Filtern
Dokumenttyp
- Beitrag zu einem Tagungsband (2) (entfernen)
Sprache
- Englisch (2) (entfernen)
Referierte Publikation
- nein (2)
Schlagworte
Organisationseinheit der BAM
- 9 Komponentensicherheit (2) (entfernen)
Offshore wind turbines are an important goal in national energy strategies worldwide. Foundation structures are manufactured from submerged arc welded (SAW) plates with thicknesses up to 200 mm. In that connection, high-strength steels like the S420G2+M are more and more applied offering the possibility for increased stability and load-bearing capacity of the foundations. These offshore steel grades can show a susceptibility for delayed hydrogen assisted cold cracking of the weld joints. For that purpose, a minimum waiting time (MWT) of up to 48 h (dependent on applied standards) is recommended before non-destructive testing is allowed and conducted. But this concept is based on older steel grades that have been used for three or more decades. Nowadays, the metallurgical improvements (clean steels, proper rolling, and heat treatment) of base materials and well as welding consumables must be anticipated. Hence, the MWT concept should be critically discussed as it is assumed to be very conservative. For that reason, the focus of this study was to investigate the diffusion behavior in S420G2+M steel and its multi-layer SAW joint. Electrochemical permeation experiments were carried at room temperature. Boundary conditions were anticipated in terms of using different sample thicknesses. From the experimental data, hydrogen diffusion coefficients and absorbed diffusible hydrogen concentrations had been calculated. It was shown that hydrogen diffusion in the base material is increased compared to the weld metal. In addition, the sample thickness had a significant on the calculated diffusion coefficients. The minimum and maximum diffusion coefficients had been used for numerical modelling of the hydrogen diffusion in the welding joint. It became clear that a MWT must be always regarded together with a critical initial diffusible hydrogen concentration for the evaluation of a possible delayed cracking as diffusion times were mostly > 48 h due to the thick plates.
Supermartensitic stainless steels (SMSS) are a commonly used material nowadays for building offshore structures, i.e. pipelines in the oil and gas industry. The harsh and corrosive environments in oil and gas applications require the correct combination of alloys to attain the desired properties of steel, including high strength and good corrosion properties, even in severe sour service conditions. Welding is the most commonly used method in joining offshore components, depending on requirements requiring strength or fitting. It has been shown that the heat affected zone (HAZ) is more susceptible to certain types of corrosion, including pitting corrosion, especially during severe sour service where a high pH and lower H2S values in the flow medium can lead to pitting corrosion in the HAZ of welded structures. Subsequent hydrogen uptake in the pits can cause cracks to initiate and propagate, leading to rupture of pipelines or catastrophic failures of structures, even at low mechanical loads. Offshore standards allow a certain amount of corrosion, including pitting, to be present before action is required, however the extent of pitting corrosion is not identified by performing visual inspection alone as the subsurface pit diameter may be vastly greater than the pit diameter at the surface. The critical conditions which lead to crack initiation and propagation from a pit with hydrogen uptake are currently not known. Therefore, pitting corrosion and subsequent crack initiation are a danger to the safety of structures. The interest in this phenomenon has resulted in many experimental studies and numerical simulations.
Several numerical models of pitting corrosion and hydrogen uptake resulting in crack initiation are already in existence, but these two phenomena are regularly modelled individually. Thus, a model enabling simulation of both phenomena simultaneously would be of great benefit. Hence, the goal of this study is to develop a model enabling simulation of pit growth and crack initiation, considering hydrogen uptake in the pit from a corrosive environment.
As a first step, this paper presents an investigation into various parameters, which influence crack initiation at pits. These crack critical parameters include: pit geometry, pit location, mechanical load and hydrogen transport into the microstructure. The results will help to identify critical conditions for crack initiation starting at the pit and developing measures to avoid hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC).