REliability and Safety Engineering and Technology for large maritime engineering systems

Project Information

RESET

Grant agreement ID: 730888

DOI

10.3030/730888

Project closed

EC signature date 28 October 2016

Start date 1 May 2017

End date 28 February 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 1 417 500,00

EU contribution

€ 1 282 500,00

Coordinated by

LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - RESET (REliability and Safety Engineering and Technology for large maritime engineering systems)

Reporting period: 2019-05-01 to 2023-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Reliability and safety assessment is a challenging task for large and sophisticated maritime engineering systems or processes, and inevitably requires hypotheses, approximations and simplifications based on human judgements and analytical models. The Reliability and Safety Engineering and Technology (RESET) network for large maritime and other Made-To-Order (MTO) engineering systems provides the required dynamic approach for reliability and safety assessment. This is achieved through the integration of a pool of techniques for assisting the decision making process in the various phases of the system’s life cycle. Examples of such techniques include: uncertain data analysis methods, expert knowledge elicitation methods, probabilistic and possibilistic risk estimation methods, reliability assessment methods based on Monte Carlo simulation and finite element analysis, fatigue and fracture modelling of engineering structures, techno-economic analysis and decision making models.

The research contributes to European economic competitiveness by producing a group of highly creative researchers, with the expertise and skills that allow them to become productive and insightful engineers and scientists. It also establishes collaborative mechanisms for long-term partnerships between European and Asian researchers and institutes, with expertise in reliability and safety assessment of large complex maritime engineering systems. Similarly, this shall advance reliability and safety modelling and decision making, in order to address the issues of technology changes and emerging uncertainties in the 21st century.

The overall aim of this exchange programme is to bring together an international team of researchers with a wide variety of skills in reliability and safety research of large maritime engineering systems, and to tackle challenges faced by industry which require specialist knowledge and innovation. The research covers the fundamental study of reliability and safety, as well as applications in different maritime systems such as offshore installations, ships, offshore wind farms, and other MTO systems.

The project has 9 partners (5 EU members and 4 TC members) who have agreed for a program of extensive exchange of both Experienced Researchers (ERs) and Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) during 70 months, in order to fully explore and exploit the complementary strengths and synergies within the consortium. The interdisciplinary nature of the exchange programme offers a link for research and training of the involved ERs and ESRs, in a collaborative academic environment. This serves to support and reinforce the collaborations amongst the participants and helps establish a long-term research collaboration.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

A RESET framework for large maritime systems has been proposed in order to facilitate accurate development and research outcomes. The framework has been developed based on the Formal Safety Assessment principles. New tools and frameworks for risk management of maritime engineering systems with a high level of innovation such as autonomous ships have been developed. The models are capable of addressing the demands of adaptations and upgrades for assessing the risk and safety of such systems.

Sophisticated numerical and assessment methods have been developed to evaluate accurately the nonlinear structural response of ageing fixed offshore wind turbine during seismic activities, considering the loading effects and resistance of the complex structural systems, under specified and/or highly uncertain conditions. A novel approach for modelling of complex dependencies in interdependent networks has been proposed by leveraging multivariate copulas. A methodology has been developed for determining the most suitable floating offshore wind farm locations.

Case studies have been developed to demonstrate a number of developed models such as a reliability analysis technique for network systems with sparse data, a reliability quantification technique using data from diverse sources, a simulation based reliability analysis technique, a non-linear multiple criteria decision making approach for effective maintenance, a simulation based ship operation method and a human reliability assessment method. A case study on a monopile offshore wind turbine structure subjected to the coupled loads originating from wind, soil interactions and possible seismic activities, has been analysed. A probabilistic model to characterize major accident scenarios in offshore floating facilities with a case study of a Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel has been developed and demonstrated.

Apart from training of ESRs involved in this project, the scientific impact of the proposed research has been facilitated through high-quality papers in the most prestigious and relevant journals and also conference presentations. Within the consortium, the results generated by the project have been disseminated via exchange visits, workshops, conferences, the project website and industrial visits. The dissemination strategy also aims to communicate effectively with parties outside the project, such as other European project consortia (e.g. REMESH and ARCWIND) and potential users of large maritime engineering systems. The produced results have been published and continue to be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and international conference proceedings.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

This project has provided a great opportunity for our researchers, particularly young researchers, to develop their skills and gain experience in the fields that are likely to drive maritime engineering and technology research over the next decade. It helped them to develop the international contacts necessary for a successful long-term career, and prepare them for making use of new facilities and new tools available in the world. The program also allowed individual partners to take advantage of the skills of talented researchers from highly respected research institutions both inside and outside Europe and to learn from their experiences.

Reliability and safety of large maritime engineering systems represents an innovative technology that is generating considerable interest in the maritime industry, particularly in light of the ongoing emphasis on sustainability and the recent UN commitment on net zero carbon by 2050. The research has generated impact beyond the academic community in terms of the understanding on how the RESET principles can be effectively and efficiently used in large maritime and other engineering systems. For example, the three relevant Health & Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines have been produced: 1) Effective collision risk management for offshore installations, HSE Book, 2019, 200 pages; 2) Ship/Platform collision incident database (2015), HSE Books, 2019; 3) Collision detection on the UKCS (UK Continental Shelf), HSE Books, 2019. 184 offshore oil and gas platforms on the UKCS and 1,327 worldwide have benefited from these guidelines since 2019. The outcomes of the research provide useful advances on how significant hazards are identified and how their associated risks and reliability are estimated so as to take measures through rational decision making.

LJMU have developed a dual PhD programme in Engineering with MU and a dual PhD in Maritime Technology with WUT through this project. Other European partners are looking at similar collaborative opportunities with the TC partners.

Publications arising from RESET