Racecar materials technology makes the grade offshore
The offshore industry is starting to tap into motorsport’s expertise in the use of advanced structural materials. Prodrive, one of the world’s most successful motorsport specialists, is receiving increasing interest from the offshore sector in the benefits offered by replacing metals with carbon composite materials originally developed for racecars and aerospace.
The most recent Prodrive project required the construction of a number of large crude-oil filters for use on an offshore platform, replacing steel with composites. The company is now exploring other potential offshore applications to complement its existing expertise in subsystem design and high-precision machining.
“Composites are still unfamiliar materials in many industries, but we’ve found that their blend of strength and light weight, combined with our design and manufacturing expertise, provides some very attractive solutions to the many challenges of operating offshore,” explains Ian Handscombe, composites manager for Prodrive. “We’re supporting customers throughout the entire process of component design, material specification, manufacture and through to successful installation. In some cases, we have even developed quality standards and test procedures to help clients manage this new material throughout its life.”
Unlike steel, composites are chemically inert and so offer virtually zero maintenance in the corrosive offshore environment. And, because they weigh around 75% less than steel, composite structures are also less expensive to transport. Since every part of an offshore structure arrives by sea or air, delivery makes up a significant proportion of the total installed cost.
Achieving light weight does not compromise strength, says Handscombe: “As well as being intrinsically very light, composites allow you to vary the section and shape so the stiffness can be designed in precisely where it is needed. Our composite filters are a lot more durable than the steel originals and have excellent resistance to fatigue under vibration. Their abrasion-resistance is also better, extending the wear life of the filters particularly where they process an abrasive slurry.”
Using lighter materials also gives engineers more design freedom to manage the centre of gravity of vessels and offshore structures. As well as individual components like the filter already manufactured by Prodrive, the material could be used to substantially reduce the weight of structural components, masts, safety systems – anything where strength, durability and lightweight are important.
The delivery time for new parts is typically less than a month including design and tooling. The company produces large sections using a resin-infusion process under vacuum, so no autoclave is required and there is virtually no size limitation.
Prodrive’s Handscombe is expecting increasing interest in composites for offshore applications where the material’s strength, durability and light weight can drive improvements in cost and performance. “As the offshore sector becomes more familiar with the properties of the materials, we expect many new applications and some innovative solutions to arise,” he concludes.
