Application of the Remote Earth Potential in Cathodic Protection Measurements

Abstract

The conventional potential measurements and evaluation methods of cathodic protection diagnostics do not give reliable results in some practically important cases: in systems where the whole amount of cathodic protection current cannot be interrupted for any reason or the equalizing currents affect the protection to a significant level or interference with other cathodic protection systems is encountered. The paper discusses a model and its practical application dealing with these difficult cases. The test measurement evaluation results justify the theoretical model. On the basis of the theory a very simple measurement method is proposed for the determination of the coating defects IR-free potentials.