Institute News
The first of the series of YEP-AMPP Journals, by Christopher Slater, Project Engineer, STORK, Aberdeen, is given below.
The 2022 Young Engineer Programme (YEP) consisted of 9 evening lectures presented by specialists in their field, to provide technical competency and knowledge across the field of asset integrity to delegates, combining with the Aberdeen branch technical programme.
Subsea 7 loaned their training facility for this purpose. that were covered during the 2022 programme:
• Fundamentals of corrosion
• Cathodic protection
• Coatings and linings
• Corrosion under insulation / fire proofing
• Integrity management / fitness for service
• Materials / welding
• NDT and corrosion monitoring
• Production chemistry / chemical treatments
• Presentation skills
The case study presented a scenario whereby we were engaged by a mock integrity services contractor to advise an international company that is a newcomer to the operation of production facilities in the UK sector of the North Sea. This consisted of analysing the scenario and current integrity status of the pressurised systems on the mock platform through the evaluation of the provided data and performing an initial risk assessment to identify key threats to the mechanical integrity of the pressurised systems. The brief to develop our proposed application of a systematic methodology to manage corrosion and surveillance activities allowed for approaches to prolong service life, the use of innovative solutions, the assessment of material options for the new pipeline, and the possible impact of H2S on operations to be explored and practical experience of these aspects to
be achieved.
In the accumulating case study and later presentation, we were guided to develop this in a way that gave us valuable experience of approaching/dealing with the mock prospective client, including the production of an overall high-quality presentation with a balance of presentation skills and team coordination through presentation, all of which were developed through delivery and exposure to the task.
Throughout this programme, the technical lectures and opportunity for direct implementation of learnings from lectures have given me invaluable exposure to fields of asset integrity that I hadn’t previously been exposed to, as well as providing opportunities to develop further practical knowledge of aspects I am familiar with.
I believe that this programme has given me a stepping stone’ towards further progressing my career within asset integrity and has opened new career avenues on the back of it.
AMPP Member Leadership Development Programme
We all had the opportunity to enrol in AMPP’s Member Leadership Development Programme (MLDP) ahead of the conference. The intent of this programme was to provide enhanced leadership skills and training to members who may have an interest in serving in upper-level member leadership roles within the organisation in the future. The programme was led by Kim Ray, the Director of the EMERG Student Outreach Programme at AMPP, in partnership with Lauren Kaufman Blachman of Kaufman Blachman Consulting. The programme consisted of a series of learning sessions. On the Sunday preceding the conference, a full-day in-person event was organized, followed by five monthly online sessions. We have also participated in additional online meetings in which we, within groups of other participants on the programme, will later present the culmination of our work on a case study to the Joint Executive Committee of AMPP.
The leadership programme included training sessions that help provide a more in depth understanding of AMPP, its governance structure, the strategic plan, as well as its products, programmes, and services. In addition, participants would also intensify their own leadership skills with sessions in emotional intelligence, change management, communication skills, presentation skills, and much more. This special event kicked off on the first day of the conference. The morning session included an introduction to some members of the AMPP Joint Executive Committee and AMPP Chief Staff Officers who were available to come along to share their welcomes and provide positive insights into the programme. This initial in-person session, among other team building activities, included an Emotional Intelligence workshop providing a depth of personal insight in order to enhance our ability to use emotional intelligence to feel more positive and be a more effective influence throughout our personal and working lives. During this, there were several interactive break-out activities allowing for the opportunity to get acquainted with the American and other international participants and build relations that would be carried throughout the conference trip and furthermore into the rest of the MLDP programme.
This experience left me feeling much more confident to go forward with my leadership and management skills, as I was able to develop effective communication skills and an understanding of effective leadership. I feel much more confident going ahead as a leader to manage change. Also I have gained experience on how to navigate situations with heightened emotions effectively, being able to read a room and recognising what actions to take, through better emotional intelligence, depending on scenarios faced in professional and personal situations.
