Southwest Research Institute will be exhibiting at the Offshore Technology Conference. SwRI provides a multidisciplinary approach to solve difficult technical challenges for the offshore industry and offers a range of R&D, design, and testing services. Specialties include:
- Ocean Engineering & Simulation
- OCTG (Oil Country Tubular Goods) Testing
- Pressure Vessel Design & Fabrication
- Submersible Systems
- Multiphase Flow Testing
- Flow Assurance
- Corrosion Testing
- Fracture Mechanics
SwRI offers independent, premier services to government and industry clients worldwide. Operating as a nonprofit since 1947, we work in the public's best interest and toward the betterment of humanity.
Come see and interact with our demos.
Erosion: Visitors can learn about SwRI’s testing and evaluation capabilities for piping and equipment in erosive flow environments. A variety of components eroded by particle-laden liquid flows will be available for observation. Erosion testing can be performed on small material samples or on full-scale test articles to simulate a wide variety of field conditions including production and fracking. For full-scale articles designed for sand slurry service, the effects of slurry flow can be evaluated by performance testing and validation testing such as those procedures found in API 14A, API 6AV1, API 17G, API 19SS, API 19ICD, & API 19V. In addition to validation testing, precise material removal measurements can be determined by performing analysis using sample weights, observing surface molds, analyzing backlit photo microscopy, and performing 3-D surface scans or surface profilometry.
Guided Wave Simulation: Visitors can experience the process and learn the capabilities of a SwRI-developed guided wave inspection system for pipeline structures. Our latest magnetostrictive-based, guided wave inspection system will be available at OTC for use on a pipeline mockup with anomalies representing notches, wall thinning, and pinhole flaws. Users can learn about this MsS v5 inspection systems as well as the compatible guided wave sensors.
Gas Lift Test Fixture: Visitors can learn about SwRI’s Gas Lift Test Facility, build to validate artificial lift technologies for offshore use. Users can pick up and assemble a scaled prototype of SwRI’S universal gas lift test fixture and experience a virtual tour of the Gas Lift Test Facility.
Corrosion and Additive Manufacturing: The demo will be a series of small samples we use to perform stress corrosion cracking/ hydrogen embrittlement evaluations as well as a constant load test cell which is one of the stress corrosion cracking tests we can perform (that we can transport). We can also perform high pressure/high temperature testing up to 650 F / 20,000 psi. Included are metal additive manufactured samples (Ti alloy, Ni alloy, stainless steels) created using a Renishaw Laser Powder Bed Fusion machine. Visitors can handle the test samples to see what sizes of corrosion test samples we deal with.
Collaborative Robotics: Visitors can see a part reconstruction demo performed by a 3D camera mounted to a robot arm. The 3D stereo camera acquires data as the small, collaborative robot (cobot) arm manipulates it around an object placed on the table in front of it. Open-source software is used to assemble this data into a colorized 3D mesh, which is viewable on a computer screen. Applications for this technology include part inspections, localization of an object, and Scan-N-Plan. Scan-N-Plan is a process in which a robot uses sensors to acquire information about a part and then automatically generates a program for performing a process such as sanding, painting, or welding.
For more information, please contact Eric Thompson.