Technology Qualification Process Research Articles

Novel evaluation and testing of technology qualification process of subsea oil and gas products

Use of robust products is of utmost importance in the subsea production systems to ensure the maximum utilization of the energy resources available under the seabed. To achieve highly reliable products, a comprehensive technology qualification program is proposed in this paper for the subsea electrical and electronics-based products. The recommended qualification program is specifically focused on a novel technology readiness level 4 (TRL4) process of the product used in an intended environment condition, which guarantees the product availability on the seabed without any operational failures. The analytical assessment on the products’ design, operating conditions and compliance stress tests are proposed following the internationally recognized standards, e.g. The American Petroleum Institute (API) , International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), European Standards (EN) and European Union (EU-directives). Modified environmental tests methods and novel product safety procedures are introduced for the first time to ensure that products meet the acceptance criteria set in the proposed TRL4 process. Finally, the proposed TRL4 process and its recommended test methods are exercised on the various functional units of the subsea electronic module. The experimental results show that the product is fit for use in the subsea environment after going through the proposed extensive qualification test program. • Novel Technology qualification process ensures the products’ operation on seabed. • Compliance to the proposed environmental test methods increase product reliability. • Appropriate EMC and safety test methods are identified for the Subsea products. • Proposed TRL4 qualification process ensures the safe operation of Subsea products.

Comprehensive Technology Qualification Process for Subsea Electronics Assemblies

Subsea production systems technologies are being developed steadily to address the technological issues associated with the deep-sea environment, primarily pressure, and temperature. To ensure the reliable operation of electrical/electronic systems for at least 25 years on the seabed, a comprehensive technology qualification program is proposed in this article. In relation to this, technology readiness level of the subsea electrical/electronics assembly is achieved after conducting devised environmental stress tests compliant to the internationally recognized standards, e.g., API, ISO, IEC, and IEEE. The comprehensive tests methods of the qualification program are explained to achieve the technology readiness level 3 of the subsea printed circuit board and subassemblies. Finally, experimental test results of a standalone subsea Ethernet switch and also functional verification with 100 m of electrical flying lead undergoing the prescribed test methods show that the subsea electronics comply with the international standards and is fit for use in the subsea environment.

ADNOC Case Studies Illustrate Importance of Technology Qualification Process

For operators and service companies looking to gain an edge in a growing technology marketplace, the link between technology development strategy and overall operational strategy is fundamental. Careful planning is required to ensure the efficient use of resources on technologies that target high-priority problems and high-impact solutions, while responding to near-term challenges and laying the foundation for longer-term goals. An established roadmap could serve as a point of reference to satisfy technology requirements in response to current and arising challenges for a company looking to produce new technologies in-house or facilitate the development with other companies. With that in mind, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (ADNOC) Upstream Directorate developed a stage-gate process for new technology development and qualification. The process was designed to minimize the risk associated with deploying new technologies to a level that can be managed or mitigated, ensuring compliance with operational constraints and promoting the safety of assets and people. Sherif El-Gharbawy, ADNOC’s authority on technology maturity, presented a paper outlining case studies on the development and qualification process, Tech Qual, at the 2017 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). At last year’s OTC, he presented a paper with coauthor, Wafik Beydoun on the establishment of ADNOC’s technology development process. That paper outlined the company’s use of Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) to advance the development of a new, or unproven, technology along a structured path toward deployment or commercialization. Developed by NASA in the 1980s to help qualify spacecraft design, the TRL is a means of estimating the readiness of a component to be implemented into an operating system. The process involves the establishment of stage gates to facilitate the transition of the technology from one phase to the next while staying focused on applicability and profitability. “[The NASA TRL Scale] is the original scale and most-recognized scale, both globally and regionally in the Arabian Gulf area,” El-Gharbawy said about ADNOC’s adoption of TRLs. “It was made simpler and adapted to fit our operations terminology and technology development phases as opposed to NASA’s flight simulation applications.” ADNOC Research and Development manages the progress in TRLs 1–6 (Fig. 1) before transferring those responsibilities to its operating companies (OPCOs). Along with the research and development teams from its OPCOs, service companies, and international shareholders, ADNOC leads the technology development phase between TRLs 4 and 6, with the OPCOs taking ownership afterward. The goal is to steer the development process away from the “Valley of Death,” a term used to describe a technology’s failure to reduce risk through development, and hence bridge the gap between fundamental research in the lower TRLs and commercialization in the higher TRLs.