AMPP 2023 Conference + Expo
Due to the wide array of topics associated with materials protection (corrosion control and protective coatings), I planned my schedule to cover further development and advanced technologies in the field of plant inspection but also include a range of topics across the broader field. Kicking off on Sunday, the first day of the conference, proceedings consisted of a Coatings 101 workshop, which gave basic awareness of a typical protective coatings project, from understanding the need for a project and the selection of coating criteria to the unique challenges faced in the industrial coating industry. The afternoon consisted of a symposium on “Digital asset transformation: application of data science and analytics for corrosion management” – featuring a presentation on “eddy current array technologies, the utilisation of digital twin technologies for predictive corrosion and proactive management, and overviews of operators” developed holistic corrosion management software and dashboards. In the evening, we attended the opening reception for the conference. Monday included several symposia, including “Facilities integrity: day 1” (including presentations on tank linings and composite repairs), “Corrosion under insulation” (including presentations on the utilisation of on-line inspection and monitoring solutions for CUI management), and “materials and cost of corrosion” – including effective service forecasting assessments and initial material selection for the improved lifecycle and project costs. In the evening, we attended a meal with some senior ICorr members who attended the conference, including Stephen Tate (President), Gareth Hinds (Past President), Danny Burkle (CED Chair and past YEP attendee, from 2018’s winning team), and also Peter Elliot (former UMIST lecturer). Tuesday presented a busy day visiting symposiums on “sweet and sour corrosion”, “corrosion management”, “facilities integrity: Day 2”, “materials and integrity in oil sands”, “marine coatings and corrosion”. The most notable and interesting presentations I attended included a talk on “the importance of leadership in corrosion management” which stressed the importance of leadership as opposed to management in the success of a corrosion management programme. Another highlight was a presentation where a failure investigation was shared summarising the step-wise failure analysis to understand intergranular stress-corrosion cracking (IGSCC) failure mechanism observed for carbon steel pipelines and piping, believed to be related to the presence of mineral wool insulation of a certain vintage. Also included in these symposia was a presentation by one of our colleagues from the AMPP MLDP, a PHD student from Texas A&M University.
Tuesday evening was kicked off with a BP sponsored drinks reception, followed by the headlined EMERG Scholarship Awards Ceremony and Emerging Leaders Bash where we were presented with our certificates for the YEP programme. Wednesday was mainly focused on attendance of symposia on “Corrosion Protection in Offshore Wind” a topic that is new to myself but attendance provided great insight and learnings on the subject. This day also included the attendance to the Exhibition, sadly not making the putt for the chance to win a Scotty Cameron putter but was able to visit stands of a few of my company’s NDT equipment and condition monitoring suppliers for equipment demos. As part of the exhibition we also had the opportunity to get a walkthrough of paint inspection methods and equipment, and also visit the AMPP Student Poster presentations where a few of our colleagues from the MLDP were presenting.
On Thursday, the final day of the conference proceedings, symposia attended consisted of “Hydrotesting, Mothballing and Preservation” including failure investigations on stagnant lines and conclusion of presence of MIC, “Aboveground Storage Tank Bottom Cathodic Protection” including presentation on the findings of an off-line inspection and corrosion identification of a water storage tank and “Machine Learning for Corrosion Management” including overview of Ultrasonic Guided Wave techniques utilisation for machine learning for corrosion monitoring in Pipes. As part of the package for attending the Conference we also have access to the recorded sessions on-demand to revisit attended sessions or catch-up on sessions that we wished to attend but clashed with schedules at the time – so the takeaways from the conference are still very much ongoing, which is a huge benefit to my continued professional development. Through the exposure to a wide range of asset integrity innovations and in-development solutions, it has sparked a real interest to better understand these technologies and diversify my knowledge in subjects such as corrosion monitoring solutions and cathodic protection.
Conclusions
Overall, from the outset of the programme itself and the opportunities created following, the Young Engineer Programme has given so much exposure to field of corrosion, asset integrity and related topics. This has been such an invaluable experience, opening doors and my mind to further progression in my professional life.
Each aspect of this journey has afforded many networking opportunities to better integrate me as an individual in the asset integrity industry and develop professional relationships and rapports with subject matter experts in the fields of asset integrity.
