Research and Application of Cathodic Protection Technology for Underground Pipelines: A Case Study of the IPP Sumsel-5 Water Intake Project
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57185/c8jv2506Keywords:
Cathodic protection, underground pipeline, corrosion control, constant potential system, water intake engineeringAbstract
Underground pipelines are exposed to continuous electrochemical corrosion during long-term service, which may result in reduced wall thickness, perforation, and leakage, posing serious risks to operational safety. This study examines the application of cathodic protection (CP) technology as an effective and economically viable corrosion prevention strategy, focusing on the underground water intake pipelines of the Sumsel-5 Independent Power Producer (IPP) project. The objective of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of a constant-potential CP system in controlling corrosion and maintaining pipeline integrity under real operational conditions. The study employed a case study approach, beginning with on-site assessments of environmental characteristics, corrosion patterns, and baseline electrochemical potential. Subsequent stages included CP system design, installation, and monitoring, with technical parameters tailored to site-specific requirements. Field measurements were conducted to evaluate performance, and maintenance procedures were documented to ensure long-term system stability. The results reveal that the implementation of the constant-potential CP system successfully maintained pipeline surface potential below –0.85 V relative to a saturated calomel electrode, meeting international protection standards. The system demonstrated consistent performance with significant reduction in corrosion risk and enhanced operational reliability. This study provides an applicable technical reference for similar water intake and underground transmission pipeline projects, highlighting the importance of integrated system design, monitoring, and maintenance in achieving sustainable corrosion protection.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Wang Zhiliang
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International. that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
