EXTERNAL CATHODIC PROTECTION SYSTEM

DETAILED ENGINEERING DESIGN

FOR TANK

:.CONTRACT NO
:Prepared by CP Consultant
Mostafa Ibrahim
1.0 SCOPE OF WORK
: The following activities are covered under the scope of work to be performed

• Detailed design of cathodic protection system plus calculations.

2.0 STRUCTURE DETAILS

In accordance with the project specification, impressed current cathodic protection
System is designed to provide corrosion control to the external bottom steel plates for the
New gasoline Tank

OPERATING
TANK DIA
SN TANK ID NO. OF TANK TEMPERATURE SERVICE
(m)
MAX (◦C)
1 20 1 30 Gasoline

3.0 BACKFILL MATERIAL & SOIL RESISTIVITY

The resistivity of the electrolyte is used to calculate anode to electrolyte resistance and
thus has an effect on the number of anodes and transformer rectifier voltage output.
The resistivity is also an indication of the aggressiveness of the environment.

Clean washed sand free of bitumen/ oil and with low chloride and sulphate contents
shall be used as backfill between anode grid and the tank bottom plates.

Clean washed sand backfill material is generally characterized by a very high

resistivity. A value of 200 Ohm-m has been considered for the design purposes.

4.0 GUIDELINES FOR DESIGN OF PERMANENT CP SYSTEM

- The design life of the permanent cathodic protection system will be 20 years.
- The permanent cathodic protection for proposed gasoline tank shall be achieved
By installing 6.35mm wide x 0.635mm thick Ti/Mixed Metal Oxide (MMO) Coated
Titanium Ribbon Anodes arranged in grid pattern.
- The ribbon anodes shall be interconnected using 12. 7mm wide x 0.9mm thick bare
Titanium conductor bars spot welded at all intersections to form a single unit.
- Factory assembled power feed connectors with required length of cable tails shall
Route to the adjacent Anode Junction Box.
- 1no. Anode Junction Box (AJB) (suitable for non-hazardous area) has been
Considered to the tank for terminating the power feed cables from the
Anode grid.
- The AJB shall be in safe area and shall be weatherproof type with an ingress
protection rating of min. IP55.
- A dedicated transformer rectifier unit shall be installed in safe area,
Shall be used for powering up the new Cathodic Protection System.
- Permanent Cu/CuSO4 (long term) reference electrodes shall be installed beneath
each tank in order to allow accurate potential monitoring of the tank bottom.
Number of reference electrodes shall be follows:
- 1 at the center
- 4 equally spaced around the tank and at 1 m from the tank foundation ring-beam edge.
- Additionally, 4 equidistantly located midway between the tank center and edge.

- The reference electrode cables shall exit through the designated conduit and be
terminated directly in the test facilities located adjacent to the tank. In addition a negative
test cable connected to the tank wall shall also be terminated in the test facilities.
 - Number two, each 2" diameter perforated PVC conduits wrapped with geotextile
perforated membrane shall be installed diagonally across the tank diameter below
the base plate (above the CP system anodes) to facilitate potential monitoring
using portable reference electrodes.
DESIGN PARAMETERS

DESCRIPTION PARAMETERS
Tank ID
TANK (External) Diameter (m) 20
Operating Temperature (°C) max 30
CP system Design life 20 "Years”
Protective Coating Bare

Current Density (bare steel) mA/m2 20, Acc. To: SAES-X-600,Table2

Backfill Material Clean washed sand
Backfill Resistivity
200 ohm-m
Depth of Anode Burial (From Base plate) 330mm
Mixed Metal Oxide (MMO) coated
Anode Type Titanium substrate ribbon anode
As per ASTM B 265 GRADE 1
Anode ribbon size 6.35 mm (W) X 0.635 mm (T)

12.7 mm (W) X 0.9 mm (T)

Titanium Conductor Bar Size

Note:-
- It is noted that a PE membrane is provided below the anode grid.

5. PROTECTION CRITERIA

The tank bottom potential shall be of -850 mV minimum (instantaneous off), with
respect to a Cu/CuSo4 reference electrode. alternatively, minimum 100 mV of cathodic
polarization shift, the formation or decay of polarization can be measured to satisfy
this criterion.

6.0 DESIGN CALCULATIONS

The following section indicates the calculations used to develop the cathodic
protection system design. All parameters are in accordance with the National
Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE), project specifications and
internationally accepted formulas.