I would like to thank ICorr, especially Yunnan Gao (ICorr’s Vice President), a former colleague at STORK and now with BP, for introducing me to the programme in the first place and would encourage any prospective candidates of the YEP programme to go for it and take hold of all the opportunities that are available from it.
ICorr Microbiologically-Influenced Corrosion (MIC) Courses
The next ICorr MIC course is scheduled for October at the headquarters in Northampton. MIC is one of the least understood corrosion phenomena, despite being responsible for a number of high-profile failures. The Aliso Canyon gas leak in 2015 was caused by external MIC rupturing a storage well and the civil lawsuits were settled for US$ 1.8 billion on 27/9/2021[1], on top of utility fines and the cost of repair and containment.
MIC phenomena affect all systems with even traces of water in most industries. Different microbial groups have been identified and are affecting most construction materials.
The ICorr course is the only MIC training programme that is certified by a recognised professional organisation.
Dates:
The awareness course is scheduled for 4/10/2024
The certified MIC technologist course is scheduled for 23/10 to 27/10/2024
Venue:
ICorr headquarters, Northampton, UK
Registration:
Email: admin@icorr.org
Telephone: +44 (0) 1604 438 222
(1) SoCalGas agrees to $1.8-billion settlement in 2015 gas leak – Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
Institute News
AMPP 2023 VISIT – DENVER
The 2022 YEP programme was chaired during the year by Hooman Takhtechian FICorr, and has been previously documented at: https://www.icorr.org/young-engineers-programme-yep-winners-night/ and see also (24) Post | LinkedIn
AMPP 2023 VISIT – DENVER
The five winning YEP delegates listed below all attended the 2023 AMPP exhibition, full conference, and leadership programme. The Institute of Corrosion is extremely grateful to AMPP, and to BP (our key sponsor) for making this all possible. Each of the YEP participants has produced a comprehensive journal, and these will be published in subsequent issues of the magazine (the first appears in this issue), as we move towards the start of the YEP 2024 programme.
YEP delegates at AMPP in 2023 were:
• Christopher Slater
• Eilidh MacDonald
• Jamie Hillier
• Lee Hunter
• Praveena Nanthakumaran, (who was on the winning team for the 2020 YEP competition but was unable to attend at that time)
Rosie Bird (from the 2022 winning team) was unfortunately not able to go to the AMPP event this year but it has been agreed that she will attend AMPP in 2025, alongside the 2024 winning team.
During October 2023, the winning students will make a presentation of their experiences to Aberdeen branch, and this will be available to all ICorr members, as a hybrid event to which AMPP and Young ICorr members will be invited.
AMPP Retiring President
During the AMPP 23 event, a “thank you” plaque was presented to retiring AMPP CEO – Bob Chalker. Bob will be succeeded by Alan Thomas with a 2 month handover until July 2023.
The YEP wishes to express its gratitude to all the AMPP, BP and ICorr management teams, for their support and assistance provided for their 2023 visit, which was a huge success and greatly enjoyed by all. Some of the YEP winners’ comments are extracted here below, and their full journals will be published as space permits
YEP / AMPP – Delegate Feedback
• The YEP programme was a huge success. I developed my technical, communication, leadership, and teamwork skills, to a huge extent. I got to play so many different roles that I simply would not get exposure to during my usual day job as subsea engineer. At times I felt like a leader, a follower, a technical consultant, and a salesman. The value of the programme was really demonstrated to me through the opportunity to play these roles, (Jamie Hillier – Senior Subsea Engineer at Xodus Group, Aberdeen).
• If you are just starting your career as a young engineer and are interested in corrosion, I highly recommend applying for the ICorr’s YEP. It was an eye-opening experience. I have learned from SMEs in the industry, made fantastic friends along the way, and gained new and exciting opportunities through the programme. Additionally, the AMPP conference (and Leadership programme) winner’s prize, is incredibly valuable for knowledge transfer, networking, and potentially finding new clients or services for your company, (Praveena Nanthakumaran – Mechanical Engineering Graduate at Worley, London).
