Corrosion Damage Effects on the Structural Integrity Assessment of Offshore Structures
Abstract
An important issue to be considered in the structural integrity assessment of offshore structures, such as offshore wind turbines and Oil & Gas pipelines, is the characterisation of material degradation due to environmental damage and its subsequent effects on the remaining lifetime predictions. The main aim of this project is to investigate the importance of corrosion and corrosion-fatigue damage in the structural integrity assessment of offshore steel weldments (i.e. base metal, heat affected zone and weld metal) using experimental testing and numerical modelling techniques. S355 structural steel weldments, which are widely used in offshore industry, will be exposed to different corrosive environments for various durations and the corresponding changes in the mechanical response, fracture and fatigue crack growth behaviour of the material will be examined. Furthermore, a numerical model will be developed and validated to predict corrosion pitting, corrosion weight loss and corrosion-fatigue crack growth behaviour in S355 weldments in the seawater environment.
Planned Impact
The major beneficiaries of this programme will be the Engineering Graduates, UK operators, power generation industry, manufacturing and service companies, UK Plc, the academic community, the REMS Centre activity and society in general.
The importance of Offshore & Marine Renewable Energy to the UK economy and the key issues and barriers to economic success have been highlighted in the main proposal which demonstrate the central role of technology in ensuring sustainable, secure energy. In addition, energy underpins UK manufacturing industry and its stable and reliable presence is imperative for economic competitiveness and security. To realise this future success, Offshore Renewable Technologies require leaders with both the knowledge and vision to grow UK Offshore Renewable Energy business. The REMS Centre will produce individuals who will provide such leadership to ensure that UK Offshore Renewable Energy can meet the future technical and business challenges needed to achieve domestic renewable energy targets and to compete globally. As noted by the ERA Foundation, increasing exports of manufactured goods is the only realistic way of addressing the imbalance in traded goods which accounts for a deficit of around 6%-7% of GDP equivalent to £40bn-£50bn. It is acknowledged that the development of innovative technology and its application is essential if this economic situation is to be reversed.
The REMS Doctoral Centre will generate at least fifty research programmes at doctoral level in areas of offshore renewable structures that have been selected by collaboration between industrial partners and academics from the two universities. The industrial input will ensure that the research programmes are relevant to furthering the interests of the business community and the academic input will ensure that the research is leading edge. The research programme will be an integrated one that will lead to an interdisciplinary network of highly skilled and knowledgeable engineers to support the industry with state of the art technology. At its height, the REMS Centre will be supervising at least forty students working on parallel and integrated research programmes. The wider academic community will also benefit from enhanced research capacity, the new knowledge generated and the scientific advances made. Impact will be quickly realised due to the applied nature of the research which will be embedded in companies at an early stage. The Centre will be outward-facing, continuously engaged with industry through both formal and informal events, such as the annual conference, links and contacts. In addition, we expect such a program to attract additional students from other external funding sources, such as via scholarships or self-funded students. The taught training program will be attractive to companies for CPD purposes, particularity with the support of Renewable UK.
Society at large will benefit from the Centre in a variety of ways. A key aspect of the REMS programme is the whole systems approach to delivering offshore & marine renewable energy structures. The REMS Centre aims to encourage industry to build on this approach in their organisational culture and practices. The Centre will support research on the impact of the environment on offshore installations and also on environmental impact. The findings of this work will lead to metrics that can form the basis of assessing environmental impact that can contribute towards the formulation of rational regulation and governance offshore. The outreach activities proposed for the Centre are aimed at increasing public awareness and understanding of the offshore renewable energy structures with the purpose of increasing public acceptance. The establishment of a viable renewable energy industry in the UK benefits society by securing an energy supply that is environmentally friendly and has the potential for significant wealth creation nationally and internationally.
The importance of Offshore & Marine Renewable Energy to the UK economy and the key issues and barriers to economic success have been highlighted in the main proposal which demonstrate the central role of technology in ensuring sustainable, secure energy. In addition, energy underpins UK manufacturing industry and its stable and reliable presence is imperative for economic competitiveness and security. To realise this future success, Offshore Renewable Technologies require leaders with both the knowledge and vision to grow UK Offshore Renewable Energy business. The REMS Centre will produce individuals who will provide such leadership to ensure that UK Offshore Renewable Energy can meet the future technical and business challenges needed to achieve domestic renewable energy targets and to compete globally. As noted by the ERA Foundation, increasing exports of manufactured goods is the only realistic way of addressing the imbalance in traded goods which accounts for a deficit of around 6%-7% of GDP equivalent to £40bn-£50bn. It is acknowledged that the development of innovative technology and its application is essential if this economic situation is to be reversed.
The REMS Doctoral Centre will generate at least fifty research programmes at doctoral level in areas of offshore renewable structures that have been selected by collaboration between industrial partners and academics from the two universities. The industrial input will ensure that the research programmes are relevant to furthering the interests of the business community and the academic input will ensure that the research is leading edge. The research programme will be an integrated one that will lead to an interdisciplinary network of highly skilled and knowledgeable engineers to support the industry with state of the art technology. At its height, the REMS Centre will be supervising at least forty students working on parallel and integrated research programmes. The wider academic community will also benefit from enhanced research capacity, the new knowledge generated and the scientific advances made. Impact will be quickly realised due to the applied nature of the research which will be embedded in companies at an early stage. The Centre will be outward-facing, continuously engaged with industry through both formal and informal events, such as the annual conference, links and contacts. In addition, we expect such a program to attract additional students from other external funding sources, such as via scholarships or self-funded students. The taught training program will be attractive to companies for CPD purposes, particularity with the support of Renewable UK.
Society at large will benefit from the Centre in a variety of ways. A key aspect of the REMS programme is the whole systems approach to delivering offshore & marine renewable energy structures. The REMS Centre aims to encourage industry to build on this approach in their organisational culture and practices. The Centre will support research on the impact of the environment on offshore installations and also on environmental impact. The findings of this work will lead to metrics that can form the basis of assessing environmental impact that can contribute towards the formulation of rational regulation and governance offshore. The outreach activities proposed for the Centre are aimed at increasing public awareness and understanding of the offshore renewable energy structures with the purpose of increasing public acceptance. The establishment of a viable renewable energy industry in the UK benefits society by securing an energy supply that is environmentally friendly and has the potential for significant wealth creation nationally and internationally.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Feargal Brennan (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Sabina Aghasibayli (Student) |