Evaluating the erosion-corrosion-fatigue properties of WAAM built components and how to optimise them for the marine environment

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With the increasing interest in a green transition to Net Zero, offshore renewable energy is becoming a big focus for many countries. There are hundreds of offshore wind turbines which are coming to the end of their 25-30-year lifecycle and many developers are looking into life extension options to maximise their assets. The structures for offshore renewables are subject to some of the harshest environments in the world, with loading from wind, wave, and tides in a corrosive and erosive environment. Additive Manufacturing (AM) has shown great promise for use in the marine environment. However, little research or application of the technology has been done within the sector. Corrosion is seen as one of the biggest threats to offshore structures and can be accelerated with the presence of erosion. AM has the potential to mix different materials to improve the properties of the end part. Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) has shown great promise due to the ability to create large components, in short lead times, with little defects compared to traditional manufacturing processes. The process allows for easy manufacture at ports or yards near offshore sites and therefore has the potential to create components with shorter lead times compared to traditional supply chain routes. Early research into the potential of using WAAM to create corrosion resistance coatings and components has highlighted the processes' many benefits but further research is required to justify the use of the processes for commercial applications. In terms of wear resistance even less research has been conducted but initial findings show that there is a greater resistance compared to the wrought material. The aim of this study is to thoroughly review the state-of-the-art on the use of AM for erosion and corrosion resistance of engineering structures with the focus on offshore renewable energy structures. The findings from this study help to identify the gap in the knowledge for future research to commercialise the AM application within the offshore industry.