Chapter 5

Cathodic Protection

Table of Content
Determining the required protective current needed..............................................................1
Selecting the type of protective system to use......................................................................3
Determining the number of anodes needed for various sacrificial materials.........................4
Choosing the type of anode material to use...........................................................................5
Table of figures
Figure 5. 1 a. Impressed Current Cathodic Protection System uses external Source to
provide protective Current Figure 5. 1 .b . Sacrificial anode Cathodic Protection uses
piece of metal more Electronegative than the structure for Protection.................................3
Figure 5. 2 Typical Scrificial anode Consists of a flat slab of the consumable metal into
which fastening straps are cast...............................................................................................5
Figure 5. 3 Bayonet Type Impressed Current anode is located for optimum Current
throw onto the condenser tube sheet......................................................................................7

List of Tables
Table 5. 1Current Densities Used for various Condenser Materials......................................2
Table 5. 2 Current Output that can be Expected from Typical Sacrificial Anodes Material. 4

Desiging Cathodic Protection System For Power Plant Condenser.

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Example(1):Design a cathodic-protection system for an uncoated 10,000-tube steam condenser having

an exposed waterbox/tubesheet surface area of 1000 ft 2 (92.9 m2). 1- Determine the
protective current needed for this condenser if the design current density is 0.2 amp/ ft2
(2.15 amp/m2) and 95 percent effective surface coverage will be maintained. 2- How many
anodes of magnesium, zinc, and aluminum would be needed in seawater to supply 50 amp
for protection? 3- Compare the number of anodes that would be needed in fresh water to
supply 50 amp for protection.

Determining the required protective current needed

Cathodic protection of steam condensers is most often used to reduce galvanic corrosion of
ferrous waterboxes coupled to copper-alloy tubesheets and tubes. Systems are also used to
mitigate attack of both iron-based waterboxes and copper alloy tubesheets in condensers
tubed with titanium or stainless steel. Cathodic protection is achieved by forcing an
electrolytic direct current to flow to the structure to be protected. The name is derived from
the fact that the protected structure is forced to be the cathode in a controlled electrolytic
circuit.
There are two ways this current may be generated: (1) Either an external direct current
power source can be used, as in an impressed-current system, Fig. 8 a, or (2) a piece of a
more eletronegative metal can be electrically coupled to the structure, as in a sacrificial
anode system, Fig. 8 b.The first step in the design of a cathodic-protection system is to
estimate the current requirement. The usual procedure is to calculate the exposed waterbox
and tubesheet area, and then compute the total current needed by assuming a current
density. In practice, current needs are often estimated by applying a test current to the
structure and measuring the change in structure potential.
Table 5 lists actual current densities used by utilities to protect condensers made of several
different combinations of metals. The values given were taken from a survey prepared for
the Electric Power Research Institute Current Cathodic Protection Practice in Steam
Surface Condensers, CS-2961, Project 1689-3, on which this procedure and its source are
based.

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Table 5. 1Current Densities Used for various Condenser Materials.

Figure 5. 1 a. Impressed Current Cathodic Protection System uses external Source to provide
protective Current Figure 5. 1 .b . Sacrificial anode Cathodic Protection uses piece of metal more
Electronegative than the structure for Protection.

With a design current density of 0.2 amp/ ft2 (2.15 amp/m2), the total protective current
need = 0.2 (1000) = 200 amp. With the 95 percent effective surface coverage, 5 percent of
the surface will be exposed through coating faults. Hence, the required protective current

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will be 0.05(200) = 10 amp. Clearly, gross miscalculations are possible if the effectiveness
of the coating is incorrectly estimated. The value of 0.2 amp/ ft2 (2.15 amp/m2) is taken
from the table mentioned above.
Another problem in estimating protective-current requirements occurs when condensers
are tubed with noble alloy tubing such as stainless steel or titanium. In this case, a
significant length of tubing (up to 20 ft 6.1 m) may be involved in the galvanic action,
depending on the water salinity, temperature, and the tube material. This length dictates the
anode/cathode area ratio and, thus, the rate of galvanic corrosion. Protective-current needs
for this type of condenser can be unusually high.

