ANODE GROUNDING UNIT MAINTENANCE TIMING PREDICTION TOOL Russian patent published in 2021 - IPC C23F13/08 F16L58/00 

FIELD: electrochemistry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to anticorrosive protection of underground pipelines and can be used to predict the timing of the maintenance and repairs of anode grounding electrodes as elements of a cathode protection station (CPS). A CPS requiring an anode ground electrode maintenance timing check is chosen on the pipeline. Measurement of output parameters - current and voltage at the CPS output is conducted. According to remote corrosion monitoring systems or data from periodic measurements, statistics of changes in the output parameters of the CPS and statistics of changes in the values of the protective potential difference "pipe-ground" at the drainage point are collected for a period of one year. Once a year, the operating modes of the CPS are changed, increasing the values of the output current, and the protective potential difference "pipe-ground" is measured at the drainage point of the CPS. According to the data obtained, using calculation formulas, the coefficient of influence of the CPS current on the value of the protective potential difference "pipe-ground" at the drainage point for a period of one year is determined. The value of the decrease in this coefficient over time is calculated. The operating modes of the CPS are changed in such a way that the measured value of the protective potential difference "pipe-ground" at the junction of the protection zones of this station and adjacent stations was equal to -0.9V. In this mode of operation, the CPS measure the value of the protective potential difference "pipe-ground" at the point of drainage. 0.1V is added to this value and the protective potential difference "pipe-ground" at the point of drainage, which must be maintained to ensure the protection of the entire section φ_rear, is found. Knowing the required value of the protective potential difference "pipe-ground" at the drainage point and the magnitude of the decrease in the coefficient of influence of the current strength of the cathodic protection station on the value of the protective potential difference "pipe-ground" at the drainage point in time, it is possible to predict the current strength and voltage at the output of the selected CPS. The term for the withdrawal of the anode ground electrode for repair is defined as the time to reach the limiting parameters of the CPS operation in terms of the current or voltage at the CPS output.

EFFECT: expands the arsenal of remote methods for predicting the timing of the withdrawal of the anode ground electrode for repair while maintaining the required accuracy and reliability.

1 cl, 1 dwg