6.1 Surface Area of the Tank Bottom:-

The following formula is used to determine the surface area of the tank bottom.
SA = πr²
Where:
SA = Surface area of tank bottom (m2).
r = Radius of tank (m).
π = 3.1415
The following table provides the details of calculated surface area for tank:-

Surface area
SN TANK ID SERVICE TANK Dia (m)
(m2)

1 Gasoline tank 20 314.16

6.2 Current Required

The current required is based on the following formula:

IT = SA x i

Where:

IT = Total current required, mA

i = Current density mA/m2
SA = Total surface area m2

The following table describes the calculated current requirements for each tank.
Total
OPRATING current
TANK DIA Surface current
SN TANK ID TEMPERATUE density
(m) area (m 2 ) required
MAX ( o C) (mA/m 2 )
(I T ) (Amps)
1 20 30 314.16 20 6.28

6.3 Anode Length Required

6.3.1 Minimum Anode Length Required Based on Spacing:-
The anodes to be installed 330 mm depth from the tank base plate. The maximum
Permissible spacing of ribbons based on installation can be estimated by the
Following empirical formula.

S = 2d tan 60 o

Where:
S = Maximum anode ribbon spacing (m)
d = Anode ribbon to tank separation (0.330m)
S = 1.143 m

Based on above calculations the maximum permissible spacing between the

Ribbon anodes shall not exceed 1.143m.

For a given piece of ribbon, the anode ribbon length can be calculated using
'Pythagoras' theorem considering the tank radius as the chord and the other
two edges of the right angle triangle is:
Ribbon to tank center spacing and ribbon length.

For each progressive ribbon, the radius shall remain constant whereas ribbon
to tank center spacing is "X".

The calculation is based on a quarter of the tank, since each quadrant is identical.
 r2 = X2 +Y2
Where:
r = tank radius
X = ribbon to tank center spacing
Y = ribbon length
Y2 = r2 - X2
Y = √2 r 2 X 2
This equation will calculate the first anode length X= 0,5 multiplied by "ribbon spacing", for
the second, X = 1.5 multiplied by "ribbon spacing"; the third, X = 2.5 multiplied by "ribbon
spacing", etc.
Since the above is for each tank quadrant, there will be four of each anode length.
Therefore, the following lengths and total quantity of anode ribbons are calculated as
Described in following table:-

X R Y
No Quadrants Total (m)
(Spacing) (Radius) (Length)
1 0.57 10 9.98 4 39.92
2 1.713 10 9.85 4 39.4
3 2.856 10 9.58 4 38.32
4 3.999 10 9.17 4 36.68
5 5.142 10 8.58 4 34.32
6 6.285 10 7.78 4 31.12
7 7.428 10 6.70 4 26.80
8 8.571 10 5.15 4 20.60
9 9.714 10 2.37 4 9.48
Total ribbon Length Required (m) 276.64
5% Spare Anodes 13.83
Total Ribbon Length (m) 290.47

Based on the anode spacing (1.143m) the total quantity of anode ribbon for the gasoline tank
bottom in question is 290.47 meter , 5% extra on the above length are also considered as
contingency.

The total anode length for tank shall be 290.47m say 300m.

First anode ribbon from the tank center line shall be located at 0.57meter on either side
while maintaining subsequent ribbon spacing of 1.143m.

6.4 Conductor Bar Length Required:-

Bare titanium conductor bars shall be spaced at 3.33m spacing. A single length of centrally
located conductor bar shall be laid in perpendicular to the ribbon anodes and across the
tank diameter shall be used to interconnect the perpendicular conductor bars.

The lengths of the other conductor bars based on spacing are calculated in the same way as
the anode ribbon for the tank as described in the following tables:

X R Y
No Quadrants Total (m)
(Spacing) (Radius) (Length)
 1 1.67 10 9.86 4 39.44

2 5 10 8.66 4 34.64

3 8.33 10 5.53 4 22.12

Center conductor bar length equivalent to tank diameter 20

5% Spare conductor bar 5.81
Total conductor Bar Length Required 122.01

A total of 122.01m say 130m of conductor bar shall be required for tank.

6.5 Anode Resistance-To-Earth

Theoretical anode resistance to-earth calculations are provided in this section based on
a soil resistivity value of 20,000 Ohm cm (200 Ohm m).

The following formula is a modified form of an equation derived by H. B. Dwight and is used
to determine the anode resistance-to-earth.

