Offshore staff

CAMBRIDGE, UK– TWI has launched the Structural Health Monitoring of Mooring Chains using Acoustic Emission joint industry project.

The project will develop acoustic emission testing (AET) procedures that will be qualified on full-scale, chain tensile and fatigue tests at a realistic loading frequency, backed by extensive material properties characterization.

The testing will be conducted on TWI’s mechanical test rig facility, both in and out of sea-water, and the project will establish reliable acoustic emission test data for a more fundamental understanding of the factors affecting chains failure. Furthermore, the AET procedures will then be used as a tool in mechanical tests to gather information that is not currently available, about crack initiation and growth in chain links.

Tensile tests performed on chains at TWI have indicated that AET is more sensitive to crack initiation than other non-destructive testing methods. Subsequently, the results of the AET procedure qualification could become the basis for a requirements specification, incorporated into the production process of bespoke equipment used for testing chains in situ.

Longer term, this would help to reduce costs, and improve the quality, safety and performance of mooring chains, benefitting both users and manufacturers, and meeting the requirements of regulatory bodies.

12/07/2018