YEP – AMPP Visit prize – Leadership Programme / Conference / Exhibition / Awards
• On arrival at the event, we participated in a team building activity after being familiarised with the Drexler-Sibbet team performance model. This was a great way to get involved with other participants and build connections with them. The ‘carpet maze’ required us to work as a team to figure out the correct route to cross the mat without being able to talk to each other, in a limited time frame. This exercise was a practical way to teach us certain things that are directly applicable to the problems we face in a professional setting. Often, we just see our end goal, but to achieve this, mistakes will be made, side steps will need to be taken, and sometimes you even need to go backwards – it’s never just a straight route! (Eilidh MacDonald – Coatings Engineer at Subsea7, Aberdeen).
• The leadership programme experience left me feeling much more confident to go forward with my leadership and management skills, as I was able to develop effective communication skills. It gave me a good understanding of effective leadership, to make me feel much more confident going ahead as a leader to manage change. Also increasing my experience on how to navigate situations with heightened emotions effectively, being able to read a room and recognising what actions to take, through better emotional intelligence, depending on scenarios faced in professional and personal situations, (Christopher Slater – Project Engineer at STORK, Aberdeen).
AMPP 23 Conference – Participant Feedback
• I realised just how busy this conference was when I tried go to the Surface Preparation lectures – there wasn’t even standing room left! (Eilidh MacDonald – Coatings Engineer at Subsea7, Aberdeen).
• The AMPP seminars provided practical tips and strategies for overcoming challenges, and the opportunity to learn from industry experts was invaluable. I left the conference feeling inspired and motivated to apply the knowledge and insights I
had gained to my work, (Lee Hunter – Operations Manager at
AIM Group, Aberdeen).
AMPP 23 Exhibition – Participant Feedback
• Highlights of the exhibition for me were spending time discussing technologies on the market with various vendors. This included talking through pigging solutions to wax-filled pipelines, retrofit ICCP system solutions, and remote UT monitoring sensors. Being able to discuss these technologies and then bring back learnings from them into projects I’m working on would’ve been worth the trip to Denver alone, (Jamie Hillier – Senior Subsea Engineer at Xodus Group, Aberdeen).
• I was impressed by the diversity of the AMPP exhibitors and the range of products and services they offered. From coatings and corrosion protection solutions to equipment and instrumentation, the exhibitor hall had something for everyone, (Lee Hunter – Operations Manager at AIM Group, Aberdeen).
AMPP 23 Awards – Participant Feedback
• The EMERG Leaders Awards Ceremony at the Filmore in Denver, sponsored by BP was absolutely fantastic, and we were invited on stage to receive our ICorr YEP awards from Stephen Tate. It was also great to celebrate the achievement with the friends we had made on the MDLP earlier in the week, some of whom were also receiving awards that night. The atmosphere, the band, and the food (and drinks!) were great, and the night was definitely my highlight of the trip, (Eilidh MacDonald – Coatings Engineer at Subsea7, Aberdeen).
• The evening of entertainment and networking that followed the ceremony was a great opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals and learn from their experiences. Overall, it was a truly memorable event, and I feel privileged to have been a part of it, (Lee Hunter – Operations Manager at AIM Group, Aberdeen).
YEP 2024
We look forward, of course, to the next YEP competition, starting in January 2024, which will be managed by our very successful YICorr division, and take place in London. This 11-month programme provides a great opportunity for young engineers to expand their knowledge in corrosion management and engineering, and to combine it with their experience in energy and other industries.
The programme is designed to offer the following benefits:
1. Attendees will gain practical skills and knowledge on key issues in the energy industries, including Net-Zero technologies.
2. The lectures and workshops will form part of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for the Institute of Corrosion. Additional attendance at local branch technical meetings will be encouraged where possible.
3. Attendees will develop teamwork and presentation skills from the workshops.
4. CPD points will contribute to participants’ progression to MICorr and Chartership.
5. Excellent opportunities for networking.
6. Increasing the skill level for engineers and decreasing the gap in knowledge between new and senior engineers, overall facilitating a better working environment within the sector.
All students will go through a series of evening lectures and be given a case study. Events will be held once a month from January to November (excluding August). Following is a list of the topics covered during the programme:
• Fundamentals of Corrosion • Cathodic Protection.