RG = ( 0.159∗ρ/ L ) (ln ( 4∗L /d ) + ln ( L /DB )−2+2∗DB /L)

Where:

RG = Resistance-to-earth of anode grid (Ohms)

ρ = Sand resistivity (200 Ohm-m)
L = Length of anode 300m
d = Equivalent Diameter of anode (0.0044 m)
DB = Depth of burial (0.330m)
The following table describes the calculated values of anode resistance-to-earth for tank.

Calculated
SN TANK ID L (m) DB (m)
R G (ohm)

1 300 0.330 1.84

6.6 Cable Resistance:-

a) Anode Power Feeds Cable (pFC)

Each conductor bar length shall have one power feed connection.
Power feeds factory assembled with 1Cx10 mm2 XLPE/PVC cable tails shall power the
Grid system. The power feed cables shall be connected in parallel inside Anode Junction Box.

The resistance of 16mm2 cable is 0.00115 Ohm/m.

The parallel cable resistance can be calculated using following formula.

R PFC = 1 / ( PFC1 1 + PFC1 2 + …+ PFC1 6 )

The following table describes the calculated parallel resistance values of power feed
Cables for the tank considering average cable length.
 Average PF
No. of power Cable resistance
SN TANK ID cable length R P F C (ohms)
feed (ohms/m))
(m)

1 6 0.00115 50 0.0096
.

b- Positive header cable (PHC):-

PHC IS the cable routed from the TRU to the AJB. The positive header cable shall be
1 x 50 mm2:

Having resistance of 0.000387 Ohm/m.

The following table describes the calculated values of resistance of positive header
Cable for tank considering the distance from anode junction box to transformer
Rectifier unit using following formula.
RPHC = Cable length x 0.000387 (ohms / m).

CABLE Average
R P HC
SN TANK ID Size of P H C RESTANCE P H C cable
(ohms)
(OHM/M) length (m)
1 50MM2 0.000387 100 0.0387

c- NEGATIVE HEADER CABLE (NHC):-

NHC is the cable routed from TRU negative terminal to the tank body. The negative cable
Shall be 1 x 50 mm2 having resistance of 0.000387 Ohm/m.

The following table describes the calculated values of resistance of negative header
Cable for the tank considering the distance from tank to transformer rectifier unit
Using following formula.

R NHC = Cable length x 0.000387 (ohms / m)

Average
CABLE
Size of NHC cable R NH C
SN TANK ID RESTANCE
NHC (OHM/M) length (ohms)
(m)
1 50MM2 0.000387 150 0.058

d) Total Cable Resistance ( R c ):-

The following table describes the calculated values of total cable resistance for each tank.
The total cable resistance is calculated using following formula.

RC = RPFC + RPHC + RNHC

Total cable
R P FC
SN TANK ID R PH C (ohms) R N H C (ohm) Resistance
(ohms)
(Rc) (ohms)
 1 0.0096 0.0387 0.058 0.1063

6.7 TRANSFORMER RECTIFIER OUTPUT RATING:

The DC output rating of the transformer rectifier is determined for the end of life situation
I.e. at greatest current demand from the steel structure (tank bottom).

A) Total Circuit resistance (RT)

The total circuit resistance can be determined as follows:
RT = RG + RC + RT.B
RT.B = Resistance of tank bottom to earth
RT.B Is negligible
Where:
RG = Resistance-to-earth of anode grid (Ohms)
RC = Total cable resistance (Ohm)
The following table describes the calculated values of total circuit resistance

For the tank.

Tank bottom
Total cable Total Circuit
Calculated resistance
SN TANK ID Resistance Resistance (R T )
(R G ) (ohms) (R T. B )
(R C ) (ohms) (ohms)
(ohms)
1 1.84 0.1063 1.946

B) Current Output
The current output determined based on the calculation of rectifier current
(lr) for cathodic protection
Voltage Required
The voltage is determined by using Ohm's law:
V = (I x R + 2V (Back EMF))/0.7
Where:
V = Voltage required
I = Current IRectifier
R = Total circuit resistance (R T)
Based on 6.28 A required current, we select a Rectifier of 100V - 25 A
The following table describes the calculated transformer rectifier voltage
output for the tank:

Total Circuit Min. TR

SN TANK ID IRectifier Resistance Back Emf Voltage
(R T ) (ohms) Req. (V)
1 25 1.946 2.0 72.36

Based on the above calculations the DC output for TR Unit for Tank
Is 100V and 25A