Complete Method to Assess the DC Corrosion Impact on Pipeline Systems during the Planning and Approval Stages of HVDC Systems with Earth Current Return

Abstract

The technology of HVDC systems defines the current return process, which can be through a dedicated metallic conductor or through a conducting medium, such as the earth or sea. Although the magnitude of the earth/sea return current is normally specified in local regulations or project specifications, there is no explicit methodology to estimate the intermittent, time duration of this current, over the life-span of a system. However, dc interference/corrosion impacts related to the development of HVDC links are, to a large extent, associated to the time duration of the earth current. In the absence of any explicit methodology, the potential influence of the earth/sea return current on nearby critical infrastructures is often based on unrealistic or on conservative interference impact studies. The purpose of this paper is to firstly provide a methodology to quantify the expected intermittent duration of the earth return current - in point-to-point bipolar HVDC systems, which arises from their partial-availability or the emergency conditions. Subsequently, the proposed methodology is applied in a realistic dc interference/corrosion study of a critical pipeline system that operates near a HVDC link currently being constructed. In essence, the paper describes a top-down complete approach for HVDC dc interference modelling endeavors in an attempt to avoid conservative and costly mitigation measures concerning third-party critical infrastructures in the nearby vicinity.