FIELD TEST EQUIPMENT FOR CATHODIC PROTECTION

The items of field test equipment that the UT uses to make tests when installing, operating, and maintaining cathodic protection systems are the volt-millivoltmeter, multicombination meter, resistivity instrument, buried pipe locator, and the protective coating leak detector. This equipment is discussed in the following paragraphs.

Volt-Millivoltmeter

In corrosion and cathodic protection testing in the field, it is necessary to measure the potential of the structure being investigated as compared to the earth along the structure and to other metallic structures. It is also necessary to measure the potential of rectifiers, batteries, galvanic anodes, and sometime potentials along the earth's surface to determine the distance being protected. The potentials may vary from millivolts to 20 volts or more. Various types of voltmeters are used for this purpose. One of these instruments is the voltmillivoltmeter. It is a recording instrument designed with a chart that makes one revolution in 24 hours. The instrument will record the variations in potential and reveal the electrolytic conditions around a structure.

Multicombination Meter

The multicombination meter is used quite often in cathodic protection work. It is designed as a combination unit and actually consists of more than one instrument. The meter can be used as a high-resistance voltmeter, an ammeter, a

Figure 7-14.-Galvanic cathodic protection. 7-26

milliammeter, a low-resistance voltmeter and millivoltmeter, and a potentiometer voltmeter.

The multicombination meter maybe used to measure galvanic anode current between an anode and structure, galvanic current between structures, and potentials as with other types of voltmeters and millivoltmeters.

Resistivity Instruments

Resistivity measuring instruments are units used to test the corrosive action of a soil. Tests regarding soil corrosivity are necessary when designing cathodic protection systems. Information from these tests is used to locate the most corrosive areas where a pipeline is to be laid and the most corrosive areas of an existing pipeline. It is also used to decide the location for anode beds.

One of the simplest methods for making a resistivity test is to use a single probe resistivity meter. It consists of a probe with two electrodes, an indicating instrument, switches, and the required wiring. To use this instrument, the probe is inserted into the ground and current is applied to it. The indicating instrument gives a reading that indicates the corrosiveness of the soil.

Buried Pipe Locator

In the field of cathodic protection work, it is necessary to locate pipes in order to locate interferences in the cathodic protection system. An electronic pipe locator is used for this purpose. The main components of the locator are the directional transmitter and the directional receiver. Each one of these units is carried by an operator. The operators are usually about 30 feet apart. During actual operation the transmitter sends out signals which travel along the pipeline. The receiver, in turn, picks up these signals in varying intensities, depending on the distance the operators are from the pipe. When both operators are directly over the pipe, a maximum response is obtained in the phones and on the visual meter of the receiver. Most pipe can be located easily and accurately in this manner.

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