DURALINK in short
Optimizing steel welds and corrosion protection to improve the durability and cost-efficiency of offshore wind turbines
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The DURALINK project identifies optimisation design opportunities for offshore structures that lead to a reduction of the capital and operational expenditures of offshore extra-large wind turbines.
To do so, DURALINK will evaluate existing and improved steel-grade welds, corrosion-fatigue analysis with cathodic protection at different potentials and develop predictive models of mechanical degradation.
Furthermore, high strength steels composition will be optimised to lower hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility improving the security of chains for offshore wind turbines.
DURALINK proposes a novel concept for protection of support structures. For this, it will develop novel thermal sprayed coatings for protection of substructure against marine corrosion able to be deposited by High Velocity Wire Arc Spray. The corrosion performance and enhanced behavior of the coated steels under fatigue, corrosion-fatigue and tribocorrosion conditions will also be evaluated.
Key Data
DURALINK is motivated by the challenges in structural integrity assessment of the large structures and chains that will support offshore wind generation in the future
DURALINK OBJECTIVES
DURALINK METHODOLOGY
Creation of knowledge
As result of DURALINK, knowledge development will be boosted and several knowledge gaps will be filled in fatigue and corrosion-fatigue of mild and high strength steels for offshore substructures and modelling of fatigue.
Materials development
Developments related to high strength steels for chains, post-weld treatments and low voltage protection coatings.
Validation and demonstration of DURALINK solutions
Transformation of knowledge into new innovations to ensure the achievement of the planned objectives and outcomes.
Industrially and user-driven collaboration
Successfulness of the developed solutions and achievement of a higher impact in the European wind industry.
DURALINK EXPECTED OUTCOMES
DURALINK results and outcomes have a high potential to impact the wind energy sector, as well as the steel and heavy industry.
Design of lighter, more economic and resistant offshore extra-large wind turbines
Standardisation bodies consider the data gathered in DURALINK
Wide utilisation of high strength steels (grades R5 and R6) in the offshore sector
Commercial acceptance and use of novel coatings
CONSORTIUM
DURALINK is a collaborative project with a multidisciplinary team with different capacities and knowledge, complementing each other thanks to their different facilities and cover the value chain since the consortium includes two steel manufacturers, a wind turbine construction company and a zinc alloy manufacturer for the protection of offshore structures. This guarantees state-of-the-art research and the obtention of meaningful results.
The consortium of the DURALINK project, coordinated by Eurecat Technology Centre, is formed by 7 partners from Spain, France, Belgium and Germany.
Eurecat is the leading Technology Centre of Catalonia, providing the industrial and business sector with differential technology and advanced expertise.
Eurecat brings together the expertise of more than 760 professionals who generate a volume of income of 62 M€ per year. Serving two thousand companies, Eurecat is involved in more than 200 projects of R&D national and international with high strategic value and has 200 patents and 10 technology companies.
Contribution to DURALINK
Eurecat is in charge of coordinating the project through its Metallic and Ceramic Materials Unit. Thanks to the Eurecat’s scientific facilities (fatigue machines, infinite focus microscopes, field emission electronic microscopy, corrosion cells, potentiometer, tribometer…) it will also participate in tribocorrosion experiments of coated samples and fatigue testing. Eurecat is also the leader of the evaluation of solutions for demanding fatigue and corrosion-fatigue applications due to its experience and facilities.
Contribution to DURALINK
SIDENOR, apart from the industrial fabrication and supply of the optimised steels, is responsible of conducting a comprehensive characterization of the HSS considered in the project. As industrial partner, its industrial facilities of are available to produce the steels for the project. Additionally, the following research equipment is used for the steels characterisation activities: OES, spectrometre for the analysis of the chemical composition, Olympus optodigital and Zeiss SEM microscopes for the microstructural assessment, KB hardness tested for the hardness measurements, Zwick Charpy pendulum and MTS tensile machine for the mechanical tests, RUMUL and Zwick resonant machines for the fatigue tests and a Gleeble thermo-mechanical equipment for the evaluation of the steels hot ductility.
The French Corrosion Institute is among the largest laboratories in the field of corrosion and corrosion protection of materials in the world. Involved in numerous standardisation commissions, it is are recognised as one of the leading corrosion centre by the industry and the scientific community.
Contribution to DURALINK
The French Corrosion Institute leads the work package for design for optimal performance and maintenance operation. It will also be involved in laboratory tests for hydrogen embrittlement testing and evaluation. Its sites to real sea environment will be used in WP3. Furthermore, its large mechanical testing facilities will enable DURALINK to carry out hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility and corrosion-fatigue tests.
Windar Technology and Innovation is the R&D subsidiary of WINDAR Renovables Group and it is focus on providing global solutions within the value chain of steel structures for the wind energy sector.
The corporate R&D offers a wide portfolio of services that includes product design, manufacturing engineering, process engineering and ICT. The main research areas are the design and behavioural simulation of structural components, welding technologies, robotics and automation and process data management and analysis.
Windar Group with 20 years of history is a global leader in the production of onshore and offshore wind towers, and offshore foundations including jacket foundations, semisub foundations, transition pieces, monopile and pin piles, being one of the companies with the widest portfolio in the sector.
Contribution to DURALINK
Windar is in charge of improving and optimizing the existing welding procedures in order to apply welding technologies in new developed materials for the XL Wind Towers and Foundations market. Windar will also contribute all partners with their large experience in the field of steel structures for the wind energy sector.