• Coatings & Linings
• Corrosion under Insulation/Fire Proofing
• Integrity Management / Fitness for Service
• Materials / Welding • NDT and Corrosion Monitoring
• Production Chemistry / Chemical Treatments
• Presentation Skills, (in the form of ‘How to solve a corrosion case study’ – This will cover the basics to presentation skills anecdotally but importantly teach the participants the keys to problem solving in the corrosion world)
James McGladdery will co-ordinate the next programme on behalf of YICorr, who can be contacted at:
James.McGladdery@uknnl.com, Tel: +44 (0)1946 556 600
Denver Conference Centre, Colorado.
YEP Winners, BP Sponsor and President at AMPP 2023 – (L to R),
Praveena Nanthakumaran, Eilidh MacDonald, Jamie Hillier, Timothy Bieri, Stephen Tate, Lee Hunter and Christopher Slater.
Presentation of the YEP Awards at the Filmore.
Plaque to Bob Chalker, retiring CEO of AMPP.
Institute News
Each year, the Institute of Corrosion bestows a range of internationally renowned awards in recognition of excellence in corrosion science and engineering, and to reward outstanding service to the Institute and the wider corrosion community.
The institute is extremely proud to announce the selection of Trevor Osborne, FICorr (Hon), NACE Corrosion Specialist, for the H.G. Cole Award.
This award is made in recognition of exceptional services to the development of the Institute. It is only awarded on an occasional basis, reflecting the highest possible level of commitment of the recipient to the activities of the Institute. The inaugural H.G. Cole Award (in the form of a poignard) was presented to Charles Booker in 1997 by Gwen Cole (wife of the late Henry Cole), in recognition of his many years of service as Honorary Secretary of the Institute. The modern form of the award is a plaque whose design captures the essence of the original poignard.
Trevor is a past president of the Institute of Corrosion and a long-standing chair of the board of its commercial arm, Correx Ltd. He is managing director of Deepwater Corrosion Services (UK) Ltd., and has worked in the energy industry for over 43 years, with very wide experience in corrosion control and project execution. He will be presented with the award at the Institute AGM to be held on November 8, 2023, in Birmingham.
We offer our sincere congratulations to Trevor on this magnificent achievement.
Background to the H.G. Cole Award
Henry George Cole was the chief materials engineer at the UK Ministry of Defence. He was based in London and Farnborough, and was a hugely respected coordinator and sponsor of research, an elegant and influential ‘Whitehall Mandarin’, and a man of spectacular vision and determination. He was Secretary to the Hoar Committee, a ground-breaking development for the recognition of corrosion costs in the early 1970s that was the mainspring for corrosion interest in UK government circles for the next twenty years. Henry Cole was also hugely committed to the Institute of Corrosion. He became the part-time administrative officer for the institute when it shared accommodation with the SCI at Belgrave Square. He oversaw the Institute’s move to the IMF offices in Birmingham and he was one of the guiding lights of the Institute until his untimely death on 14th May 1987.
Trevor’s Legacy
Trevor has made an outstanding contribution to the long-term financial sustainability of the institute in a variety of roles over many years. He has guided the Institute financially by overseeing the continued success of our ICATS training scheme in his role as Chair of the Correx Board, and by coordinating sound investments on our behalf. In addition, before retiring from Council in 2022, Trevor spearheaded the purchase and refurbishment of a new headquarters for the Institute – ‘Corrosion House’ in Northampton.
This is a ‘state of the art’ 3-storey building, with the ground floor dedicated to the HQ administration team, the middle floor for training, and the top floor as a conference room. Each floor has its own kitchen, and the corrosion training centre has a breakout facility for delegates.
Corrosion House is undoubtedly a world class facility, totally fitting for the Institute of Corrosion, and based in a location in easy reach for both national and global customers, that today welcomes customers and members from all over the world.
More information on the H.G. Cole Award can be found on the Awards page of the ICorr Website:
https://www.icorr.org/icorr-awards/
Institute News
On 13th April, the branch heard a presentation from US based APS (of Malvern, PA), at Metec in South Shields.
