This paper discusses case studies of high voltage direct current (HVDC) & high voltage alternating current (HVAC) crossing Pipelines right of way (RoW) showcasing the effects of alternating current (AC) interference with respect to AC corrosion and Safety Hazards while running parallel and crossing at different angles to the same pipeline at multiple locations in a short span of length and restricting the AC current & safe voltage within maximum tolerable limits through deployment of mitigation measures as per industry code of practice, globally.
The paper discusses effects of both powerline fault conditions as well as induced steady state on underground pipelines, AC interference modelling for enhancing effectiveness of Cathodic protection and analysis of AC interference mitigation measures. A comprehensive technical analysis involving collection of baseline information on both the pipeline and powerline and determining powerline fault current effects adjacent to each tower, on the pipe wall, the pipe coating, and the resulting safety hazard for pipeline personnel.
When a pipeline is parallel to a high voltage power line for a significant distance, voltages can be transferred to the pipeline under both normal power line operating conditions and short-circuit conditions on the power line. These voltages can result in electrical shock hazard for maintenance personnel; they can also be detrimental to the integrity of cathodic protection equipment, the pipeline coating, and the pipeline steel, particularly during short-circuit conditions.
The challenge is to identify the extent of AC interference on underground pipelines and mitigate these effects for the protection of pipelines.
There are three modes of AC interference that can cause damage to pipeline systems and present an electrical shock hazard to pipeline personnel, namely; inductive coupling, resistive (conductive) coupling and capacitive (electrostatic) coupling.
INDUCTIVE COUPLING:
Inductive coupling occurs both under steady-state (normal operation) and fault conditions and the magnitude of the induced AC voltage depends on the phase current, phase wire configuration, layout and distance between pipeline and transmission line. The induced voltages reach the maximum values at discontinuities and reduces subsequently along the pipeline.