OCAS (OnderzoeksCentrum voor de Aanwending van Staal – in English: Research Centre for the Application of Steel) is an advanced, market-oriented research centre providing steel and metal-based products, services and solutions to metal processing companies worldwide. From a legal point of view, OCAS is a daughter company of FINOCAS and ArcelorMittal Belgium, FINOCAS being a joint-venture between the Flemish Region and ArcelorMittal Belgium. Within ArcelorMittal, OCAS is known as ArcelorMittal Global R&D Gent and is as such in charge of all ArcelorMittal R&D projects within the market of general industry for flat carbon steel. OCAS is equipped with state-of-the-art R&D tools and facilities in its laboratories in Zelzate and Gent-Zwijnaarde (Belgium). The research centre valorises know-how by product and solution development. OCAS has a highly qualified team of over 140 researchers and engineers with an international orientation. The laboratories have a unique range of state-of-the-art analysis and simulation tools, and even a complete lab scale steel production line. OCAS’ core expertise and competences are:
- Metallurgy: steel grade developments (e.g. high strength steels, electrical steel,…) and metal processing (casting, rolling, heat treatment);
- Surfaces: enhanced aesthetics of steel, corrosion protection, pre-treatments and surface preparation, multifunctional organic coatings (self-cleaning, bio-active,…), enamels, metallic coatings;
- Applications and solutions: structural component design, prototyping, welding, Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation and Computational Fluid Dynamical (CFD) modeling.
All activities are supported by a state-of-the-art material characterisation and testing laboratory, with unique facilities in coating, metal characterisation and processing tools.
Contribution to DURALINK
OCAS leads the development of novel low voltage protection coatings for submerged parts. It will also be responsible of conducting a comprehensive
characterization of the steel considered in the project. OCAS will have an important role in the dissemination of the results to the offshore industry and also in the development of the guidelines for the wind industry to support the introduction and application of DURALINK solutions in bottom-fixed and floating WTs
GRILLO is technology leader in the field of zinc and sulphur. We are aware of our responsibility towards the environment and therefore always place a strong focus on sustainability. As an agile solution provider and knowledge leader, we develop innovative, sustainable products to make a positive contribution to a better future.
Contribution to DURALINK
GRILLO will have leading role in the definition of specifications and requirements
in the different work packages, and also in the establishment of the production and maintenance procedures. It will also lead the development of Zn-base wires and will be responsible for the production of the coatings.
As a multidisciplinary graduate and postgraduate engineering school and research institute, ENSTA Bretagne delivers training and conducts research activities in high level ICTs, mechanical sciences and human sciences.
Situated in Brest, this state establishment works in close relationship with numerous industrial and academic partners in France and abroad. Its activities contribute to innovation in numerous fields of application: the maritime, defense and more generally hi-tech sectors (transport, aerospace, energy, digital technologies, research…).
ENSTA Bretagne is a public organization. Along with the other establishments under the auspices of the French Government defense procurement and technology agency (Ecole Polytechnique, ISAE-SUPAERO and ENSTA Paris), it nurtures a culture of scientific rigor and excellence which ensures its strong reputation both in France and abroad.
Contribution to DURALINK
ENSTA Bretagne is in charge of characterizing and modelling of fatigue of mooring chain links materials and floating structures welds. A fast characterization method based on thermometric measurements during cyclic testing will be used to predict the fatigue limit and the S-N-P (i.e., stress amplitude -number of cycles to failure-probability of failure) curves in different loading and H-charging conditions, to consider especially the effect of hydrogen, stress multiaxiality, microstructure heterogeneities in the welds and corrosion pits.
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The DURALINK European project will extend the life and competitiveness of the new generation of wind turbines for the offshore wind industry
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The DURALINK project kicks off to increase the competitiveness of off-shore renewable energy generation
The members of the DURALINK consortium have gathered on the occasion of the kick-off meeting of the project. The meeting took place at the facilities of Eurecat, coordinator of the initiative, in Manresa (Spain) on July 11th, 2024. Along the morning, the different partners introduced the tasks to be [...]
RESOURCES
Here is a list of DURALINK work packages and deliverables.
WP1 – Coordination, dissemination and exploitation
D1.1 – Comprehensive overview of the project
D1.2 – Communication and dissemination plan
D1.3 – Risk Assessment and Contingency plan
D1.4 – Public publishable report
WP2 – Optimization of the steels and welds properties
D2.1 – Metallurgical information of the steels for mooring chains
D2.2 – Novel post-welding treatment leading to optimized weld properties
WP3 – Development of novel low voltage protection coatings for submerged parts
D3.1 – Hydrogen activity and risk of hydrogen embrittlement during corrosion of the coatings
D3.2 – Corrosion behaviour of coatings
WP4 – Evaluation of solutions for demanding fatigue and corrosion-fatigue applications
D4.1 – Corrosion fatigue crack growth rate and SN curves of all steel grades studied
D4.2 – Self-heating methodology results
WP5 – Modelling of fatigue and corrosion – fatigue applied to support structures for offshore wind turbines
D5.1 – Influence of hydrogen content on the fatigue life of HSS used for chains
D5.2 – Fatigue of HSS and welds used in offshore WTs: contribution of thermometric measurements
D5.3 – Assessment of fatigue life of a representative structure by 3D Finite Element simulation
WP6 – Design for optimal performance and maintenance operation
D6.1 – Guidelines
D6.2 – Minutes from the symposiums
The promotional materials of the project will appear here.
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