Examination of the Potential Effect of Corrosion Current Density of Ship Hulls on the Sacrificial Anode Cathodic Protection

Abstract

In this study, the sacrificial anode cathodic protection system, which is one of the electrical protection methods in the prevention of corrosion in ships, was examined. Within the scope of the study, the potential effects of corrosion current density, which is an important parameter for cathodic protection design, were studied. The study includes cathodic protection calculations for a bulker with a protected hull area of 9406 m2 and a general cargo ship with a protected hull area of 1770 m2. As a result, it was estimated that each 1 mA/m2 change in the electric current density parameter changes the anode usage amount by 64 kg in bulker and 12 kg in general cargo, depending on the reference parameters such as protected hull area, anode type, and design life. It can be stated that the evaluation of the corrosion current density parameter, taking into account the operating conditions of each ship, will be beneficial in terms of optimizing the sacrificial anode consumption.