During this informative presentation, the non-thermal plasma technology was presented by Andy Kintz, focusing on the key benefits of low temperatures maintained during the application and the minimal waste produced. When applied to a coating on a metal substrate, the reaction with the organic matter in the coating removes the coating creating by-products of water vapour, CO2 along with any inorganic particles, and does not change the metal substrate underneath, so revealing the roughened substrate from when the coating was applied.
If applied to an uncoated metal substrate the plasma can produce a temporary low level of surface energy which can improve the adhesion of linings.
Currently the system has a small application nozzle and is designed for small applications such as bolt and weld cleaning, rather than large areas of surface preparation. Peter Yancey of APS then carried out practical demonstrations of the cold plasma technology, removing both aged coatings and rust from steel panels, and reinforcing the claims made in the preceding presentation.
Institute News
On Tuesday 28th March 2023, the
branch meeting welcomed Dr Kevin McDonald – Sonomatic, with a talk entitled ‘Effective pipework analysis and inspection planning using Digital Twins’.
Kevin is a principal integrity engineer within Sonomatic’s integrity team in Aberdeen. He is a mathematician with a PhD in computing science. He has extensive experience in data analytics and inspection planning for pipework, pressure vessels and pipelines, co-authoring the recommended practice for Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) as applied to pressure vessels. As well as integrity consulting, he is involved in the technical capability development for Sonomatic’s integrity team with a focus on statistical approaches. Recently, he has been involved in developing a statistics-based method of inspection planning and evaluation applied to subsea pipelines for a major operator.
Effective pipework analysis and inspection planning using digital twins
The integrity of pipework is essential for the safe and reliable operation of process plants. Inspections are traditionally performed at large numbers of individual test points, with results recorded in an inspection database. In general, this data is subject to relatively simple analysis, with the results used in integrity management decisions. However, this traditional approach can be heavily influenced by poor processes, outliers, or errors for example: incorrect entry of results, not recording higher thickness readings than those obtained previously, and inconsistencies in inspection location, are some examples of how error can be introduced into this process. This could lead to poor integrity decisions and misinterpretation of wall thickness trends. Analysis of pipework data, which is in general restricted to the difference between two thickness readings relative to the dates the readings were taken, can then be driven by measurement error.
Kevin proposed a novel alternative is to consider historic datasets as a whole and look at long-term statistical behaviour to consider how corrosion could be affecting pipework. This approach looks at whole datasets to determine behaviour before considering any sub-groupings of data points that are showing similar behaviour. The Sonomatic developed SPiDARS software accommodates many data formats. Boxplots can be used to display the whole of an inspection history in one view. In this example a normalised view allows all schedules of pipe to be compared. Boxplots can also be used to provide a quick overview of long-term trends (up or down) and can show stability over several years or highlight changes graphically that cannot be seen from data alone, due to spreads and errors affecting judgement.
The illustrated example shows a downward long-term trend indicative of increased corrosion activity. It provides context and a jump in the final result, indicating replacement of the pipe. Data can also be grouped for pipes by diameter which can show that larger pipes seem to have more corrosion issues than smaller ones, or by pipe configuration feature type such as bends, caps, reducers, or straight sections to search for trends.
Corrosion rates determined from Non Destructive Testing ( NDT) generally trend toward wall loss percentile values as the principal criteria. Looking at group trends mitigates measurement error and gives more accurate short and long-term corrosion rate estimates. Any point showing a concerning trend can be extrapolated to predict when an alarm limit may be reached. Corrosion rate data can be plotted in different ways to try and identify issues such as localised and unusual corrosion rates. Lots of data on wall thickness measurement may just behave in a linear sense such as presented here for selected years and locations – nothing unusual is shown and general corrosion is happening at expected rates.
Sonomatic have developed 3 different inspection planning methodologies. The Type 2 methodology was further discussed with steps detailed below:
• Define corrosion state (is it what we expect to find)
• Define a corrosion coverage from previous results
• Define extent of corroded material
• Define thresholds of concern (based on historic results)
• Consider points flagged as over/under inspected
• Consider expected corrosion mechanisms that have a bearing on applied technique
• Define detection threshold
• Define probability of detection (POD)
This approach is underpinned by simple and effective access to the data, which is linked to a 3D mini digital twin.
