Each ESR had two Academic Supervisors at UofS and an Industry Supervisor at WMNL, to ensure research training was delivered within the context of industry need and practice. In this way, the ESRs gained knowledge and experience ranging from lower TRL academic research through to higher TRL industry assessment, development and implementation. The Researchers registered for individual PhD study at UofS and complementary skills training was structured through a parallel Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher Professional Development.
The ESR research projects covered a wide range of scientific and engineering research activity, including: extensive material laboratory test programmes (fatigue, corrosion, corrosion fatigue, wear, corrosion protection); material characterisation and failure analysis; development and implementation of a new cyclic plasticity material model; Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of pre-load and fatigue test conditions, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) of cavitation flow and Boundary Element Analysis (BEA) of Sacrificial Anode Corrosion Protection in pumps.
The combined outcomes from the projects of Marta and Volodymyr led to the proposal of a new, advanced methodology for stress-life prediction of corrosion fatigue life in the presence of residual stress (tensile and compressive), utilising the new fatigue data, cyclic plasticity FEA and critical distance representation of fatigue cracks. The proposed method was successfully validated through industry-scale corrosion-fatigue testing on the WMNL dynamic pump test rig. Francesco formulated and implemented a new 1D CFD system for compressible flow with cavitation of suitable complexity, accuracy and computational requirements for use in an engineering design environment. The model was validated against test results from the WMNL pump rig and field measurements taken at a mining industry pumping station in Brazil. Evripidis’s laboratory test data was used in BEA modelling of cathodic protection systems in an established GEHO pump design, proving the concept of the potential benefit of such systems in industry applications. Blazej’s investigation of materials and coating for valve applications considered new metal matrix composite materials, which were initially thought to be promising candidates for industry application but were later found to be less effective than other less expensive materials.
Overall, the APESA project has delivered valuable new knowledge and insight to WMNL in terms of understanding, quantifying, modelling and mitigating damage mechanism in slurry pumps, in line with the project objectives. Research outcomes have been disseminated to the wider science and engineering communities through ESR presentations at international conferences in Europe, the USA and Canada. Three papers are published/in-press in leading international research journals, another is currently in the review stage and others are currently in preparation. The ESRs engaged in public communication and dissemination of the APESA project through their conference, seminar and workshop activities and other public events, including the annual UofS Engage Week, MSCA Innovative Training Network events and International Women in Engineering Day. Further industry dissemination was achieved through ESR presentations during site visits and secondments to Weir Group companies and clients (Europe, USA, Brazil) and to the Weir Group Executive Technology Board.
WMNL have developed Implementation Strategies for exploitation of research findings and outcomes within the WMNL design environment. Design IP is anticipated upon completion of these programmes, with early transfer of outcomes from the corrosion fatigue and CFD projects expected. The new cyclic plasticity material model has been implemented in the WMNL FEA environment and the cavitation flow CFD system has been implemented in the WMNL CFD environment. The Implementation Strategy for the corrosion protection and valve materials projects identifies requirements for further research prior to WMNL adoption.
