Ship-Inspector technology aims to help operators, classification societies and regulatory agencies
The objective of this project is to develop new and novel ultrasonic phased array techniques, sensors and systems for finding defects and corrosion in safety critical areas of ships and tankers without taking the vessel out of the water. The Ship-Inspector technology will help operators, classification societies and regulatory agencies worldwide to manage risk more effectively. The Ship Inspector Consortium will disseminate the technology and associated training to the SMEs represented by the participant SME-AGs. There are 12,000 SMEs involved in the 50 billion inspection and maintenance sector. Furthermore, the Ship-Inspector technology will reduce the risk to which inspectors are exposed whilst working on ships. Note that shipyard and marine work has an injury-accident rate more than twice that of the construction and general industry.This project will drastically reduce injuries and deaths to SME workers in the ship maintenance and inspection industry.
The key objectives are:
1.Development of novel linear phased array techniques
2.New more powerful flaw detectors with the ability to drive sensors as phased arrays.
3.New and novel dry contact sensor technology based on Macro-Fibre Composites (MFCs) that generate more power but that are also cheaper to manufacture.
4.Methods of application for ‘one off’ and continuous condition-monitoring.
5.Sensor array designs that are capable of measuring motion in all three planes.
6.Awareness programmes both for managers in SME inspection service providers and for large enterprise end-user companies.
7.Guidelines for equipment specification, application, and operator training and certification (a basis for future standards).
8.Training programmes in linear phased array techniques
