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| CSIRO | SOLVE | Issue 7 | May 06 | |
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ARTICLE
METALS TECHNOLOGY:
Corrosion Sensored By Jason Major
A suite of sensors with the ability to communicate with each other can accurately detect the atmospheric conditions that precipitate corrosion. Tiny and often tucked away in hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, a novel array of sensors is poised to change the costly and resource-intensive process of fighting corrosion in industries such as aerospace, shipping, mining, oil and gas. The array, and similar purpose-built sensor arrays, can monitor not only the appearance and persistence of corrosion but also its behaviour under different atmospheric conditions, including humidity, temperature, salinity, wind direction and rainfall. The sensors, designed by researchers at CSIRO Manufacturing and Infrastructure Technology (CMIT), indicate where, when and why corrosion occurs. They also convert this information to a real-time management tool that can reduce the costs of maintenance and inspection and improve the safety and integrity of structures. Corrosion control is a costly business. Recent studies estimate that industrialised nations will spend 1.5 to 3.5 per cent of their annual GDP to monitor, remove and prevent corrosion. The Australian estimate is 1.5 per cent of GDP, or about $13 billion. Dr Tim Muster, Wayne Ganther and colleagues at CSIRO who developed the sensors are specialists in understanding how and why metals corrode when exposed to atmospheric elements. "Reducing the cost of corrosion by even a fraction can save industry billions," Dr Muster says. The team used a combination of off-the-shelf and custom-built corrosion and atmospheric sensors and gave them the ability to communicate with each other. A variety of sensor arrays were combined for specific purposes, from inside aircraft fuselages to bridges. "Commercially available sensors at the moment tend to be bulky and most are unable to give interpretable signals when the sensors are in transition - going from wet to dry, which is common in most atmospheric conditions, and which is also the most corrosive time," Dr Muster says. Although some of the new CSIRO sensor arrays have already been sold commercially, most of the research is still regarded as being in the trial stage, with plans to test the sensors under extreme desert conditions in the Middle East and also inside aircraft fuselages. Dr Muster and Mr Ganther say that, importantly, the sensors have been specifically designed to withstand the conditions they need to monitor. The sensors continually monitor the environment in which they have been placed and detect the early onset of corrosion or the environmental conditions conducive to it.
"This will make maintenance decisions and inspection easier and more accurate," Dr Muster says. "We are now working on automating this decision-making process so that it guides maintenance schedules and decreases downtime and the frequency of inspections." Also, as the sensors arm themselves with more and more data, models of atmospheric corrosion for each specific situation or environment can be developed and continuously adjusted. "This should help industry design materials that are best suited to the environments in which they will be used," Mr Ganther says. The researchers have opened up a raft of opportunities that have the potential to streamline numerous maintenance programs, but in many respects the team is still playing with curiosity-driven ideas. "While our sensors work," Mr Ganther says, "we need to further test the relationships between corrosion and atmospheric conditions in different places to see how our models develop over time." As well as exploring new frontiers for the sensors, they also see opportunities to further develop the sensors themselves in terms of more advanced miniaturisation and wireless operation. "The possibilities are endless," says Mr Ganther. One long-term goal is to actually incorporate the sensor technology into paints and coatings, construction materials such as reinforced concrete and other composites. "The day may come when there are sensors that can initiate self-repair once corrosion is detected," Mr Ganther says. APPLICATION Sensors can monitor the emergence and persistence of corrosion BENEFIT Converting this information to a real-time management tool reduces maintenance and inspection costs, and improves the safety and integrity of structures For further information contact: |
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