As operations move towards developing more challenging oil and gas fields, including high pressure/high temperature reservoirs and Fields in ultra-deep water, the low cycle corrosion-fatigue of pipeline/flowlines and the corrosion-fatigue of steel catenary risers (SCRs) are amongst the most significant concerns. The current mitigation approach is typically based on a combination of conservative design and limited qualification testing. Corrosion fatigue is well known to normally initiate from corrosion-induced stress concentrators, i.e. regions of localised corrosion such as can be represented by corrosion pits. This localised corrosion can form as a result of incidental exposure to aggressive environments resulting from unexpected events (e.g. an interruption in corrosion inhibition; oxygen contamination). Some work is currently on-going to understand the crack initiation mechanisms comprising localised corrosion (corrosion pit) formation and the associated formation of short cracks. However, further investigations are required to establish the relationship between exposure time and the formation of cracks associated with localised corrosion, to enable the prediction of the remaining life of components in service, as well as improving the prediction of corrosion fatigue for design purposes.

The end goal of this project is to develop a tool able to predict the remaining time to failure of components from localised corrosion, this would enable optimisation of inspection programs and prioritisation of replacement plans for critical components. In addition, the improvements made to the prediction of corrosion-fatigue in design will assist in optimising the design of flowlines/pipelines and SCRs.

This project will be carried out as part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Embedded Intelligence and is co-sponsored by National Structural Integrity Research Centre (NSIRC).

This Centre, in collaboration with NSIRC, offers an attractive package, including a tax free stipend of up to £17k pa (equivalent £24k tax free), in addition to full University PhD registration fees for British and EU candidates. Due to UKBA Visa regulations applications from overseas students cannot be accepted for this position. Additionally, there is a generous personal development budget of £10,000for the specific training needs of the successful candidate.

The Centre offers a unique 4-year Ph.D. programme, drawing on expertise in postgraduate teaching and research supervision in the fields of sensors, system design, embedded software and systems, manufacturing systems, novel manufacturing processing, applications engineering and systems services. The PhD candidate will be supported by the state-of-the-art facilities at NSIRC andLoughborough University.

A high calibre candidate with first or upper second class (2:1) degree in mechanical, Electrical/Electronics or Civil/Structural Engineering, Material Science, Metallurgy or Physics. Candidates with suitable work experience and strong capacity in numerical modelling and experimental skills are particularly welcome to apply.

Further information can be obtained from Dr Donna Palmer, e-mail: cdt-ei<στο>lboro.ac.uk

For more information about The National Structural Integrity Research Centre, visit www.nsirc.co.uk

The deadline for applications is 30^th April 2015.

Please quote Ref No.: 2015CDTEI_NSIRC9 on your application. Apply here