Selecting the type of protective system to use

Protective-current needs generally determine whether an impressed-current or sacrificialanode system should be used. For a surface condenser, the sacrificial-anode system
generally become impractical at current levels over 50 amp.
For a sacrificial-type system, the current output can be estimated by determining the
effective voltage and the resistance between anode and structure. The effective voltage
between anode and structure is defined as the anode-to-structure opencircuit voltage minus
the back-emf associated with polarization at both anode and structure. This voltage
depends primarily on the choice of materials, as shown in Table 6.

Table 5. 2 Current Output that can be Expected from Typical Sacrificial Anodes Material.

Resistance of the metallic path is usually negligible for an uncoated structure and the
electrolytic resistance is dominant. For a coated structure, this resistance may become
significant. The maximum achievable current output can be estimated by considering the
case of an uncoated structure.

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Determining the number of anodes needed for various

sacrificial materials
Table 6 gives a range of current outputs estimated for different sacrificial materials with an
anode of the dimensions shown in Fig. 9. Thus, for any sacrificial material, number of
anodes needed = (required protective-current output, amp)/ (current output for the specific
sacrificial material, amp).
Since the condenser being considered here is cooled by seawater, we will use the values in
the first column in Table 6. For magnesium, number of anodes required = 50/2.3 = 21.739;
say 22 anodes. For zinc, number of anodes required = 50/0.8 =62.5; say 63 anodes. For
aluminum, number of anodes required = 50/0.8 = 62.5; say 63. From a practical
standpoint, 63 sacrificial anodes is an excessive number to install in most condenser
waterboxes.
The respective service of these anodes at 50 amp are about three months for magnesium,
six months for zinc and aluminum. This short service further reduces the practicality of
sacrificial anodes at high protective current levels.
However, in fresh water, the current output is lower and is limited by the higher resistance
of the water. Corresponding service lives are 5 to 10 years for magnesium, and 40 to 60
years for zinc and aluminum. Protective coating further reduces the effective wetted
surface area and lowers the required protective current at the same time as it limits the
current output of the anodes.

Figure 5. 2 Typical Scrificial anode Consists of a flat slab of the consumable metal into which fastening
straps are cast

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Choosing the type of anode material to use

Several different factors affect the choice of anode material in both sacrificial and
impressed-current systems. Choice of a sacrificial-anode material is largely determined by
the current density needed, but the efficiency of the material is also important. In an anode
material that is 50 percent efficient, half the material deteriorates without providing any
useful current. Typical electrochemical efficiencies are: magnesium, 40 50 percent; zinc,
90 percent; aluminum, 80 percent.
Here are brief features of several important anode materials: Magnesium anodes provide
a high driving voltage, but are not as efficient as zinc or aluminum. Zinc anodes are
excellent as sacrificial material; at temperatures above 140 F (60 C), zinc may passivate ,
providing almost no protective current. Aluminum anodes are not widely used to protect
surface condensers because of performance problems. Steel anodes are used in a few
power plants to protect copper-alloy tubesheets, but they are less efficient than traditional
materials. Impressed-current systems, Fig. 8 a, use anodes of platinized alloy, lead alloy, or
iron alloy. Platinized- and lead-alloy anodes are favored in seawater, while ironalloy
anodes are favored in low-salinity water. Platinized- and lead-alloy anodes can be operated
at higher current density than those of iron alloy, so fewer anodes are needed in the
waterbox. Platinized-titanium anodes can be operated at current densities up to 1000
amp/ft2 (10,764 amp/m2) and voltages up to about 8 V in seawater. Such anodes should
have a service life of 10 to 20 years, depending on the current density and the platinum
plating thickness.
Lead-alloy anodes are widely used in seawater applications. These anodes can be operated
at current densities as high as 10 to 20 amp/ ft2 (107.6 to 215.3 amp/ m2) with a life
expectancy of more than 10 years.
Related Calculations. This procedure outlines the essentials of sizing anodes for protecting
steam surface condensers. For more detailed information, refer to the report mentioned in
step 1 of this procedure. Data for this procedure were compiled by John Reason and
reported in Power magazine, using the report mentioned earlier. by John Reason and
reported in Power magazine, using the report mentioned earlier.

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Figure 5. 3 Bayonet Type Impressed Current anode is located for optimum Current throw onto the
condenser tube sheet

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