To Perform a Safe and Reliable Coating Inspection

Proper Grounding of the Holiday Detector is Essential

Sponsored by: SPY – Pipeline Inspection
___________________________________________________________________
By: Ron Brooks
Senior Electrical Engineer, SPY – Pipeline Inspection
March 30, 2023

An essential requirement for a safe and reliable coating inspection is the proper grounding of a
portable holiday detector to the conductive substrate.
This paper will go into the different grounding methods used to ground portable holiday
detectors to a metal substrate and what to be aware of when selecting a method. Not all
grounding methods offer the same results. Some grounding methods may reduce the reliability
of the inspection. Before selecting a method, the most critical issue being moisture content of
the soil, must be considered.
Is the job located in a wet/humid area such as Louisiana where the moisture content of the soil
is high. Is it in a very dry area such as West Texas or Arizona where the moisture content is low.
Or in an area with frozen tundra such as Alaska. Several grounding methods use the soil as an
electrical conductor to create a current flow path back to the holiday detector.

A Holiday Detector’s Basic Need - A Current Flow Path

A portable holiday detector is like a high voltage battery and comes in two types, a DC output
and a Pulsed DC output. Both types have a positive high voltage output or “positive” terminal
and a ground return input or “negative” terminal. To complete the circuit and allow a current
to flow both the “positive” terminal and “negative” terminal must be connected to a load. In
this instance the load is the pipe with a non-conductive coating applied to it.
Connecting the holiday detector to the coated pipe is straight forward. The high voltage output
is electrically connected to the coated surface by means of an inspection electrode, typically a
metal spring or steel/brass brush. The ground return wire is electrically connected to the metal
substrate below the coating. This is provided by connecting the ground return wire of the
detector to an exposed area of bare metal, typically on the cut-back of a pipe. For personal
safety reasons and to prevent a potential shock, the bare metal substrate should always be
electrically connected to Earth (soil). This is provided by driving a grounding rod into the soil
and electrically connecting the rod to the cut-back of the pipe with a wire cable.
Connecting the portable holiday detector in this manner now completes the electrical circuit
creating a current flow path. This method is called “DIRECT GROUNDING”. It offers the best
conditions for a reliable coating inspection. Directly grounding the holiday detector ground
return wire to the metal substrate offers the lowest resistance to current flow. It is the
resistance that will dictate which grounding method to use and which one not to use, for a
specific field location.

DIRECT GROUNDING METHOD

In this figure, the holiday detector’s ground return wire is shown as “A”. It is directly connected
to the cut-back of the pipe.
Grounding rode “B” is shown driven into the Earth (soil). The cut-back of the pipe is electrically
connected to the rod with a wire cable. In this method, the cut-back is shown grounded to
Earth (soil) for personal safety reasons. It is not used as an electrical conductor for a current
flow path back to the holiday detector. There are two alternate grounding methods where the
soil is used as an electrical conductor.
When a coating defect is located all the current flows from the electrode, arcs through the
defect to the conductive substrate and flows back to the detector via the ground return wire. It
is this current flow that the detector uses to “sense” a defect. In turn the detector alerts the
operator with a loud “JEEP”, a defect has been found.
The current flow path through the steel pipe and copper wire back to the holiday detector
“sees” a small resistance, on the order of a few Ohms. Ohms Law determines the current.
 OHMS LAW: Current = VOLTAGE ÷ RESISTANCE
Low Resistance = Optimum Detector Current Flow
Higher Resistance = Lower Detector Current Flow

Grounding Methods using the Soil as an Electrical Conductor

In some instances when the DIRECT GROUNDING METHOD is not possible, one of the following
grounding methods can be used.

• Direct Grounding Method using a Secondary Grounding Rod

• Indirect Grounding Method using a Trailing Ground Wire
In both methods, the Earth (soil) now becomes an indirect way of connecting the metal
substrate to the holiday detector’s ground return wire. The soil creates the current flow path
between metal substrate and ground return wire.
As discussed earlier, the detector’s current sensor circuit is used to “sense” the current flow.
The sensor has a minimum sensitivity threshold. Below this threshold it cannot identify a
coating defect even if one were present. This is the main reason the moisture content of the
soil is so important. A higher moisture content indicates a lower resistance and optimum
current flow back to the detector. Conversely, a lower moisture content means a higher
resistance and lower current flow.

