Technologies for the design, advanced manufacturing and validation of components for energy facilities in offshore environments.

The HARSH project addresses the aforementioned aspects, with the objective of developing new products, such as: 

     o risers,
     o fixings,
     o hydraulic systems,
     o submarine electric connectors,
     o submarine handlers,
     o hydraulic systems,
     o protective coatings against corrosion and fouling,
     o anchoring lines,
     o welding processes,
     o software platform for advanced logistics simulation and,
     o access to floating assets for operation and maintenance.

All of them are optimised for use in the energy sector in the marine environment.

The fact that the HARSH project consortium brings together companies that produce different components and solutions for a technologically innovative sector such as offshore energy (Oil & Gas and Renewable), will enable it to offer a higher quality joint and coordinated service in the supply of key elements for large oil companies and manufacturers of components and wind farm operators.

HARSHLAB:
Another key aspect in the project is the development of the HARSH LAB laboratory (permanently anchored at bimep). A unique infrastructure worldwide which will enable components and subsystems to be tested and validated in a real marine environment, which is characterised by its versatility and the possibility of integrating diverse active and passive tests as well as staff training in an offshore working environment, with significant economic conditions and professional projection. Furthermore, this laboratory will enable bimep to offer a greater variety of testing services, increasing its workload.

  PROJECT DEVELOPMENTS  

The HARSH project started out in 2016 with the objective of meeting emerging challenges among the different Basque companies due to the “marinisation” of their energy business lines, leaning towards offshore environments. Ever since, the most relevant progress made by the participating companies has particularly been developed in four areas:

• Improvements to the design and strength of materials for offshore environments.

• Optimisation of O&M systems.

• Improvements to manufacturing processes.

• Progress in the HARSHLAB offshore laboratory.

Details of the progress made in each of the three outstanding areas is given below.

IMPROVING THE DESIGN AND STRENGHT OF THE MATERIALS FOR OFFSHORE ENVIRONMENTS

In total, seven companies are working to improve material design and strength to adapt them to offshore environments in the best possible way.

VICINAY CADENAS focuses on developing more competitive and stronger materials, and on improving specific treatment processes to optimise properties and meet customers’ specific requirements. On the other hand, VICINAY SESTAO has focussed on the design methodology for chemical compositions and development of more competitive alloys for offshore chains.

TUBACEX is carrying out a behaviour study on corrosion and corrosion-fatigue for different materials that might be used to manufacture riser pipes. In addition, they are working with TECNALIA and ERREKA, running simulations using a variety of software under real service conditions on the riser pipe to be manufactured. This will help make decisions concerning dimensions and the method of fitting the pipe in the HARSH LAB v.2.0. laboratory.

ERREKA is also in charge of validating the remote load reading on the bolted joints in marine environments (watertight sealing, battery duration and information transmission).

In turn, SASYMA has designed and prepared materials, and studied solutions for offshore environments. It has selected the surface coating systems working from the requirements and identified needs, and it has defined the number of layers, products/commercial references and thickness of each layer for each of the application zones. Regarding the study of materials, the company has carried out the proposal and study of solutions for protection against corrosion by means of accelerated ageing tests in the laboratory.

HINE has worked with TECNALIA on defining new coatings that are being tested in controlled laboratory conditions, whose results are expected shortly. These improved coatings will allow hydraulic systems to operate in offshore environments for a longer lifespan, reducing operating and maintenance costs.

Finally, GLUAL is working on the study of components in its hydraulic systems for optimum adaptation to offshore work environments, either in immersion or splash regimes.

OPTIMISATION OF O&M SYSTEMS

Five of the companies are also working on optimising operation and maintenance systems.

Regarding fitting sensors and remote monitoring on hydraulic systems, NEM Solutions has worked with HINE to define the most important parameters for operating a hydraulic system, by means of which its correct operation can be controlled and possible problems can be anticipated remotely. Both companies have specified parameters to monitor, the sensors required to measure them and the system architecture for data acquisition (sampling frequency, signal type, accuracy, etc.).

In the HARSH project, VICINAY CADENAS is in charge of implementing the identification systems for accessories based on RFID technology, using a reader device to collect information relating to the design, material, manufacturing parameters, traceability, etc. of the component during its useful life. In turn, VICINAY SESTAO focuses on developing identification systems that allow complete physical traceability from reception of primary material to the final product, including the whole productive process and collecting all the information on it.

As far as of O&M systems are concerned, ERREKA has focussed on developing the sensors and the calculation algorithms to detect mechanical variations in a riser.

IMPROVEMENTS TO MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

Finally, progress made in the manufacturing phase by participating companies is as follows:

NAVACEL is studying new methods to remain competitive, attempting to automate processes as much as possible, focussing on three areas: automation of welding head movements, implementation of a seal tracker, and making it possible to have semi-automatic welding in the overhang position, to be able to reduce part movements.

Within the framework of the HARSH project, DITREL is in charge of drafting the specifications and the mechanical design for a new 66 KV submarine electrical connector, whilst VICINAY CADENAS carries out the new design of the sinking line connectors for installation and de-installation manoeuvres. In turn, ERREKA is in charge of characterising fatigue in the bolted joints according to weather incidents.

On the other hand, CREDEBULG has worked with TECNALIA to define the working conditions, combinations of materials, coatings and/or thermal treatments to apply, plus the necessary communication protocols. In this way, a modular submarine handler prototype has been designed with a 3 tonne capacity that has a control unit on the surface; the interconnection between the control unit and the handler is made using an umbilical cable that can power the traction systems, the device control and monitoring of the data obtained by the sensors and on-board intelligence.

PROGRESS IN HARSHLAB

In addition, all the companies will shortly be able to test their solutions in a real marine environment thanks to launching the first version of HARSH LAB. This will be coordinated and supported by TECNALIA.

To date, GLUAL, HINE, SASYMA, VICINAY, ERREKA, BLUG and TUBACEX have worked to test components in HARSHLAB, making a practical validation possible in a real offshore environment for the developed solutions and will help to make a correlation between behaviour and the failure mechanisms in different environments.

As far as HarshLab is concerned, DITREL has worked on designing the electrical connection to the grid and TUBACEX, in addition to providing samples of different stainless steels, will also manufacture the riser pipe at real scale, to be fitted in the second version of the laboratory in the future.

The knowledge extracted from this project and from working with the consortium of Basque companies that make up the whole value chain in the construction and operation of the HARSHLAB will allow collaborating companies to adapt their technology to offer new and better services focussed on the offshore sector.