AI against corrosion
The federal state of Schleswig-Holstein is funding the CHAI research project with a total of 900,000 euros. The project is being led by the Helmholtz Center Hereon. The partners are the Port of Kiel, Christian Albrechts Universität zu Kiel (CAU) and AC Korro-Service GmbH. CHAI stands for “Clever corrosion management for ports and waterways in Schleswig-Holstein using automated infrastructure monitoring”. The aim is to use AI to better detect and predict corrosion damage in maritime areas. (Source: Helmholtz-Center Hereon – Press releases)
Dr. Daniel Höche and Dr. Christian Feiler from the Hereon Institute for Surface Science and Helmholtz Information are leading the project. They are using sensors to record the environmental conditions in Kiel harbor and at the lock of the Kiel Canal in Brunsbüttel. For example, they collect data on the temperature and composition of the water, solar radiation or the presence of plant and animal substances such as algae or bird droppings. All of these factors promote the chemical degradation, i.e. corrosion, of steel structures and coatings in the port and at the lock. This results, for example, in holes, cracks or rust on the material. Until now, complex and expensive inspections have been necessary to detect and prevent such damage. This is set to change.
AI to predict damage
Höche and Feiler use the collected data to train an AI. Based on the data, this AI is to predict which material will corrode how quickly and severely under certain conditions – and how this can be prevented. The more data the AI has at its disposal, the more reliable its predictions will be. “Our major goal with the CHAI project is to transfer technology from basic research to industry,” says Christian Feiler. “And that the forecasting system will eventually work so well that it can be used by players such as the Port of Kiel or AC Korro-Service GmbH.”
The Minister of Digitalization of Schleswig-Holstein, Dirk Schrödter, also hopes so. “The use of AI technologies can help to make protection systems in our ports, locks and barrages even better and more environmentally friendly at the same time. This minimizes downtimes, reduces maintenance costs and thus strengthens our competitiveness,” he said at the presentation of the grant notifications in the port of Kiel. He personally handed them over to the partners of the CHAI project. The Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon received 400.000 euros, the largest share of the 900.000 euros in funding. The project costs a total of 1.3 million euros. It is scheduled to run until mid of 2027. The data collected will also be stored beyond this date so that it can be used for other projects.
AI Conference in Kiel
Anyone interested in the CHAI project and the use of AI can find out more at this year’s AI conference in Kiel on September 30. The Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon will be represented there with an information stand and will present various research projects. The event starts at 8.30 am in the Audimax of the CAU.
Hereon/R. Osol, 12.09.2024
The original press release can be found at:
AI against corrosion
Further Information:
Localization in Helmholtz Information:
Helmholtz Information, Program 3: Materials Systems Engineering, Topic 4: Scale-Bridging Designed Materials: From Fundamentals to Systems
Contact:
Dr. Daniel Höche
Institute of Surface Science
Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon
Phone: +49 160 9043-6158
E-Mail: daniel.hoeche@hereon.de
Dr. Christian Feiler
Institute of Surface Science
Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon
Phone: +49 4152 87-2125
E-Mail: christian.Feiler@hereon.de
Contact for this Press release:
Rabea Osol
Science Editor
Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon
Phone: +49 4152 87-2944
E-Mail: rabea.osol@hereon.de
About Helmholtz Information:
The Research Field “Helmholtz Information” is one of the six research fields of the Helmholtz Association and serves as its digital innovation center. Here, advanced and future computer architectures merge with insights from materials research, data science, and life sciences. Inspired by nature, supported by brain research, and enriched by modern approaches in artificial intelligence, experts from the Forschungszentrum Jülich, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin are shaping the digital future in science, business, and everyday life.
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