Research

Multiphysics Modeling of CO₂ Gas Flowing in High-Pressure Line Pipes

The safe and reliable transport of carbon dioxide (CO₂) through high-pressure pipelines is a critical component of large-scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects. The complex thermophysical properties of CO₂—particularly near the critical point and under dense-phase conditions—pose significant challenges for pipeline design, operation, and safety assessment. Multiphysics modeling provides a powerful framework to capture the coupled phenomena governing CO₂ flow, including real-gas thermodynamics, fluid–structure interaction, phase change, decompression behavior, and fracture propagation in line pipes. Advanced computational methods, such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD), coupled fluid–structure simulations, and thermodynamically consistent equation-of-state models, enable accurate predictions of flow transients and associated risks under normal and accidental conditions. By integrating these multiphysics approaches, researchers and engineers can achieve a deeper understanding of running ductile fracture, crack arrest, and the interaction of CO₂ with high-strength steels, ultimately informing safer pipeline design and risk mitigation strategies. This work highlights the importance of advanced multiphysics modeling as a key enabler for the safe deployment of CO₂ transportation infrastructure in support of global decarbonization efforts.

Sponsor: Various

Status: In Progress

Engineering passivity strength in high entropy alloys for corrosive environments

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have emerged as promising candidates for structural and functional applications in harsh environments due to their unique compositional complexity, microstructural stability, and tunable mechanical properties. A critical factor governing their long-term durability in corrosive environments is the stability and protectiveness of the passive oxide film that forms on their surfaces. Investigating the passivity strength of HEAs is essential for understanding their resistance to localized corrosion, hydrogen embrittlement, and degradation under aggressive electrolytic conditions. This study explores the fundamental mechanisms of passivity in HEAs by integrating advanced electrochemical testing, surface characterization techniques, and computational modeling. Particular attention is given to the role of multicomponent interactions in stabilizing passive films, the influence of microstructural heterogeneity, and the coupling between mechanical stress and electrochemical response. The outcomes aim to provide new insights into the design principles for next-generation HEAs with superior corrosion resistance, enabling their safe deployment in critical applications such as marine structures, chemical processing, and energy systems.

Sponsor: Various

Status: In Progress

Hydrogen resistance properties in high entropy alloys for transportation and storage applications

The deployment of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier requires structural materials with exceptional resistance to hydrogen-induced degradation during storage and transportation. High-entropy alloys (HEAs), with their compositional complexity and tunable microstructures, offer unique opportunities to overcome the limitations of conventional steels and alloys in hydrogen environments. This study investigates the hydrogen resistance properties of HEAs through a combination of mechanical testing, electrochemical analysis, and advanced characterization techniques. Emphasis is placed on understanding hydrogen uptake, trapping mechanisms, and their influence on embrittlement, cracking, and fracture behavior. Complementary computational modeling provides insights into atomistic interactions between hydrogen and multicomponent lattices, as well as the role of elemental synergy in suppressing hydrogen-assisted failure. The findings aim to establish design guidelines for HEAs with superior resistance to hydrogen damage, supporting the development of reliable materials for next-generation hydrogen transportation and storage infrastructure.

Sponsor: Various

Status: In Progress

On Damage and Crack Initiation of Zircalloy-made Structural Components

The Zircaloy-4 exhibits a mild strength differential response under compression as compared with tension. Because of the well-known twinning-slip mechanism usually activated in compression after yielding in HCP metals, distortional hardening is required to define plastic flow throughout fracture. A general pressure-dependent asymmetric yield function with the first invariant to the Cauchy stress tensor and the third invariant to the deviator stress tensor is considered to model the pressure-sensitive response and the Strength Differential (SD) effect in HCP polycrystal materials. The proposed macroscopic yield function provides results that are in good agreement with experiments. The onset of fracture and subsequent crack propagation in upsetting tests is also investigated. The results show that failure is controlled by material properties and friction between contact surfaces of specimens and experimental setup. In addition, the concept of a fixed cutoff value for negative stress triaxiality condition is analyzed. It turns out that the specimen fails differently from what is observed experimentally when a constant cutoff value is set. However, a cutoff stress triaxiality function yields a more realistic fracture pattern consistent with tests.

Sponsor: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Status: Completed

Ductile-to-Brittle Transition Fracture Mode and the Occurrence of Inverse Fracture in Pipeline Steels

Ductile-to-brittle transition fracture process commonly occurs at low temperatures under dynamic loading conditions such as Charpy tests and Drop Weight Tear Tests (DWTT). Due to the advent of the new generation of pipeline steels, whose fracture initiation energy is high, tend to develop abnormal fracture behavior during crack propagation. This phenomenon invalids qualification tests of standards and industry protocols for material suitability in engineering applications. This project is focused to gain a further understanding of the underlying physics behind this mechanism and how it relates to the macroscopic response and its likelihood depending on stress state, geometry, and boundary conditions.

Sponsor: Tenaris Dalmine

Status: Completed

Design and Manufacturing of Sustainable and Durable Composites for Offshore Grating

Gratings constitute a key structural component for several engineering applications such as panels in decks or footbridges in offshore topside platforms, and other related systems. Gratings in offshore platforms located in the Outer Continental Shelf are subjected to harsh environments as well as extreme loading conditions over their lifetime, which can seriously be compromised in terms of structural integrity and lead to unexpected incidents such as life and equipment losses. New types of materials and structural arrangements for topside gratings are highly sought-after to overcome such challenges, including durability, resiliency, damage tolerance, and integrity. Increasing concerns about environmental sustainability also requests employing sustainable materials to ensure that offshore grating materials are environmentally friendly and do not contribute to marine pollution or depletion of natural resources.

Sponsor: Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI)

Status: Completed

Corrosion Monitoring on Offshore Structures

Corrosion and damage on offshore structures is a critical technical challenge with opportunities in advanced sensing techniques. This is especially the case in structurally critical members and difficult-to-monitor regions such as tanks. The maintenance of assets through regular inspections can be improved and better planned with focused technological uses of sensors and measurements of damage accumulation. To this end, an effort to establish the state-of-the-art for structural inspections including metal loss from general corrosion will be conducted. Existing and emerging passive methodologies for assessing metal loss due to harsh environmental conditions will be investigated such as the possibility of using controlled induced current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems, ultrasonic sensors, electrical resistance probes, electrochemical sensors, and optical fiber sensors.

Sponsor: American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)

Status: Completed