APPLICATION OF COMPUTER-AIDED MODELING FOR OPTIMIZATION OF CATHODIC PROTECTION OF SHIPS AND MARINE INSTALLATIONS

摘要

The safe and effective corrosion protection of ships, marine platforms and other offshore structures is a challenging task. Effectiveness and durability of cathodic protection (CP) systems in many respects is determined by the validness of their design. However, the correct definition of the basic parameters of CP systems (the number and layout of anodes and reference electrodes, required power supply, etc.) is very complex problem due to an irregular geometry, heterogeneous electrochemical characteristics of marine metallic structures and other numerous factors that should be taken into account. In this case, approximate analytical methods of design can lead to significant errors resulting in under- or over-protection. Methods of computer simulation of CP systems are aimed to avoid such errors. In Krylov Shipbuilding Research Institute, new methods and software for boundary-element analysis of CP systems are developed. Their theoretical background and technical features are discussed and illustrated by several practical examples.