Parkwind Joins Hybrid Structures R&D Project

Belgian offshore wind developer Parkwind has joined the QUALIFY project dedicated to increasing the usage of adhesively bonded hybrid structures in shipbuilding and generating spin-offs to other industries. 

The R&D project, part of the EU program Interreg 2 Seas, will see a multi-scale testing plan implemented to provide insights into the long-term performance of hybrid joints operating in demanding marine environments.

Parkwind said it is responsible for bringing expertise to the project in order to extend the works and guidelines to the offshore industry.

According to the company, there are currently no certification guidelines to orient the naval industry when certifying new designs using hybrid assemblies, which limits their application to secondary structures.

QUALIFY is expected to remove the barriers that currently prevent the application of adhesively bonded structures in primary structures, through an innovative combination of tests and techniques.

The project will deliver tests to assess the sensitivity of the adhesive material properties to the environment and the structural performance of the joint at different scales, as well as tailored equipment to evaluate the performance of the joint under combined loading and environmental conditions.

In addition, tests to determine the basic fatigue properties for design purposes at different scales and the corrosion assisted fatigue to evaluate components in a representative environment and at different scales will be conducted.

The project, carried out by a consortium of 11 partners, will be running until 31 July 2020.