Chemical Industries Limited ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT 1, The copper /copper sulphate reference electrode should be filled with a saturated solution of copper sulphate. Fill to the brim of the perspex tube, and the piston action of screwing on the cap will force some of the solution through the porous wood plug. 2. Swich on the multi-meter by moving the selector switch to the "Vv" position. Select the "D.C." mode connect the black test lead to the "- COM" terminal, and the red test lead to the "V" terminal. 3. Connect the other end of the black test lead to the terminal on top of the reference electrode, and the other end of the red test lead to the terminal in the Cathodic test point box. 4. Damp the soil above the pipe and press the wooden plug end of the reference electrode firmly into the soil 5. Read the voltage on the "L.C.D." display of the meter. 6. The voltage polarity displayed will be correct - i.e., if a minus sign is displayed with the voltage reading then the pipe is neg ative with respect to the electrode. If no sign is displayed it is positive. P Rees ASST. WORKS ELEC. ENG. Ref: 37-143,Chemical Industries Limited cece ial DEPAR LOL AE NOTES 10 ELECTRIC) SOX CATHOOIC ? APPRENTIC ROTECTION The definition of cathudic protect sof a direct eivetriea! cus gent to siop the corrosion of buries on is they This can be achieved by feeding direct electrical current to an underground Pipe and providing an anode which will corrode instead. Curresion occurs to buried pipes in the following way :~ PIPEWORK STEEL. ————_ IRON IRON WATER 7 = RUST (corrosion? IRON + WATER * SALTS = FAST CORROSION Jo protect the pipe an electrolytic cell mist be built comprising of tne following items :- 1. An electrode which is destroyed (anode) 2. An electrod= which is built up (cathode) 3. An elestrolyte shich will transfer ions (sait water in soils) 4. A conductor between electrodes which will s!!o a current te flow (connecting cables) PIPE, RECTIFIER TONE CRERAs can be seen From Diagram I the potential difference of the pipe mist be negative with respect to the soils zround it. ¥ Ihe Rectifier frensformer gupplics the direct electrical current to protest the pape end there are four such units situated along the Sable pipeline, The negative output termine ls are connected to the pipe and the positiv Cerminats are connected ta anodes buried nearby. Hetal structure under cathodic protection is fully protected if the poten- tial difference (P.0.) measured using a copper sulphate half cell between the pipe and its surrounding soil is at least - 0,85volts. ble connections from the pipe are brought above ground to test points at various intervals along the piye. P.D. measurements between the pipe and soil will decrease as the distance from the Rectifier/Iransformer, points increases. The Sable pipeline has insulated joints at both ends where it rises above ground. This is to avoid having direct connection with factory steelwork. If the cathodic protection fails there is MQ indication at Sable that the Pipe/soil P.D. has fallen and corrosion has started. For this reason requ lar checks aze carzied out at the Rectifier Transformer points, oll meters are checked and readings taken. Some of the possible reasons for the pipe/soil P.D. falling are given below : 1. E.S.C. power failure; 2. Failure of the transformer, rectifier, fuses blown or H.C.B.'s tripped; 3. Cable connection failure to the anode ved; 4. Cable connection failure to the pipe. Semi-anually tests are taken at all pipe testpointsto check the pipe/soil P-D. he equipnent used is a high resistance voltmeter together with @ cop- ber sulphate half cell. ) OIAGRAM II HIGH RESISTANT VOLTMETER oa 5 TEST POST TERMIN, Test jou = GROLND Lev. Owe SOI FoR GOD aTacTSABLE TO _ZISCO_ PIPELINE Sable Chemicals supplies Zisco Steelworks with oxygen gas for use in their blast furnaces. This is sent through a 10 inch diameter pipe 85 200 frot long (254mm x 25 986m) which is buried underground. To provide corrosion protection to this buried pipe a cathodic protection scheme was installed. Four transformer/rectifier units were installed along the pipeline with 220V A.C. single phase inputs and 45 volts 20 amps D.C. maximum outputs. Coarse and fine setting controls are provided to give a D.C. output for cathodic protection of the pipeline. The D.C. negative output is connected to the pipe by means of 19/064 P.V.C. insulated cable (40mm’). The D.C. positive output is connected by an identical cable to the sacrificial anode bed nearby. The four anode ground beds are all identical and consist of 14 high silicon iron anodes Fach one 4 foot long and 2 inches in diameter each weighing 48 Toe. and laid ‘ortzontatly at a depth of 5 foot. The anode groundbeds are situated * 200 foot at right angles to the line of the pipe and have a minimum life expectancy of 12/14 years. To provide cathodic protection for buried steelwork the must be at @ negative potential in relation to the ground. This is measured using a high resistance voltmeter and a copper/copper sulphate reference electrode. The correct protection level is obtained when the pipe- ground readine is not lower than -0.85 volts and not higher than -2,0 volts. Where the pipeline emerges from under the ground in both factories a 6 joins the factory pipework ar lated flange is fitted. This is to completely isolate any factory metalwork from the cathodic protection scheme. It is recommended by the installers that the 4 cathodic transform should due to the high incidence of lightningin Zimbabwe be visually inspected once a month. With meter and control setting readings being teken. Also once every six months a full potential check of the pipe- line shy carried out. Te the potential ct cut 36 test points were installed * 0.5 along the lire the pine. A cable connection js brought up from the pipe UPage two terminal inside the test point box. For the method of taking the Potential readings use the instruction sheet for the high resistance voltmeter and test cell. As well as tests at each test point a Potential check should also be carried out on the pipe each side of the two insulated joints. These readings should be less then -0,85 volts on the cathodic protected side of the flange and less than ~0,2 volts or greater than 0,7 volts on the unprotected side of the flange. P. REES AWEE.