Concerning Soil Moisture Content:

• HIGH moisture content = LOW resistance - Good current flow path
• LOW moisture content = HIGH resistance - Questionable current flow path

DIRECT GROUNDING USING A SECONDARY GROUNDING ROD

In this figure, the holiday detector’s ground return wire is shown as “A”. It is electrically
connected to a grounding rod driven into the Earth (soil).
Grounding rode “B” is also shown driven into the Earth (soil). The cut-back of the pipe is
electrically connected to the rod with a wire cable. In this method, the cut-back is shown
grounded to Earth (soil) for personal safety reasons. Most importantly, the soil now becomes
an electrical conductor creating a current flow path.
This method seems very reasonable when inspecting one or a number of coated pipes that
have been welded together with coating applied over each weld area. If this job is in an area of
the country with humid weather and it has rained in the past week, these conditions should
offer a high moisture content in the soil.

Example:
Assume that both grounding rods are 250 feet apart. Each rod is driven into the soil at least
two feet. The only way to confirm that this field setup will reliably inspect the coating at the
suggested inspection voltage is to perform a “Field Calibration” per NACE (AMPP) SP0490,
Section 3. The Field Calibration will confirm that there is or is not enough moisture in the soil
to create a current flow path from grounding rod “B” back to grounding rod “A”.
If the known defect is not detected, no “JEEP” was heard, drive each grounding rods deeper
into the soil trying to hit the soil moisture zone. Any changes made to one rod must also be
made to the other rod. Both grounding rods must be in the soil moisture zone for the lowest
resistance. Perform a Field Calibration again to evaluate the results.
It may be necessary to increase the inspection voltage by 500V increments to identify what
voltage it will take to detect the known defect with this field setup. Adjusting the inspection
voltage compensates for any voltage loss in the soil between the two grounding rods. Always
perform another Field Calibration to confirm the results.
Only after making these changes can a reliable coating inspection be assured.
INDIRECT GROUNDING USING A TRAILING GROUND WIRE

In this figure, the holiday detector’s ground return wire is shown as “A”. It is NOT connected to
a grounding rod but allowed to drag across the surface of the soil.
Grounding rode “B” is also shown driven into the Earth (soil). The cut-back of the pipe is
electrically connected to the rod with a wire cable. In this method, the cut-back is shown
grounded to Earth (soil) for personal safety reasons and the soil is used as an electrical
conductor to create a current flow path.

Using this method one must consider, to a much greater degree, the following issues as the
inspection progresses:

• What is the moisture content of the soil at grounding rod “B”?

If the grounding rod needs to be moved, what is the moisture content at the new
location?

• When the terrain changes always question, what is the surface moisture content of the
soil at this location?
Any terrain changes such as an uphill slope might suggest a change in moisture content
of the soil. Has the slope lead to a dry rocky clay surface with low moisture content?
This may affect the reliability of the coating inspection.
A Field Calibration should be performed to determine if a known defect can still be
detected.

• How well does the ground return wire stay in contact with the surface of the soil?
The ground return wire of the holiday detector should be long to lower its contact
resistance.
 The wire should not be allowed to drag across concrete, asphalt or ice since these
surfaces act as insulators and will only provide a much higher resistance to the current
flow path, reducing the reliability of the inspection. Frozen soil such at frozen tundra
should be avoided since ice is an insulator.

• Perform Field Calibrations often.

This confirms that the holiday detector can still reliably detect a known coating defect
after making any changes.

This method has a lot of variables that can change as the inspection progresses. The judgement
calls that one must make during the inspection process can affect the reliability of the coating
inspection.

A Grounding Method using a Grounding Collar

One last method that can be used if there is no convenient location to attach the ground return
wire of the holiday detector to bare metal of the substrate. It can also be used in extremely dry
areas where the moisture content of the soil is extremely low.

This method is referred to as CAPACITIVE GROUNDING and uses a “Grounding Collar.” Only a
Pulsed DC type holiday detector can be used with this grounding method.

