Corrosion in water industry and wind turbines. The basics. Novembre 2012

1. Corrosion
Measure it, anticipate it,mitigate impacts and save money
Examples in 2 industrial sectors
How software solutions and predictive analysis can help
Guillaume FERY
http://orignal.blogspirit.com

2. Corrosion everywhere
Source of risks, service disruption and high costs
• Corrosion in various sectors
– Costs and impacts
– Anticipate to mitigate risks
• The case of the water industry
– Ageing networks
– Corrosion impact
– Examples
• The case of wind turbines

3. 1/ Construction facts:
why corrosion matters

4. The case of US bridges
There are about 583,000 bridges in the United States.
o 200,000 are constructed of steel
o 235,000 are conventional reinforced concrete
o 108,000 are constructed using prestressed concrete
o 40,000 are made with other construction materials
Approximately 15% are structurally deficient because of
corroded steel and steel reinforcements.
http://www.nace.org

5. 2/ Example of Water networks in France
Why corrosion is a threat for water
quality, service reliability and customer
satisfaction

6. The water network equation
Type of water x type of pipe x age x type of soil = corrosion

7. WATER INDUSTRY
What is corrosion? What consequences?
Reactive?
1. Costs
2. Service
disruption
Sources SAUR

8. Most of the network was built in 60s 70s
Mostly using iron pipes (>40% = corrosion risk)
FACTS
50% of the network >35 years
850,000 km,
Value 100 billions euros
25% to 45% iron
Renewal trend: 0,6% / year
Source Beture Cerec 2002

9. Km to renew vs type of material
Corrosion is a key criteria
Source JM Cador 2002

10. The investment peak
KM to reniew Investment (billions)
Source JM Cador 2002

11. Why corrosion matters and how to get started to face the investment peak
• Increased risk of • Risk of water quality • Operation threats to
corrosion due to alteration (chlorine face supply
predominant use of effect) disruption
iron pipes • Risk of leakage • Cost of water
• Increased risk of • Risk of major pipes wastage
corrosion because of breakage • Customer
aging network dissatisfaction (taste)
= A need for anticipation and efficient asset management strategies
1. Asset management tool
2. Multi criteria analysis to locate risks (including corrosion model)
3. Predictive analysis to anticipate operations failure
4. Modern technologies and sensors to monitor the network
5. Investment plan to communicate and anticipate the water network
investment cliff
6. Impact on operations: pression moderation, chlorine adjustment, etc.

12. 3/ Example of Offshore wind turbines
Why corrosion is a threat for
renewables and how
enable protection

13. Off shore win farms / facts
• Seawater is a saline solution and a
ionic conducting electrolyte.
• Invokes electrochemical reactions
that drive metalliccorrosion
processes.
• Salt spray/droplets
• Flow corrosion
• Type and concentration of salt,
dissolved oxygen concentration,
temperature, orientation of surface
etc
Source: university of Southampton

14. Sources: TNO / the Netherlands

15. Current research
• Develop robust sensing techniques and
advanced signal processing methods for
tribological applications, e.g. subsurface crack
and lubrication regime detection using acoustic
emissions and electrostatic sensing.
• Develop low friction and wear resistant surfaces
such as textured surfaces and self assembled
monolayer.
• Modelling of interfaces.

18. Sources: TNO / the Netherlands

19. Why corrosion matters and how to get started to face the reliability issue
• Using land-based • Prevention and • Major failure risks
technology in the remote control are • Impact on business
ocean leads to key model based on
critical corrosion • In the new industry, reliable electricity
ability to influence production
threats
design and • Costly reactive
operations intervention vs smart
maintenance
• The bearing issues due increasing bearing sizes and extremely high and
variable loads. Quality of the steel used is an issue.
• The additional cost of providing unexpected maintenance and/orrepair
significantly affects the cost of wind energy as a whole and undermines the
reputation of this green energy source to produce reliable energy.
• Current bearing and gearbox standards are not good enough to ensure the
turbine works well.
• Corrosion is a growing area of concern particularly corrosion induced but
dynamically driven failures. Drastic reduction in bearing life associated with
stand-still corrosion.
• Condition monitoring has potential to predict premature failures.

20. Thank you
Food for thought …
twitter/gfery