AC Mitigation and Cathodic Protection: How Decouplers Make a Difference

Wherever high voltage AC (HVAC) power lines or AC railway lines are in proximity with steel pipelines, there are risks and challenges associated with AC interference on the pipeline (1). However, remediation efforts are often neglected for the sake of short-term cost savings. In the long run, ignoring AC interference can result in devastating results associated with accelerated pipeline corrosion or rupture and/or personnel safety hazards. At a minimum, pipeline operators need to understand the degree of AC interference on their pipelines in terms of AC voltage potentials and AC current density and have mitigation and monitoring plans in place where these measures exceed industry criteria.

For decades, as pipeline operators have been made more aware of the potential hazards of AC interference, AC mitigation systems have become increasingly common worldwide. As critical components of AC mitigation systems, Dairyland DC decouplers allow cathodic protection (CP) systems to work effectively in concert with AC mitigation systems by isolating CP systems from earthing systems while maintaining a low impedance path to earth for AC and lightning.

This article was originally published for AMPP Italy, 2024.