I went on to work in the oil- and gas industry. However, with the increased research on hydrogen embrittlement going on at NTNU/SINTEF, I was encouraged to return to science. I find the topic of hydrogen embrittlement particularly interesting, partly due to its complex nature but also because hydrogen may play an important role in a future energy system.
The ROP project is perfect for me, because it combines real industrial challenges with in-depth scientific research. In clad pipes a compositional transition zone exists between the clad and carbon steel pipe, susceptible of martensite transformation, carbide precipitation and residual stresses upon cooling from welding. A combination detrimental when also introducing hydrogen, as usually is the case for welding. Hydrogen tends to accumulate in areas of increased tensile stresses and at microstructural defects, thus a high local hydrogen concentration is expected at the interface.
In my work, I will use numerical modelling to simulate hydrogen embrittlement at the interface between clad and carbon steel pipe. The modelling approach which will be used is cohesive zone modelling. This is a phenomenological model, hence it does not model the real physical fracture process but rather the fracture "phenomena" as observed. The first approach is to develop a model incorporating both the mechanical, microstructural and environmental effects. The long term goal is to develop a model capable of predicting hydrogen cracking.
