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Managing the risk of introducing transformational materials and manufacturing technologies
Subsea Expo 6th February 2019
Technology Qualification Process
• Intent of TQP guidance– Provide evidence of meeting
requirements – Reduce uncertainty of risk– Deliver technology ready for application– Raise TRL to an acceptable level
Definition of Qualification:The process of confirming, by examination and provision of evidence, that equipment meets specified requirements for the intended use [API RP 17Q]
Current Industry Guidance Limitations
• TQP is generic at high level– Applicable to many technologies
• Current TQP guidance:– Mainly written with development of components or systems in mind
– Limited “ how to do“ related to:• Systems engineering• Novel materials qualification• Material processing and manufacture • Novel additive manufacturing
Why Materials Qualification is a Challenge
Inherent bulk properties• Tensile strength• Compressive strength • Yield strength• Hardness• Stiffness• Coefficient of expansion• Thermal conductivity• Melting point• Creep• Fatigue
Surface related properties• Roughness• Bonding• Friction• Wear • Corrosion• Stress corrosion cracking
• Materials have many different properties– Properties often interdependent
• Most properties dependent on operating conditions e.g. – Temperature, pressure, load
• Some properties sensitive to surface, interface and environmental conditions– Significant impact on sealing technologies
and bearings
• Device performance highly dependent on material properties
Challenges to Introduction of New Materials
• Material selection often driven by economics and project risk
• High risk associated with new materials– Selection restricted to conventional material
(with available standards)– Purchase minimum alloy specification to
reduce cost– Conventional materials pushed to the limit of
applicability
• When materials performance at limits of applicability– Not well documented in standards– More sensitive to statistical variation in
properties
• Statistics of material performance important for new materials and for new applications – Limited detail in standards– Specification of maximum or minimum values
Risk perception
Pushing the limits
Material property uncertainty
Impact of Materials and Manufacture on TQP
• Product manufacture– Conventional machining Subtractive manufacture– 3D printing Additive manufacture (multiple micro casting) – Casting Additive manufacture (one‐shot macro casting)– Welding Additive manufacture (multiple pass casting)
• Conventional machining– Materials selected and tested ahead of product manufacture– Current API TQP recommends addressing materials testing at TRL
2 before Prototype development
• Additive manufacture– Material properties obtained are unique and specific to the
technology, manufacture or deployment method– Cannot address all material qualification before prototype
manufacture– Have to include material manufacture/processing and material
deployment in TQP
TRL ladder – Current Materials
• Conventional Manufacture– Material selected based on properties– Materials testing ahead of
manufacture of prototype
MaterialReliabilitySpecimentesting
Component ReliabilityPrototypetesting
Component Reliability
Production unit testing
• Properties • Durability
• Function• Performance• Failure limits • Life• Reliability
Factory component test
conditions
• Function• Performance• Life• Reliability
Field trial conditions
Component Reliability
Production unit Operations
Operational conditions
• Function• Performance• Life• Reliability
Factory material
test conditions
ASTM defined
TQPdefined
TRL 2 TRL 3 TRL 4 TRL 7TRL 5,6TRL 0,1
R&Dtesting
System integration
Production unit testing
SIT test conditions
• SIT tests
TRL Ladder – Additive Manufacture
• 3D Printing – Material properties dependent on
manufacture method – Material property cannot be
tested ahead of manufacture– Need to combine material and
component testing • e.g. combined TRL2 & TRL3
testing activities
• DNVGL‐CG‐0197– High level guidance on
qualification of additive manufacture technologies
– No reference to TRL – Refers to DNVGL RP A203 for
technology qualification process guidance
AM ComponentReliabilityPrototypetesting
AM Component ReliabilityPrototypetesting
• Properties • Durability
• Function• Performance• Failure limits • Life• Reliability
TQP Defined
New ASTM Testing Standards?
TRL 2 TRL 3
Example 1:Pipeline Repair
• Novel sealing material for repair of joints in low pressure gas pipelines– New resin material deployed in liquid form with in situ
solidification
• Deployment involved in situ formation of the seal
• TRL 2 activities focused on:– Understanding required material properties– Specification of composition to meet the requirements
• TRL 3 activities included:– Sealing full scale joint with mock‐up deployment system– Replication of full scale deployment process
Deployment activities normally addressed at TRL 4, 5 and 6 had to be considered at TRL 2 and 3
Example 2:Qualification of RECL’s Bi Alloy Well P&A plugs
• Deployed through in‐situ melting and solidification of Bi alloy
• Must meet 2 key requirements– Remain in place– No leakage over 3000 years
• Many properties affect plug performance
• Qualification requires understanding interdependencies– Well conditions– Plug deployment method– Alloy properties– Alloy composition
• TRL 2 focused on required properties and composition
• TRL 3 focused on reduced scale testing under simulated deployment conditions
Inherent bulk properties• Tensile strength• Compressive strength • Yield strength• Hardness• Stiffness• Coefficient of expansion• Thermal conductivity• Melting point• Creep
Surface related properties• Roughness• Bonding• Friction• Wear • Corrosion• Stress corrosion cracking
Deployment activities normally addressed at TRL 4, 5 and 6 had to be considered at TRL 2 and 3
Conclusions
• Industry acceptance of new materials and manufacturing technologies requires robust application of TQP to reduce risk and uncertainty– Activities normally addressed at TRL 4, 5 and 6 must be considered at TRL 2 and 3
• Current API TQP guidance on qualification of materials implicitly assumes “subtractive” manufacture for protypes and products
• Materials science knowledge is important in supporting the TQP process and must be integrated with detailed engineering and deployment knowledge for effective identification of qualification activities
• DNVGL‐CG‐0197 provides some high level guidance on qualification of “additive” manufacture technologies
• More detailed “how to” guidance may be needed to address materials and manufacturing /deployment technology issues in future technology qualification guidance documents