Effect of Electrode Spacing on the Detection of Coating Defects in Buried Pipelines Using Direct Current Voltage Gradient Method

Buried piping is subject to soil corrosion, which can be prevented by combining coatings and cathodic protection to maximize corrosion control. However, even with both methods, coatings are subject to damage from external factors and various causes. Buried piping may expose the metal and alter the current flow, which in turn causes corrosion. Therefore, this study analyzed the effect of detection electrode spacing on the direct current voltage gradient (DCVG) magnitude formed for coated pipelines buried in the soil. The DCVG was measured using a real-time coating defect detection system. FEM model simulations were carried out, and then the result was compared to the measured DCVG magnitude. When the spacing of the detection electrodes increased, the detected signal and signal location changed. The detection reliability increased as the noise signal is eliminated at the optimum detection electrode spacing. However, the detection reliability decreased at higher selection electrode spacing as the noise signal and detected signals together were eliminated. The location of the detected signal shifted as the spacing of the detection electrodes increased due to the change in the detection reference point and signal magnitude.