Underground ferrous metal pipelines, essential for transporting water, gas, and oil, are highly susceptible to electrochemical corrosion due to interactions with soil, air, and moisture. This degradation impairs the safe and reliable operation of these infrastructure assets, and costs the global economy an estimated US$2.5 trillion annually. Accurately predicting corrosion rates is crucial for maintaining pipeline integrity.
To address this challenge, we developed a sophisticated 3-D numerical model using COMSOL Multi-Physics. This model couples key processes such as moisture movement, oxygen transport, and electrochemical reactions to predict corrosion effectively in underground pipelines. The study involved simulations of various backfill configurations and trench geometries to explore how these factors influence corrosion mitigation.
The findings indicate that specific backfill configurations, when combined with appropriate trench designs, can significantly reduce corrosive interactions at the metal-soil interface. These results highlight the importance of backfill materials in improving pipeline durability and suggest new standards for pipeline construction and maintenance.