Good Example Of Thesis Proposal On Mechanical Properties: Stainless Steel Fibre-Reinforced Plastics

Thesis Proposal

Synopsis
Traditional repair strategies for pipeline repairs require welding or inserting couplers to replace the section of the corroded pipe and then link the two ends of the pipe together. The problem with corrosion is not alleviated and in damaging environments new materials are needed. The research evaluates stainless steel Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) for underground pipelines and pipelines in seawater or brine. The purpose is to gain knowledge about the material properties and if the material can withstand the harsh environments of pipelines underground and underwater. Stainless steel FRP material properties related to these environments will be collected and a database will be created. The material properties will be compared to traditional and new materials to understand if stainless Steel FRP is potentially the best material for repairing pipelines in difficult environments. The research will require knowledge on the mechanical properties of a range of materials from metals to new polymers.

Research Question

What material properties of Stainless Steel FRP indicate that the material is good for repairing underground and underwater pipelines?
Objectives
Background
Corrosion is a major problem in pipelines and new materials with non-corrosive features are valuable. The natural resources, oil and gas, are transported all over the world using metal pipelines both underground and underwater. Ferrous steel is the most often used type of metal for pipeline transport of petroleum products (Shamsuddoha et al. 2013). The research proposes a comprehensive literature review of the suitability of repairing underground and underwater pipes with stainless steel fibre-reinforced plastic. Repair is difficult because the entire section of the pipe cannot be removed, but attempting to weld a steel patch over a weakened portion of underground pipe is not optimally effective (Shamsuddoha et al. 2013). The suitability for underground repairs fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite composed from a matrix of polymer and plastic that has been reinforced with fibre is established (Geraghty, Pridmore and Sanchez 2011). Research is available on the load transfer mechanism (Duell et al. 2008; Freire et al. 2009) to learn how the stainless steel FRP performs with the original material of the pipelines.

Methodology

A mixed methods study will be carried out using both qualitative and quantitative strategies. Creswell (2013) pointed out that mixed method research uses the best of both strategies to complement each other and strengthen the research. Data is available in several places including manufacturers’ specification documents, academic articles and white papers. Data and information about Stainless Steel FRP will be collected and organized. The material properties of traditional and new materials will be compared to the Stainless Steel FRP data particularly in reference to making repairs on under-water and –ground pipelines. The pros and cons of the mechanical properties will be discussed.
Work Plan

Works Cited

Duell JM, Wilson JM, Kessler MR. (2008) Analysis of a carbon composite overwrap pipeline repair system. Int J Press Vessels Pip; 85:782–8.
Mattos HSdC, Reis JML, Sampaio RF, Perrut V. (2009) An alternative methodology to repair localized corrosion damage in metallic pipelines with epoxy resins. Mater Des, 30:3581–91.
Askeland, DR, Fulay, PP, and Wright, WJ. (2010) The Science and Engineering of Materials. 6th Ed. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Creswell, JW. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods. 2nd Ed. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska.
Geraghty M, Pridmore A, Sanchez JV. (2011) Transitioning from leak detection to leak prevention: proactive repair of steel pipelines using fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. Pipelines, 100–107.
Newberry AL, Bakhshaliyev R, Garnish M. (2008) World’s largest high pressure, large diameter GRP pipe project. Reinforced plastics,
Shamsuddoha M, Islam MM, Aravinthan T et al. (2013) Effectiveness of using fibre-reinforced polymer composites for underwater steel pipeline repairs. Composite Structures 100: 40-54.