The lifecycle management of transparent poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) pressure hulls in manned submersibles is currently dictated by rigid, calendar-based retirement schedules mandated by classification societies. While these empirical rules ensure absolute safety, they often enforce the premature disposal of highly engineered structures regardless of their actual physical condition. Transitioning toward a condition-based lifecycle assessment requires a reliable method to non-destructively quantify the internal viscoelastic degradation of the polymer matrix.

This thesis presents an integrated empirical framework coupling ultrasonic Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) with analytical Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM). Low-frequency ultrasonic through-transmission was used to evaluate PMMA pressure hulls exhibiting a spectrum of operational fatigue, ranging from zero to 929 deep-ocean dives. By analyzing acoustic time-of-flight and signal attenuation, the dynamic storage modulus and loss modulus of the polymer network were extracted. An inverse optimization algorithm then translated these empirical measurements into fleet-specific material degradation constants.

Regression analysis of the operational histories demonstrated that chronological time-in-service, rather than cumulative hydrostatic loading or extreme pressure dives, is the dominant driver of macroscopic structural degradation. The PMMA matrix undergoes a continuous thermodynamic process of structural relaxation, dictating a logarithmic decay in elastic stiffness and an exponential increase in internal friction over time.

By applying Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) principles to an extrapolated fifty-year operational timeline, a critical structural inflection point was mathematically identified, establishing a condition-based failure threshold at a 2.50 percent reduction in pure elastic stiffness. The predictive envelope confirms that the structural stiffness of the PMMA fleet stabilizes safely above this limit, indicating that current calendar-based retirement schedules are conservative. This framework provides the scientific foundation necessary to track ongoing material health, enabling the maritime industry to safely transition toward condition-based lifecycle management. ... Read more

The use of fiber-reinforced composite materials in marine applications is limited by uncertainty surrounding their long-term fatigue behavior and micro-damage tolerance. This thesis aims to present and validate an experimental framework to detect and classify mechanical micro-damage in unidirectional carbon-fiber composites using acoustic emission (AE) monitoring and X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). AE monitoring provides real-time insight into the evolution of internal damage by capturing elastic waves emitted during micro-structural failure events, while micro-CT offers high-resolution visualization of internal damage states before and after mechanical loading. A comprehensive analysis was conducted involving signal processing, (normalized) frequency spectrum characterization, and unsupervised machine learning to classify AE events by damage type. This classification was subsequently validated against micro-CT scans. Results challenge the common assumption that AE signals with dominant low-frequency contributions are reliably indicative of matrix cracking. The proposed AE framework, when validated with micro-CT, shows promise for enabling accurate in-situ damage monitoring of composite structures in offshore environments. This approach supports the broader adoption of composites by improving confidence and knowledge about their structural integrity over time. ... Read more

Governments are looking more and more to invest in renewable energy sources due to the energy transition that is currently taking place. One of the many renewable energy sources is wind energy which is increasingly positioned at sea. Wind turbines in deep parts of the ocean can be placed on floating structures which are often moored to the sea bottom by mooring ropes. For deep sea, the only viable option is a synthetic mooring line due to its almost neutral buoyancy.
Mooring ropes have a vital role in the offshore floating structure as it is keeping the structure in place. When a mooring line breaks, the consequences may be big, leading to serious damage or dangerous situations. Therefore, the structural integrity of mooring ropes should be evaluated regularly. For synthetic mooring ropes, the only method at this point in time is visual inspection. This can be done by divers or by Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). This method is expensive, time consuming and in case it is done by divers, it is potentially dangerous. Furthermore, synthetic mooring ropes are susceptible to external damage which means inspection would have to be executed without direct contact with the mooring ropes. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the feasibility of a non-contact, non-destructive testing method in order to assess the structural integrity of a synthetic mooring line. The combination of non-destructive material property assessment and tension assessment is believed to produce a structural health monitoring instrument for synthetic mooring ropes.
In this thesis, a methodology is proposed which uses two independent non-contact, non-destructive measurements to assess the structural integrity of a high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) rope specimen. The measurements involved are ultrasonic guided wave (UGW) measurements and vibration measurements. The UGW measurements are performed to assess the stiffness of the test specimen according to the principle of attenuation of ultrasonic waves propagating through a specimen. The vibration measurements are performed to assess the natural frequencies of a manually excited test specimen. The assessed natural frequencies and the determined stiffness of the test specimen can be used to calculate the load acting on the test specimen.
The methodology is tested by conducting experiments in a laboratory environment where in-situ conditions are recreated by performing the tests underwater. It was concluded that the loads can be recalculated with varying accuracy of approximately 10% with respect to the actual values, with increasing accuracy for higher load values. It is concluded that the proposed methodology has the potential to determine load on a synthetic mooring line in a non-contact, non-destructive manner. ... Read more

Fiber Reinforced Composite (FRC) materials are gaining great popularity in marine structures because of their excellent strength-to-weight ratio, low density, and provided freedom in the design process. However, the use of FRC materials comes along with relatively large uncertainties in material properties and structural integrity after manufacturing and during its use. In this research a new in-situ non-destructive stiffness assessment methodology is proposed. This methodology is based on a coupling principle between the laminate structural stiffness properties and the ultrasonic guided wave characteristics of FRC materials. In the methodology, a range of possible stiffness properties is defined based on the structural information available for a structure of interest. The average relation between this stiffness range of interest and corresponding wave characteristics is described using a set of coupling coefficients which are determined using numerical simulations. For this, a batch of reference laminates is constructed that covers the entire stiffness range of interest. Input for the system are the group velocities of the zeroth-order symmetric and antisymmetric guided wave modes, measured on the structure of interest. The potential of the proposed methodology is evaluated using a numerical feasibility study based on numerical simulations. Good results were obtained for different test scenarios, varying in the amount of structural information available on the structure of interest. Thereafter, the in-situ application of the methodology has been examined in an experimental setup. Good measurement and analysis times were achieved by using a compact measuring device that is capable of recording the wave signal in five directions simultaneously. A reliable accuracy assessment of the in-situ application of the methodology was, however, difficult to obtain due to the lack of reliable reference studies. Therefore, in future research reliable reference information should be gathered. Additionally, a next step for future research should focus on decreasing the amount of information available on the structure of interest. ... Read more