The mini-Twin also hosts a variety of data, as well as individual test points, corrosion maps, and can house inspection histories, photographs, and further data analysis of corrosion rates, fitness for service etc. 3D is used to present data in efficient ways to quickly provide an overview of the health of the pipework circuit, for example inspection frequency, inspection count, corrosion rates, all of which is valuable information for engineers and asset stakeholders.
Considering sub-groupings of features within a pipework circuit has several benefits – a more representative statistical corrosion rate can be calculated per sub-group that will yield better insight into corrosion behaviour, and an illustration of points that could have been over inspected or under inspected, and information on features that may be of concern on other circuits. This methodology can deliver more efficient and targeted inspections, which represents significant cost savings in the form of lower inspection costs, and better planning of when repair or replacement may be necessary.
• Data is screened on upload for spurious points and has automated and electronic reporting. New inspection data can be uploaded to it to refine analysis and it links to mini-Twin.
• Inspection recommendations from SPiDARS are fed into the digital twin for ease of issue. Data extrapolation can be done within the digital twin, and also by SPiDARS – as they talk to each other. This will flag when repair or maintenance is required.
This was a fascinating and very worthwhile presentation from Kevin, that generated much interest from the online audience.
During April, the branch held two events, firstly, a joint hybrid event with the Marine Corrosion Forum, on the 25th April at the Palm Court Hotel. This was followed by an industrial visit to ICR’s premises at the Bridge of Don, to which MCF members were invited, with several demonstrations of ICR’s technology initiatives.
The industrial visit was split into group presentations in rotation for 6 demonstrations, which showed examples of ICR’s core business activities:
• Chemical Injection / Corrosion Monitoring
• OMNI Integrity Management Software.
• QuickFlange™ Weldless Connectors
• Sky-Futures™ Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Inspection
• Technowrap ™ Engineered Composite Repairs
• INSONO Composite Wrap Integrity Inspection
Chemical injection / corrosion monitoring services are provided throughout the energy sector by ICR who have specialist tooling and trained engineers for retrieving corrosion monitoring coupons, probes, and quills into live pipeline valve stations. The pre-installed fittings on the pipes allow threaded plugs, which carry the mounted coupons, to be inserted into the pipe. This is carried out using either mechanical or hydraulic, telescopic portable tooling, which, through the valve gate, can introduce fresh coupons of pipe grade material which sit within the line for the study period and suffer metal loss through corrosion in the fluid stream. Recovery of the coupons allows weight loss assessment and corrosion pattern study, which can be used to evaluate the
corrosive nature of the fluid and help provide remedial measures such as chemical injection solutions, for which ICR supplies a range of pumping equipment.
OMNI is a cloud-based integrity management software that enables full-lifecycle digitalisation to be tailored and implemented in line with organisational requirements and can connect directly to the latest advancements in technology, such as digital twins (as described above), robotics, and corrosion sensors. OMNI is configured as an ‘all in one’ platform, able to capture all integrity and inspection data formats, compare and provide real-time defect detection and enable the close-out through anomaly and repair –- offering improvements to operational safety and reliability. Organisations can communicate and manage operational workflows more effectively using OMNI’s innovative features such as process automation, tracking and online collaboration, allowing for better safety and operational risk management and supporting legislative compliance.
ICR also offers on-site weldless, flange to pipe connections (Quickflange TM), which are effected using a hydraulic, colleted ram system. The flanges to be fitted to the pipe have an annular groove in the inside of the flange into which the wall of the pipe can be expanded using tooling inserted inside the pipe end. The hydraulic ram contains a split collet which expands inside the pipe and forces a ring of the pipe wall into the flange grove. This provides a weldless metal to metal gas tight seal which is dressed each end with Belzona sealant to prevent water ingress to the junction. This can be performed on pipe to flange connections in any remote situation for 3” up to 15” connections. A full demonstration of the operation was performed on 10” pipe using a hydraulic compressor and ram, and sectioned flanges were offered to the audience as proof of the integrity and bond.