Minimization of Risk Assessments' Variability in Technology Qualification Processes

Technology qualification (TQ) centers on establishing an acceptable level of confidence in innovative aspects of new technologies that are not addressed by the normative standards and/or common certification procedures. Risk-based technology qualification aims to minimize the uncertainty and risk of potential failures in novel designs, concepts, or applications that are not covered by existing standards, industry codes, and/or best practices. The degree of success in a technology qualification process (TQP) depends on its potential for minimizing the uncertainty of a novel technology under assessment and the level of uncertainty arising from the qualification methods and basis. Due to the lack of generic reliability data, focused research and development, and in-service experience, it is necessary to employ risk-based qualification of new technology. In a risk-based TQ, the technology under consideration is decomposed into manageable elements to assess those that involve aspects of new technology and to identify the key challenges and uncertainties. The aforementioned requires risk ranking with the support of experts, who represent relevant technical disciplines and field experience in design, fabrication, installation, inspection, maintenance, and operation. Hence, it is vital to have a comprehensive approach for ranking the risk of potential failures in a TQP, especially to reduce the variability present in the risk ranking and the overall uncertainty. This paper proposes a fuzzy logic based approach, which enables the variability present in the risk ranking of a TQP to be minimized. It also demonstrates how to make risk rankings by means of an illustrative case.

Assessment of the Construction Welding Process

The paper presents the stages of quality control of welding processes, which is implemented through: visual inspection, testing, measurement using a checking apparatus, patterns and comparison of the results with clasped values (acceptance criteria). These activities are carried out to determine the compatibility of the produced welded joint with the objectives of quality resulting from the technology qualification process. The aim of the study is to analyze the level of quality manufacturing processes carried out in the company relating to the production of welded structures including analysis of the used materials quality.

Evaluation of Carbon Dioxide Utilisation Concepts: A Quick and Complete Methodology

Abstract DNV GL has developed a comprehensive method for evaluation of carbon dioxide utilisation concepts, evaluating technical, environmental and economic aspects, to select the most robust concepts. The method can be described as life cycle assessment extended with a technical and economic assessment. The paper will demonstrate the methodology using two generic cases. Sequestration of carbon dioxide has been under development for more than two decades, and while the technical feasibility may have been sufficiently demonstrated, reducing costs and preferably making a profit is still high on the agenda. A chemical process where carbon dioxide can be used as a feedstock to produce a valuable product is a desirable pursuit. As of today, apart from carbon dioxide-EOR, all other ways of carbon dioxide utilization are niche markets in terms of volume (e.g. carbon dioxide for refrigeration, for drinks, carbon dioxide to methanol). As carbon dioxide has no chemical energy, any chemical utilisation process would require input of energy. However, the list of asserted promising concepts seems endless: utilisation of solar energy via the natural photosynthesis, e.g. algae, is a common factor in many concepts; imitation of the photosynthesis, using one or several catalysts for chemical absorption of solar energy; utilisation of “waste energy” or reacting carbon dioxide with carbonates to form cement are other assertions amongst many others. Governmental bodies and other financial stakeholders are interested in ensuring the soundness of their support or investment for such projects. There is a need for a methodology that would provide them with the means of assessing viability of the various proposed concepts. Some of the published carbon dioxide utilisation concepts are not feasible either due to sizeable costs or, would require so much space that forestation of the land would be a better option for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, or that the energy required for the process would produce more carbon dioxide than is consumed by the process itself DNV GL proposes a methodology to assess the feasibility of these concepts using well established tools readily applied in other industries for various assessments. These tools are integrated in a manner that provides a user-friendly yet robust approach to evaluate the concepts. - For assessing the environmental perspective, Life Cycle Assessment (ISO 14040 and ISO 14044) technique can be used to assess cradle-to-grave environmental impacts associated with all the stages of the project. This methodology can be applied to assess if a particular technology is viable from a carbon and energy footprint perspective. - For assessing the technical perspective, the Technology Qualification process (DNV-RP-A203) can help identify the novel components of a technology or the unproven applications of the technology as well as the main challenges and uncertainties of the concept. - For assessing the economic perspective, an Economic Assessment analysing benefits and costs is applied. The method has been applied to two generic examples; one related to algae production of biofuels; and one related to production of methanol utilising carbon dioxide. The developed methodology can be applied at an early stage of the concept development to evaluate the pros and cons, before an investment decision is made. The tools applied are compatible with each other due to similar boundary conditions, description of the technology, specification of inlet and outlet streams, functional requirements definition etc., and thus allowing for a single combined approach in lieu of various independent studies. Moreover, the single approach will enable better cross-checking of data quality providing a complete picture of the studied concept from a technical, environmental and economic perspective. Indeed selecting a concept that is technically and economically feasible and also has a negative carbon footprint is the challenge when comparing carbon dioxide utilisation concepts. The methodology proposed here provides an integrated solution addressing this challenge, bringing more clarity and transparency in evaluating carbon dioxide utilisation concepts. Applying this methodology will result in a quick, complete and reliable evaluation of such concepts to allow decision makers to make an informed investment decision.