mech. Welding, Hons), Slovak Technical University, Slovakia, 1984.
- Masters of Engineering (Mech.), AIT, Thailand, 1991.
- Doctor of Philosophy (Fatigue of Welded Structures), Adelaide University, Australia, 1996.
- Postdoctoral Fellow of Japanese Science and Technology Agency (STA), 1997-1999.
Professional Associations, Membership and Award
- RPEng (Professionals Australia), RPEQ (24105)
- Fellow of UK Wessex Institute of Technology
- Member of American Welding Society (AWS) since 2000
- Reviewer of Welding in the World Journal
- Reviewer of various International Conferences
- American Welding Society Award for significant contribution on Welding Research on Maritime Welded Structures, 1999.
