Power: Maintaining cathodic protection systems

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Maintaining cathodic protection systems Huck, Ted Cathodic protection (CP) systems are an inexpensive way to protect buried pipes and other structures within a power plant from corrosion. Often, however, such systems are improperly installed and/or commissioned and then forgotten. Given their important role in maintaining pipeline integrity, it behooves plant operators to keep their CP systems in good working order. Ted Huck is VP of sales and marketing for Matcor Inc. (Doylestown, Pa.), a vendor of cathodic protection systems and corrosion engineering services. He can be reached at thuck@matcor.com. Filings to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Pipeline Safety indicate that external corrosion is a leading cause of failures of hazardous liquid and gas pipelines, including those carrying natural gas. Pipeline operators are mandated to mitigate such failures by installing cathodic protection (CP) systems and testing them regularly. But the operators' responsibility for gas pipeline integrity ends at metering stations; downstream of the metering station, pipeline integrity is the responsibility of the end user: the power plant owner/operator. The continuing proliferation of natural gas-fired power plants means that it is only a matter of time before a gas pipeline within a plant's boundaries fails due to external corrosion. The resulting catastrophic explosion could result in loss of life and significant property damage. Plant owners can prevent such accidents the same way that pipeline operators do: by attending to the maintenance and testing of their "inside the fence" CP system. Although the electric power industry has long used CP systems to protect internal pipeline networks, process equipment, storage tanks, and other structures from corrosion, these systems often are not maintained properly. Typically installed either during the original plant construction or during major expansions or system upgrades, most CP systems are designed to operate for 15 years or longer. Unfortunately, at too many power plants, CP is poorly understood and receives insufficient attention from the maintenance department because the technique has little day-to-day impact on plant operations or revenues. This article discusses the importance of maintaining and testing CP systems to ensure that they are operating properly. Types of CP systems CP is a means of blocking the tendency of metallic structures--such as pipelines--to corrode (return to their natural, oxidized state) when exposed to the environment. The technique prevents the oxidation process from occurring by creating an electrical circuit that forces current to flow from a cathode to an anode connected to the structure to be protected. Although CP can provide corrosion protection for many years, over time the supply of electrons in the anode is depleted to the point where the technique becomes ineffective. There are two basic types of CP systems: galvanic and impressed-current. In a galvanic system, the anodes connected to the structure to be protected have a natural potential that is more negative than the structure's. In such a system, the DC circuit forces current to flow from the anode (more negative potential) to the structure (less negative potential). Magnesium is the metal most commonly used in the galvanic anodes of power plant CP systems for piping. The anodes, which come in a variety of standard sizes and geometries, consist of an ingot of magnesium cast around a copper conductor core that is packaged in a special anhydrous gypsum backfill inside fabric housing. Magnesium anodes are limited by the small potential difference between the magnesium anode and the steel structure being cathodically

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Power: Maintaining cathodic protection systems

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protected. In many applications, the potential difference between a magnesium anode and a steel structure is not enough to generate sufficient current for cathodic protection. In these cases, a rectifier is used to generate larger potential differences, enabling more current to flow to the structure being protected. This is referred to as an impressed-current system (Figure 1). Both galvanic and impressed-current systems are used in power plants. Each system has its advantages and disadvantages, and the selection of a particular system should be made by a design engineer familiar both with CP and the specifics of the plant. Why CP systems fail Assuming that a CP system was properly designed, installed, and commissioned, there are three basic reasons why it might fail: loss of continuity, damaged components, and deterioration of the system and/or the structure. Before detailing each failure mode, it's important to say that engineers seeking to diagnose a CP system failure are working with one hand behind their back without a baseline commissioning test report that confirms that the CP system was initially functioning properly. A good set of baseline data greatly facilitates future testing and system analysis. If you do not have such a commissioning test report, it's imperative to hire a qualified corrosion engineering firm with CP experience to test the system comprehensively and establish a baseline for future reference. Far too many plants have CP systems installed that never operated properly from day one. Now we can discuss failure modes. As mentioned, CP is basically an implementation of a very simple, steady-state DC circuit. Many CP systems, particularly galvanic systems, are designed to electrically isolate the piping system from other structures--in particular, the pervasive plant grounding grid--through the use of isolating flanges. If at any time during the life of the system the piping were to lose its electrical isolation, the CP system would be severely affected. In most cases, loss of isolation renders a galvanic CP system completely ineffective and quickly depletes the anodes of electrons. Unfortunately, isolation flanges are often prone to failure and require a regular testing program to ensure their effectiveness. Damage to the CP system itself is another possible cause of premature system failure. Power plants are hardly static environments, and construction activities often can inadvertently damage the CP system. Many CP systems, particularly impressed-current designs, use buried cables that are invisible and thus can be damaged with little evidence. Because CP systems are rarely monitored, a contractor digging up a cable with no apparent effect may assume that it is abandoned and blithely continue doing his job. Lightning and power surges also can damage a CP system or simply trip the breaker on an impressed-current type. There are many plants at which the rectifiers have been turned off by a tripped circuit breaker, and maintenance personnel have no idea how long the system has been down. Finally, deterioration of either the anodes or the piping system can cause a CP system to fail or result in significant deterioration of the pipe coating system. Typically, buried steel piping is coated prior to installation. This coating greatly reduces the current required to cathodically protect the piping system. Over time, the coating system can deteriorate, resulting in an increased requirement for CP current until the CP system is no longer capable of fully protecting the structure. Regular testing required Given the critical nature of gas pipelines and the risks associated with their failure, it is very important that CP systems be tested regularly. For a typical plant, a two-person crew can complete an annual survey in one to two days. The National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) is the recognized authority for setting standards and certifying technicians

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and engineers (Figure 2). Matcor Inc. recommends that an annual CP test be performed by a certified NACE Corrosion Technologist (NACE CP Level 3) experienced in power plant CP systems. The annual test should include a detailed report confirming that the CP system is operating properly and meeting NACE criteria in accordance with the latest revision of "NACE RP0169 Control of External Corrosion on Underground or Submerged Metallic Piping Systems." For impressed-current systems, the rectifier settings should be documented both as found and after an adjustment, if any, is made during the testing (Figure 3). If testing reveals that the CP system is not performing up to spec, the report should provide recommendations for additional work or investigation to bring the system back into compliance. As part of the testing process, readjustments are often needed to continue to meet criteria. Over time, a combination of factors--coating deterioration, anode depletion, carbon consumption, and the like--change the DC circuit's characteristics and require adjustment of the CP system's rectifier output. For impressed-current systems, a monthly rectifier check should be made and the voltage and current readings from the rectifier meter recorded with the log kept in the rectifier cabinet. The plant's maintenance personnel can do this. In the event that the rectifier is not operating or the output varies significantly from the settings established during the annual survey, the CP consultant should be contacted for additional instructions. Another option that should be considered is installing remote monitoring units for CP rectifiers. They can be installed and tied into the plant's monitoring system and/or remotely accessed by the CP consultant on a regular basis. Copyright (c) 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

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