Enhancing Tank Farm Pipeline Protection using Electrical Monitoring Technique

Abstract

Steel pipelines for hydrocarbon conveyance usually suffer from galvanic or electrolytic corrosion impact. Their life-span is affected because they deteriorate with time. The consequences of corrosion impacts with associated failures affect the environment, economy, public health and safety. This study seeks to examine the improvement of tank farm pipeline protection using electrical method. The electrical method for the protection of the tank farm pipeline using impressed current cathodic protection system is one out of the many strategies available in protecting the pipeline and other metallic structures buried in soil against corrosion effects in the soil. Corrosion of tank farm pipelines in Nigeria presents a critical challenge, leading to frequent failures, environmental hazards, and substantial economic losses. Existing corrosion protection methods, such as sacrificial anode systems have proven inadequate under the harsh environmental conditions in Nigeria. This study explores the use of impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) to improve the protection of the pipelines. The source of current is photovoltaic ICCP, which offers a more effective solution by providing consistent and controllable corrosion resistance thus, increasing the length of time of the pipelines thereby lowering the cost of maintenance. This was achieved by buring into the soil two metallic pipes of about 300cm by 2.54cm with a thickness of 0.01cm at Akwete, Abia State, Nigeria. One pipe was protected while the other was not. The photovoltaic cell negative terminal was tied to the protected pipe while the anode was extended and buried at depths of 25cm, 35cm, 45cm, 55cm, 65cm, 75cm, 85cm, 95cm, and 105cm, respectively. From the results obtained, depths of 25cm and 35cm satisfied the protection requirement but the cathodic protection was very high as observed from the depth of 65cm with a degree of protection of 96.54%.