ICR also offers on-site weldless, flange to pipe connections (Quickflange TM) which is affected using a hydraulic, colleted ram system. The flanges to be fitted to the pipe have an annular groove in the inside of the flange
Sky-Futures™ UAS drone inspection devices are a relatively new addition to ICR’s services, and these are widely used across the energy sector including more recently for integrity assessment in the Beatrice wind farm in Scotland’s Moray Firth, as was further discussed at the event.
The turbine’s support structure and blades had exhibited various forms of damage and irregularities, including cracks and compromised safety components, previously identified by rope access personnel. Furthermore, as the turbines were due to reach the end of their service life in the next five years, it was crucial to visually confirm the structures’ overall condition and ensure their continued functionality. This method has reduced the exposure of personnel to working at height and enabled a swift and thorough inspection deploying ultra-high-resolution imagery, to evaluate identified anomalies. The following component areas of the two turbines were successfully inspected to identify any potential dropped objects, or other conditions which could impact the safe decommissioning of the turbines later including:
• Access platforms
• Jackets
• Nacelles
• Support towers
• Turbine blades
The detailed reports and accompanying imagery later provided the client with a comprehensive understanding of the condition of the turbines and their support structures, serving as a crucial component of their future decommissioning strategy.
Technowrap ™ Engineered Composite repair solutions widely used in the North Sea were presented for pipework and structural beam strengthening. These repairs use glass and carbon fibre cloth, which is soaked in epoxy and then systematically wrapped around surface prepared pipes, T-junctions, elbows or structural beam sections, to cover and reinforce damaged or thinned areas of pipe or steelwork. The wrapping fibre used has a woven nature and anisotropic strength. Once wrapped, a compression bandage is added, and within 24 hours, the epoxy laden fibre will reach full cured strength.
The wrap system is ideal for situations where emergency or temporary repair is required but is often suitable (when fully engineered at the outset) for a longer-term fix until major maintenance programmes are permissible. ICR is also able to wrap/resolve low pressure pipes that are leaking under service. A flanged threaded plate is fitted into the leak, and a hose is added to divert the leaking fluid while the pipe and edge of the plate are wrapped in the composite. Once the wrap has cured, the threaded plate can be fitted with a blanking plug to reseal the pipe!
INSONO is an innovative NDT technique for the inspection of engineered composite repairs that is now widely used across the energy sector. This system can validate the condition and integrity of composite repairs, providing operators with assurance of their application and long-term performance. INSONO detected defects fall within three main areas: the composite laminate, the bond line, and the substrate. Based on the principles of the acoustic inspection method with pitch and catch, resonance and mechanical impedance analysis can detect and size the defects. A scanner provides 3D models and a visual representation of the composite repair, allowing for precise dimensions to be used in the assessment. ICR’s manually operated, angled probes are designed to access all geometries and system configurations, detect defects in the composite material, the bond line, and the steel substrate and provides a user-friendly automated inspection report.
The ICR event was a fantastic opportunity to witness one of Aberdeen’s long-standing ICorr sponsors in action and proved to be a most enjoyable evening.
ICorr Aberdeen welcomes suggestions for further industrial visits.
Abstracts of potential papers for the branch technical programme are always welcome, and anyone wishing to join the committee should correspond with the 2023/2024 Technical Programme Co-ordinator: Adesiji Anjorin, anjorin@gmail.com
Further information about the branch, and past presentations, may be found on their website page: Aberdeen Branch – Institute of Corrosion (icorr.org), and to join the Aberdeen Branch mailing list, please contact: icorrabz@gmail.com
Dr Kevin McDonald, Sonomatic.
Boxplots, Sonomatic
Digital Twin – Analysis, Sonomatic.
3D Data Profiling, Sonomatic.
ICR Chemical Injection and Corrosion Monitoring.
ck Flange™ Weldless Connectors.
ICR-Sky Futures, Drone Inspection.
Technowrap ™ Engineered Composite Wrap, ICR.
Technowrap ™ Engineered Composite Wrap, ICR.
Institute News
Dante – The New CP Bookings System
The Institute is very pleased to announce the introduction of its new CP training bookings System – Dante, which will be managed by CPSM under the skilful eye of Eva Whittaker
