Remotely-designed cathodic protection solution restores hull integrity

摘要

ONE EXAMPLE WHERE critical corrosion can occur is on steel or aluminium hull plates and this results in the complete penetration of the hull below the waterline. This can render a vessel unseaworthy meaning it is dry docked for unscheduled and costly maintenance. Cathodic protection (CP) is a proven, cost-effective and efficient corrosion mitigation solution and is central to almost every hull design. With accurate datasets it is possible to predict the most likely future state of a hull's integrity, which assists with effectively planning preventative action if required. However, a number of factors impact on the effectiveness of a CP system, such as structural components, surface area and existing coatings, and as these variables can change over time it is possible for premature corrosion to occur. A recent example of this is when Stork Technical Services (Stork) was approached by a major subsea services provider to investigate the premature depletion of sacrificial anodes located on the hull of one of its survey vessels. A remedial design and installation plan was required within the week the vessel was dry docked for ongoing maintenance: