Cathodic protection has been widely used for protecting structures from corrosion. The design of Cathodic Protection systems normally relies on a combination of experience, experiemental data and heuristics. However, problems and failures of Cathodic Protection systems not only has an economic cost, it can also present a threat to life and the environment.
Recent advances in computer modeling have enabled the performance of cathodic protection systems in protecting metallic surfaces to be predicted by simulating the environment and the electrochemical processes on the metallic surfaces. These advances have been applied on offshore and marine installations such as offshore platforms and ships.
Predicting
the Cathodic Protection systems in the marine
environment is a major application area of computer
modelling. The
design of a cathodic protection system is of great
interest to defence organisations not only to
ensure the integrity of the vessel, but because
it contributes to the electric and magnetic signature
of the vessel. Both sacrificial and
impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems
on oil and gas structures, ships and boats can
be modelled. The BEASY software enables the designer
to quickly develop a full 3D virtual prototype
of the vessel and its Cathodic Protection systems.
Using this computer model
the designer can assess the performance of both
sacrificial and 'active' ICCP systems
-
Optimise the design by
varying parameters such as anode location,
reference electrode location and number of
anodes
-
Investigate interference
effects caused by nearby Cathodic Protection systems, electrical
sources,
docks, pipelines or other metallic structures
-
Determine protection
potential, corrosion rates and the life
of the Cathodic Protection system
-
Evaluate the effect
of different operating environments and
how they impact the effectiveness of the
Cathodic Protection system
-
Evaluate the performance
of the Cathodic Protection system under potential damage scenarios
-
Predict the ICCP Control
system behaviour using the ICCPSim software
which
simulates its transient dynamic response under
working condition
-
Model any geometry including
ships, boats, pipelines and storage tanks using
the
comprehensive element library.
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