CAPACITIVE GROUNDING USING A GROUNDING COLLAR

This grounding method uses a Grounding Collar “C”. It is typically a large sheet of conductive
rubber. It wraps around the pipe over the coating and is held in place by a clamping
mechanism. It offers a means of attaching both the ground return wire “A” of the holiday
detector and a wire cable that electrically connects to grounding rod “B” driven into the
Earth (soil). This method provides indirect electrical coupling between the inspection electrode
and the ground return wire creating a current flow path, completing the circuit.
It is not shown in this figure, but it is good practice to use a wire cable to electrically connect
the cut-back of the pipe to grounding rod “B” for personal safety reasons.

There are some challenges to using this grounding method:

• Between the inspection electrode, typically a spring, and the metal pipe a capacitor of
small area exists. The coating being the insulator between the two metal surfaces.

• By placing the conductive Grounding Collar over the insulative coating, a capacitor of
large area is created between the conductive rubber and metal pipe.

• These two capacitors are connected in series with the metal pipe acting as the common
electrical connection between them.

• A voltage divider is created which divides the inspection voltage between the two
capacitors. The capacitor with the smaller area, the inspection electrode, will have the
higher voltage on it.

• It may be necessary to increase the Inspection voltage to compensate for this voltage
divider issue. A Field Calibration should be performed to determine if a known defect
can still be detected.

This method can provide a ground while inspecting a portion of a pipeline that has been
unearthed and is still in service. There is no need to connect the ground return wire of the
detector to the bare metal substrate.
Inspection of large area rubber or plastic liners used in landfills or surface water holding
facilities have been successfully inspected with this method. Instead of a collar, a large round
mat of conductive rubber is placed over the insulative liner and the ground return wire of the
holiday detector is attached to it.

Considerations in Selecting an Earth (soil) Ground

• Grounding Rods: If a piece of rebar is used for a grounding rod take a wire brush and
remove as much rust as possible. Rust is an insulator and increases the resistance of the
rod reducing the current flow. Using a rusted rebar may reduce the reliability of the
coating inspection.
 The best rod to use is a ½” diameter copper coated steel rod. The larger the diameter,
the greater the surface area and lower resistance to current flow.

• Ground Rod Depth: When the moisture content of the soil is high drive the rod in at
least two feet. When the moisture content is low the rod must be driven in four to five
feet deep. If in doubt, the deeper the better to hit the soil moisture zone.

• Never use an improvised grounding rod such as a screwdriver or a metal file pouring
water onto the ground around it. The penetration depth of the improvised rod is too
shallow. The water poured onto the ground does not soak in deep enough to contact
the ground water beneath the dry surface soil. There will be no current flow path
created. This will not provide a reliable coating inspection.

• Sideboom Pipelayer: There is no guarantee that connecting the ground return wire of
the holiday detector anywhere on a Sideboom will offer an adequate ground. How well
this will provide an Earth (soil) ground depends on the moisture content of the surface
soil at the job site. In a very dry area, this method of grounding would be a poor choice.
In all the instances above, when in doubt, perform a Field Calibration to confirm if there is a
good ground connection to Earth (soil) and will the holiday detector still detect a known defect.

Conclusion
To perform a safe and reliable coating inspection the holiday detector must be electrically
connected to the metal substrate, directly or indirectly. A current flow path with a low
resistance must also be created between the substrate and the detector.
Four grounding methods were discussed in detail. Each method has its own unique issues that
must be identified before one is selected over another. Moisture content of the soil is a
primary consideration when using either of the two methods that use the soil to create a
current flow path. A fourth method using a Grounding Collar offers a way to inspect a coating
without attaching a holiday detector ground return wire directly to the metal substrate.
Selecting a means of grounding the detector or metal substrate to Earth (soil) were discussed in
detail; selecting a grounding rod, rod depth and what to stay away from when selecting a
grounding rod.
All of these aspects taken together are considered an “Inspection System”. How well the
Inspection System operates to reliably inspect a coating can only be determined by performing
a Field Calibration, detecting a known defect.
Remember, Field Calibration is your friend!