Off-shore Oil Platforms / Cathodic Protection
Twin Whisper 200 Twin Whisper 200 and solar controller with protection for offshore
Cathodic Protection of Pipelines
Pipelines run from one end of the country to the other end through thousand of km's carrying petroleum and petroleum gases.
At frequent intervals, a small electrical supply is used to charge the pipeline to a negative (cathode) potential so that
the pipeline does not attract rust. Wherever normal electricity supply is not available, solar power systems
with batteries are used for the cathodic protection. However, solar panels require regular cleaning and they are subject
to theft and vandalism. Regular maintenance and security is not possible at these remote locations. Also during monsoon,
the solar generation becomes virtually NIL on other days.
A solution to both the problems is small wind turbine which can be installed at all the windy locations through
which the pipeline is passing. These wind turbines are installed at 40ft to 60ft ht and thus theft is avoided.
The wind turbines also do not require maintenance more than once in a year. The cost of wind turbines is also less
than solar PV systems. No wonder, small wind power systems can become popular in pipeline cathodic protection.