STAGE 3: QUALIFICATION PLAN DEVELOPMENT

The overall aim of Stage 3 is to develop a qualification strategy that addresses the risks and uncertainties, and hence reduce the likelihood of failure, according to the failure modes and risks identified in Stage 2. The main outcome is a Technology Qualification Plan (TQP) document, which details the outcomes of the System Decomposition and Technology and Risk Assessments carried out in the previous stage as well as the activities which will be carried out in order to obtain the evidence required to support the aims of the TQ programme.

For completeness, and to support later certification, it is good practice to include all elements of the system in the TQP, even those which have been deemed to have 'No new technical uncertainties' from a Technology Maturity standpoint or an 'Acceptable' risk category and hence require minimal TQ activities. Adopting this approach is also important in case any design modifications need to be made to a particular technology element which may impact other elements in the system, e.g., via interfaces, or a change to system operational ranges.

DEFINITION OF QUALIFICATION ACTIVITIES

The selection of qualification activities is likely to be driven by the need to generate robust evidence in a cost-effective way and is determined by the aims of the TQ programme and development stage. Technologies at low maturity levels tend to undergo laboratory-based and numerical analysis (i.e., virtual prototypes/Digital Twins and/or material testing and analysis), which in the first instance, focuses on reducing the largest uncertainties. It is likely that the Classification Society will require justification that the simulated environment is representative, as far as practicable, of the operating environment. At low maturity levels, the intended deployment environment may not be fully defined, or sufficient field data obtained.

Generally, the parity between the simulated testing environment and real-world application increases with the progress of technology development. At later development stages, assembled components, subsystems and/or systems are likely to be subjected to more extensive testing and analysis programs, e.g., functional, cyclic and durability tests. To assist the decision making process radar graphs can be used to compare the implications of activities based on several metrics, e.g., activity complexity, duration, cost and probability of success. An example of equipment used to test rope abrasion at TTI Testing Ltd is shown on the right.

Qualification Activities Example: Generic Mooring Connector

The qualification plan for the generic mooring connector would include several desk-based and experimental activities, with the proposed activities referencing the system requirements outlined in Stage 1 and failure modes identified in the FMECA conducted in Stage 2. Example activities are listed in the tables below.

Experimental Qualification Activities
Failure mode	Relation to requirement	Purpose	Activity	Acceptance	Standard(s)	Limits (for test design)	Parameters	Accuracy	Analysis	Justification
Fatigue	Mooring connector has design life equivalent to other components on the FOWT	Determine mooring connectors fatigue life	Cyclic fatigue testing of the mooring connector at different loads	Creation of a S-N curve for the connector	DNV-RP-C203 - Fatigue Design of Offshore Steel Structures, DNV-OS-E302 Offshore mooring chain	Similar environmental conditions to deployment	Load (kN)	Failure to nearest 1000s cycles for a series of load ranges	Post-processing of cycles to failure for each load range	The test will help determine the design life of the mooring connector

Other Qualification Activities
Failure mode	Relation to requirement	Purpose	Activity	Evidence required	Success criteria	Standard(s)
Yield	Mooring connector is suitable strong enough to be deployed as part of a FOWT mooring system	Determine strength of the mooring connector	Conduct Finite Element Analysis	Finite Element Report detailing max load the mooring connector could support	Load capability of mooring connector are determined	DNV-OS-E302 Offshore mooring chain

The interactive map below includes open water sites, component test facilities as well as wave and current tanks facilities in the UK and beyond which may have the capability to carry out the determined activities. In recent years particular facilities have provided access to technology developers in order to support qualification efforts in the offshore renewable energy sector via transnational funding programmes, for example the Marine Renewables Infrastructure Network (MaRINET2).

TECHNOLOGY QUALIFICATION PLAN CONTENT

Although Classification Societies have specific requirements for the content of the TQP, in broad terms most require the following aspects to be included:

Activity List	Summary of all activities considered within scope of TQ efforts. For example, engineering analysis (recognised experience, analytical and numerical), testing, maintenance, surveys and inspections.
Justification	Explanation of how the qualification methods are mapped to the requirements set in the technology qualification basis, i.e., how each activity will provide evidence for each uncertainty/failure mode.
Parameters	Determine the selection of the type, period of execution, frequency, limits and required accuracy of the activities. These aspects may be based on the respective risk level of the equipment, e.g., highly-critical equipment is likely to involve a combination of qualification activities and intensive monitoring requirements in order to quantify and then mitigate performance uncertainties.
Acceptance Criteria	Quantify the acceptance criteria for each activity and how each criteria will be assessed and by whom (e.g., Third Party Verification; TPV). The benchmarks or standards used to either define the acceptance criteria (or specify test/analysis procedures) are generally based on the current best practice(s) or state-of-the-art knowledge in the sector. A list of example mooring and anchoring guidelines can be accessed on theStandards page, and by using the search facility in theTQR spreadsheet.
Traceability	Identify how the traceability of each activity will be established, including the collated evidence (e.g., test data and calibration of test equipment). The use of historical evidence may also be used to support qualification activities if the evidence is traceable.
Qualification Plan Schedule	Define the overall TQ programme milestones. Summarise the costs, durations, roles and responsibilities associated with the defined TQ activities. The plan may have to be updated if design changes are made and/or qualification activities reveal unexpected behaviours (i.e., an iterative TQ process) and particular TQ guidelines suggest how Management of Change (MoC) can be organised and carried out, seeStage 5: Review.