NACE Paper No.

MECCOCT18-12573

Corrosion prevention of new and existing AST by application of linear anode ICCP system

Shailesh Javia
MATCOR Inc., 101 Liberty Lan, Chalfont, PA 18914, USA
sjavia@matcor.com

ABSTRACT

External corrosion of tank bottoms is a significant problem for tank owners. Corrosion professionals
tasked with protecting these structures should consider multiple factors. One thing is clear that proper
installation of an impressed current cathodic protection (CP) system plays an important role in reducing
corrosion and extending the service life of the tank bottoms.

As the structures like tank bottoms are getting older, the number of failures are increasing due to
corrosion. Due to aging of the structures coatings/painting deteriorate and conventional CP systems are
no longer effective. This Presentation will discuss unique Cathodic Protection solutions specially
designed for aged structures like Tank bottoms to prevent the corrosion and increase the life of assets.

Impressed Current Cathodic Protection Linear Anodes are specially designed to be easy to install with
minimal field assembly for aged structures like tank bottom plates. Extend asset life of critical
infrastructure and reduce maintenance, repair and replacement costs.

Key words: Cathodic Protection (CP), Direct Current (DC), Mixed Metal Oxide (MMO), HDD (horizontal
directional drilling), Impressed current cathodic protection ( ICCP).

INTRODUCTION

As Asset Owners implement integrity management programs, the effectiveness of existing cathodic
protection system come’s under great scrutiny. Asset Owners battle aging systems with deteriorating
coating systems that can have a significant negative impact on the effectiveness of the cathodic
protection systems. On aging structures like above ground storage tanks, the mandate to maintain
effective cathodic protection sends owners and operators on a search for corrosion prevention solutions.

Oil & gas industries have a potential risk of catastrophic explosions, fire and release of toxic gases due
to corrosion failures while production, storage & transportation. This may lead to loss of lives and
properties but repairs of such a complex system can be very expensive and troublesome. Therefore,
control of corrosion is a subject of paramount interest in oil / gas production and transportation
industries. In oil/gas production storage facilities primary means of protection against corrosion is
coating supplemented by cathodic protection (CP) system. Cathodic protection has been saving the
oil/gas industry from billions of dollars by preventing leak and failures.

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However, cathodic protection applied to above ground storage tank bottom plate and particularly older
assets have mixed success. This may be due to false evaluation of potential, improper design, inferior
quality materials, insufficient planning and operation related issues. Hence, effective cathodic protection
for above ground storage tank bottom plate is a great challenge for Corrosion Engineers.

CORROSION & CATHODIC PROTECTION

The primary corrosion protection for the external side of tank bottom plate involves passive barrier
methods of protection systems such as Coating. This primary method alone is not sufficient to prevent
corrosion over entire design life.

Soil side corrosion on existing tanks is a major cause of failures, is typically caused by the ingress of
external contaminants and moisture through gaps and spaces around the structure. Filling and emptying
of the stored product cause the structures to flex drawing in more moisture and external contaminants.

Leakage due to corrosion poses significant threat for the safety of the plant equipment and personnel
due to possibility of occurrence of the fire hazards.

New Construction Above Ground Storage Tanks

Overview:

This section addresses the design and installation of cathodic protection systems for new construction
above ground storage tanks (ASTs). Cathodic protection (CP) is typically applied to all above ground
storage tanks built on a foundation to protect the external tank bottoms in contact with the soil/sand
foundation.

In some Countries, cathodic protection is mandated by local regulations for tanks storing hydrocarbons
or hazardous materials; however, even in the absence of such mandates, good engineering practice
would generally dictate cathodic protection.

Galvanic vs. Impressed Current

Historically, various configurations of galvanic anodes, including discreet anodes and ribbon type
anodes, have been used to protect AST bottoms. Experience has shown that these systems do not
provide the uniform current distribution necessary over the entire CP system design life and may result
in premature failure as the galvanic anodes consume. ASTs require significant current, which generally
precludes the use of galvanic anodes. Almost all AST CP systems today are being designed with
impressed current systems to provide the current required over a long period of time.

Secondary Containment Liners.

If polyethylene or other such plastic liners are to be placed underneath the tank, these liners act as a
barrier to the flow of current and the anodes must be placed between the liner and the tank bottom. If
Clay type other conductive type liners are to be used, the anodes do not have to be placed between the
liner and the tank bottom.

Design Life.

Typical design life for new construction ASTs is 25 to 30 years. It is important to note that the actual
operating life of ASTs often exceeds this value and depending on the design of the tank, its location,
and the selection of a containment liner. Replacement of the CP system may be difficult to impossible,
so some consideration should be given to the economic value of extending the design life. The
incremental anode cost to go from 30-year design life to 50-year design life is approximately 25%
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additional anode cost, with no increase in installation costs.

