ADJUSTMENT METHOD OF PARAMETERS OF CATHODIC PROTECTION OF COMPLEX BRANCHED UNDERGROUND PIPELINES Russian patent published in 2015 - IPC C23F13/04 

FIELD: electricity.

SUBSTANCE: method involves determination of an influence coefficient of each cathodic protection station (CPS) on the potential at test points of pipelines by the following formula: A_ji = ΔU_ji/I_j, where ΔU_ji - imposed potential, V, at current strength I_j, A, at j^th station, which is measured at i^th test point; calculation of optimum values of current strength of each station at the value of potential at the test points, which is closed to a criterion value, and setting of optimum values of current strength at CPS output. The most loaded CPS is defined as per maximum strength of cathodic current at the station output; maximum and minimum annual values of current strength at the output of the most loaded CPS till adjustment of cathodic protection parameters and current value of current strength measured at the moment of adjustment are determined by means of periodic measurements during the year, and the criterion value of potential is determined by the following formula: $$U_{crit}=U_{\min }+(U_{\max }-U_{\min })\frac{I_{current}-I_{\min }}{I_{\max }-I_{\min }},$$ where U_max and U_min - maximum and minimum protective potentials as to modulus, V; I_current, I_max, I_min - current, maximum and minimum annual values of current strength at the output of the most loaded station, A.

EFFECT: improving efficiency of cathodic protection of underground pipelines under conditions of change of electrical properties of soil.

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