System Reliability Assessment of Corroded Pipelines : A Probabilistic Approach

'System Reliability Assessment of Offshore Pipelines' portrays the application of probabilistic methods in assessing the reliability of these structures subjected to corrosion. The analysis interprets corrosion data as random variables and probabilistic functions, through which uncertainties of corrosion inspection tool can be taken into account. The reliability of the pipeline is studied by treating the structure as an independent unit. The analysis is further elaborated for pipelines arrayed as a series system of units, with the consideration of length effects. A framework for the reliability-based maintenance model is also developed, aiming at optimizing the pipeline system operations. Herein, the analysis is mainly focused on improving the practice of releasing corrosion inhibitors into the pipeline. The use of inhibitors is considered to be the most applied maintenance practice among pipeline industries because of its simple mechanism to fight against corrosion. Last but not least, the research also looks into interpreting corrosion in space using theories on hydrodynamics.