Combined Experimental and Modelling Approach towards the Prediction of CaCO3 Growth on Subsea Infrastructure

This PhD project, in collaboration with Deepwater Corrosion Services, will develop a numerical predictive model of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) deposition on subsea infrastructure. Cathodic protection of subsea infrastructure, such as wind turbines and CO2 pipeline transportation networks, involves the application of a voltage/current to protect the outer structure from corrosion by seawater. The imposed current/voltage typically results in calcium carbonate (limescale) deposition on the outside of these structures, which can act as a diffusion barrier to electrochemically active species and block active sites on the steel surface, mitigating the rate of further external corrosion. The predictive model will be supported by advanced experimental techniques (quartz crystal microbalance and electrochemical methods), and address limitations of current models through integration of growth rate-property-structure relationships, with a view to generate models which can be validated by real-world data. This deposition process has significant implications on the design requirements and optimisation of cathodic protection systems, particularly considering the dramatic rise in development of offshore infrastructure in the UK, both in terms of wind farms and pipelines for carbon capture and storage processes. The developed model will enable optimisation of cathodic (corrosion) protection systems for subsea infrastructure, thereby substantially reducing operational costs, whilst ensuring safe and efficient operation. This highly competitive EPSRC Doctoral Landscape CASE Competition Award is provided in collaboration with DeepWater EU Ltd.