The MMO Grid System

MMO Grid anode, Conductor bars and power feed system involves laying out parallel titanium conductor
bars and then running mixed metal oxide (MMO) ribbon anodes perpendicular to the conductor bars.
The MMO ribbon anodes are field spot welded to the titanium conductor bar to provide both mechanical
and electrical connections. Wherever the titanium conductor bars cross, they too must be field welded
together. Power feeds (pre-assembled cables with a flat plate to connect to the conductor bar) are
secured to the titanium bar in multiple locations and routed to the ring wall penetration.

This system is a labor and QA/QC intensive installation process requiring significant field welding and
on-site testing to assure electrical continuity. The attachment of the power feeds to the titanium grid is
critical to the system reliability. From a design perspective, the spacing of the anodes and conductor
bars must be sufficient to assure even current distribution.

Linear anode concentric ring anode system.

linear anode system for AST tanks can be factory assembled to eliminate the need for any field
fabrication, which greatly simplifies installation and reduces QA/QC issues, eliminating field welds and
power feed connections that are relied upon with the Grid system to assure electrical continuity and
system integrity.

The principal advantage of the linear system is that everything under the tank is factory assembled and
tested prior to installation and the only installation effort is to lay the anode assemblies in accordance
with the design drawings and installation instructions. This provides for an exceptionally simple
installation while assuring the highest system reliability; installation costs are minimal.

There are two primary configurations for linear anodes under tank bottoms as shown in Figure 1. The
parallel linear anode arrangement has multiple parallel anode segments, which are fed from each end
of the anode. The anode connections are field spliced to loop cables, which terminate at two anode
junction boxes.

Figure 1: Linear Anode Configurations

The use of concentric rings offers two key advantages over parallel anode segments. The first
advantage is that this configuration does require junction boxes on both sides of the tank, thus
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eliminating one of the anode junction boxes and reducing the cabling required to run from two anode
junction boxes back to the transformer/rectifier unit. The second key advantage to this configuration is
that it eliminates the need for two field splices for each anode segment. Each ring can be manufactured
with the appropriate length of header cable to run each end directly to the single anode junction box.
These field splices are weak links subject to premature failure over the life of the anode system.

The use of a coke backfill does more than simply assure that there is good intimate contact
between the anode and the soil (although this is quite important.) The carbon greatly reduces the oxygen
generation of the anode system. This is very important in that oxygen is a strong depolarizer. With bare
MMO ribbon anodes operating at high current discharge the dominant reactant is oxygen gas which in
high concentrations acts to counter effect the influence of protective currents. This phenomenon has
resulted in many tank bottom system failures where the current output appears to be sufficient to
properly polarize the tank bottom and yet the testing results show that the desired results are not being
achieved. With the coke backfill present at the anode interface, the dominant reaction is no longer
oxygen but harmless carbon dioxide which does not adversely impact the system performance.

Provisions for Testing

With any CP system for tank bottoms, it is critical that provisions for monitoring of the CP system
performance be installed with the anode system. Once the tank is erected, making accurate potential
measurements at various locations along the tank can only be accomplished if reference electrodes
have been installed below the tank. Typically, copper-copper sulfate (Cu-CuSO4) reference electrodes
are installed at strategic locations underneath the tank. These reference electrodes are often mistakenly
called “permanent” reference electrodes; however, they are not permanent as over time the copper-
copper sulfate solution becomes contaminated and ceases to provide accurate information. Once a
baseline for performance is established over a sufficient operating period, maintaining the appropriate
current output to achieve NACE criteria is all that is required.

Figure 2: Dual Reference Electrode Install with

Copper-Copper Sulfate Shown to The Left and Zinc to the Right.

In some cases, clients may also specify dual reference electrodes such as both zinc and copper-copper
sulfate. While the zinc reference electrodes are not as consistent, they provide a much longer operating
life and can be calibrated against the copper-copper sulfate electrodes.

In addition to the fixed reference electrodes, it is also common to provide a reference electrode
tube/conduit underneath the tank bottom to allow sliding of a calibrated reference electrode through the
monitoring tube to take potential readings. These can also function as leak detection tubes.
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Some of the key benefits of providing Linear anodes with factory connected tail cables are
Fast, easy installation, No field anode assembly required, factory-assembled system is ready to install,
Systems can be used for new and retrofit tanks, Superior current distribution.

AGING ABOVE GROUND STORAGE TANKS

Soil side corrosion, a major cause of tank bottom failures, is typically caused by the ingress of external
contaminants and moisture through gaps and spaces around the annular chime space. Filling and
emptying of the stored product cause the bottom plates to flex drawing in more moisture and external
contaminants. Tank leakage due to corrosion poses significant threat for the safety of the plant equipment
and personnel due to possibility of occurrence of the fire hazards, if the tank content is hazardous
material. The replacement of bottom plate due to corrosion damage is also found to be very costly.

Determining the extent of corrosion on existing systems and information regarding the degree of tank-
bottom corrosion is useful because considerable bottom damage may require extensive repairs or
replacement prior to the installation of cathodic protection.

