Ceit works on new solutions to combat corrosion on offshore platforms
04 | 09 | 2023
The technology center Ceit is the technical coordinator of project HarshMop, which seeks to develop a monitoring system and new coatings to improve corrosion protection on the structure of offshore floating platforms.
The project HarshMop aims to reduce costs, optimize maintenance and increase the service life of the Structures offshore, while promoting renewable energy generation.
Offshore platforms play a crucial role in offshore renewable energy generation. However, they face significant challenges such as corrosion, which is one of the main problems that can cause structural failures on these platforms. Therefore, continuous monitoring of this process is of utmost importance, which translates into costs due to access difficulties and the large area to be covered by the monitoring system.
Currently, there are no integrated, non-intrusive and autonomous corrosion monitoring systems deployed on floating platforms. In addition, current corrosion protection coatings have limitations in terms of durability and mechanical properties.
An adaptable and unattended system
To address these problems, project HarshMoP has been launched, an initiative of the Public-Private partnership Program at framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. The HarshMop consortium formed by Ingeteam, Enerocean, Plocan, Lurederra and the technology center Ceit, has as goal main objective to design a monitoring system that combines corrosion monitoring with turbine monitoring, integrating data of physical and chemical parameters of the sea, as well as data meteoceanic. In addition, it seeks to complement this monitoring system with the development of new coatings to improve corrosion protection in the structure of floating platforms.
The solution proposal aims to be adaptable and to operate unattended for long periods of time. To this end, specific applications must be considered, since the corrosion phenomenon may vary depending on the use of the platform and it is necessary to consider the different zones of interest, such as the submerged, splash and atmospheric zones, as well as the environmental conditions to which the system will be exposed.
Corrosion monitoring and protection
For corrosion monitoring, HarshMoP proposes the use of ultrasound technology in combination with UWB (Ultra-Wide-Band) and LF (Low-Frequency) wireless communications. Specifically, it will be Ceit as coordinator technician of project who will work on this technology that will allow accurate measurements of material thickness, as well as the transmission of data both on the surface and underwater.
Regarding corrosion protection, the design and development of a nano-coating with anticorrosive properties for metallic substrates is proposed. This coating seeks to extend the life of the most corrosion-prone elements on floating platforms. Unlike current coatings, it seeks to use hybrid formulations with inorganic predominance, which will allow greater applicability, lower energy consumption in application and curing, as well as less additional weight in the treated parts and platforms.
A unique system
Currently, there is no continuous corrosion monitoring system capable of accurate and reliable thickness measurements in rapid successions, which also operates and transmits to the cloud data of thickness loss and structural health of the wind turbine. In parallel, it is also expected to develop a protection system based on new coatings that will overcome the limitations of current commercial coatings.
With all this, project is expected to reduce costs, optimize maintenance and increase the useful life of offshore Structures , promoting the generation of renewable energy and contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases. Thus, with the implementation of HarshMoP, it is expected that offshore platforms will be more efficient, safe and sustainable in the future.
About Ceit
Ceit is a technology center integrated in the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), and was created in 1982 at the initiative of the University of Navarra. Ceit is a private non-profit organization whose mission is mission statement to improve the competitiveness of companies through technology transfer. The center has a strategy of specialization around advanced manufacturing, sustainable mobility and circular Economics .
