Risk assessment and corrosion level due to inductions on pipelines close to AC power lines

Abstract

A better use of space is achieved when different networks and systems, such as AC transmission lines, transportation systems, and pipelines share the same right-of-way. However, the electromagnetic coupling between the systems may cause the appearance of dangerous conditions for people due to exposure to high touch voltages, as well as for pipelines, caused by the activation of the AC corrosion phenomenon. These dangerous conditions require that during design the possible risks are assessed, and the corresponding mitigation actions are determined. This paper presents a simplified methodology for risk assessment using a practical approach and analytical expressions that can be easily implemented from information known while designing. Likewise, results are included for a case study that allow validating the proposed methodology and demonstrating the importance of this type of analysis.

Keywords

• risk assessment
• induction in pipelines
• personnel safety
• corrosion hazard