Field procedures for determining the extent of existing corrosion may include:

(a) Visual inspection (b) Tank bottom plate-thickness measurements (ultrasonic testing, coupon analysis,
etc.) (c) Estimation of general corrosion rates through the use of electrochemical procedures (d)
Determination of soil characteristics including resistivity, pH, chloride ion concentration, sulfide ion
concentration, and moisture content.

Installing cathodic protection on existing tanks can be done in a variety of ways depending on the
application
– Is there a secondary liner?
– What is the tank diameter?
– Is there access around the tank for directional drilling?
– What other structures are in the area?

Installation of anodes Under aging Tank.

There is hardly anything that can be done if the existing tank bottom has CP system underperformance
and there is also insulating material liner present in the tank foundation.

However there are several aging tanks without any secondary liner and CP system retrofit is possible on
such tanks. CP system retrofit options are as under:

• Close distributed anode system.

• Remote Deep anode system.
• Under the tank Linear anodes installed by HDD.
• Close Distributed Anode Groundbed System will be effective for smaller dia tanks. However,
for large dia tanks there will be problem achieving protection at the center of tank bottom
plate.
• The design current density of 20 mA/m2 (1) used to calculate the current requirement and
estimate the anode quantity was found to be satisfactory.
• Remote Deep well anode bed system was found to have varied success in providing
sufficient protection to the tank bottom plates. Major of the protective current is picked up by
Grounding system, underground pipelines/utilities thus resulting in under-protection or partial
protection to the intended structures. Shielding of protective CP current due to reinforced
concrete structures tends to restrict currents from remote deep anode groundbed to protect
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 the Tank bottom.

The Solution – SS Braiding Linear Anode.

Most linear anodes are designed mainly for trenching installations and not specifically designed for high-
stress HDD pulling.

• Specifically designed to be pulled

• Superior strength stainless steel outer jacket protects linear anode
• Easy connection to a HDD pulling device
• Proven Linear Anode technology at the core
• Manufactured as an integrated system.

After drilling hole underneath tank, the linear anode is hooked up to the drill pipe stem and pulled back
underneath the tank – standard SS Braided Linear Anode with more robust outer jacket can be used for
greater durability during installation.

Figure 3: HDD Drilling below existing tank.

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 Figure 4: SS Braiding Linear Anode.

Typical Schematic Drawing for CP System Using Linear Anode for Tank Bottom:

Figure 5: Cathodic Protection for Existing Tank Using SS Braiding Linear Anode

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Typical SS Braiding linear anode arrangement for Existing Tank Bottom CP

Figure 6: Cathodic Protection for Existing Tank Bottom

CASE STUDY.

SS braided linear anode were used to protect the existing tank bottom plate having the diameter of 213
ft.
Tank Dia : 213 foot.
Surface area. : 35,633 sq. Ft.
Protective current density : 2mA/Sq. Ft.
CP Current required : 71.2 Amps.
Designed CP current : 85 Amps.
CP Life : 30 years.
Linear anode lengths : 7 Segments. (Total anode length 1181 ft.)
Anode rating ; 100 mA/ft.
Anode depth : 10 to 15 feet.
Spacing between anodes : 30 feet.
Anode current output capacity: 118 Amps (ay 100 mA/ft)
Double insulated Kynar cabling and venting is used.
Reference electrode monitoring tube installed.

Post testing results after the impressed current linear anode system was installed
indicated that Tank bottom plate were 100% protected in accordance NACE
SP0193 criteria for CP.

CONCLUSIONS

There is only one chance to provide CP system for tank bottom plate.
At any time, whether for a new ICCP system or for a retrofit ICCP system it is advisable to provide
CP currents considering bare surface current density. CP materials going within the tank
foundation have to be of the highest proven quality.
Cathodic Protection Life should be Considered 50 years.
The use of SS Braiding linear anodes for existing tank bottom plates is the preferable option to
revamping the CP system without disturbing the structures to be protected. The impressed
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 current system using SS braided anode provides a much longer anode life, greatly reduced the
installation risk and assures a safer installation process and protect the structure for longer life.

REFERENCES

1. SP0193-2016 formerly RP0193 “External Cathodic Protection of On-Grade Carbon Steel Storage
Tank Bottoms” (21061-SG).

2. NACE STD SP 0285 “Corrosion Control of Underground Storage Tank Systems” by CPNACE STD
SP0193-2001 Ext CP on “On-Grade Carbon Steel Storage Tank Bottoms.”

3. NACE RP0193-2001, “External Cathodic Protection of On-Grade Carbon Steel Storage Tank
Bottoms” (Houston, TX: NACE).

4. NACE Cathodic Protection IV manual, Chapter 4 “Design Factors and Calculations” (Houston, TX:
NACE).

5. MATCOR INC. Linear anode Brochures, Case study materials.

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