Installation Guidelines For Magnesium Anodes

The largest potential between magnesium anode and a steel protected construction in comparison with zinc and aluminum anodes allows one to use less number of magnesium anodes than zinc or aluminum anodes under equal conditions. What is more, magnesium anodes have no polarization which reduces electrochemical capacity.

The number of magnesium anodes PM 20U / PM 10U / PM 5U per one unit of pipe range dependes on the weight of the anode and the properties of the soil. On average, anode PM 10U protects a part in 1 - 2 km pipeline. Design of a project states the number of magnesium anodes and the places for their installation.

Installation of magnesium anodes

The procedure is as follows:

• a borehole (wellbore) is drilled to mount anodes;
• trenches (wellbores) are prepared for connecting cables;
• metallic columns or boxes for check measurements are installed, vertical equipment to connect the cables from magnesium anodes;
• anodes, contact joints are installed, cables, conductors are laid;
• wellbores are prepared, contact elements are mounted on a construction for electrochemical protection;
• circuit is assembled, insulating works are done, trenches and wellbores are covered with soil.

Anode PM 10U (PM 20U or PM 5U) factory packaged in powder activator are mounted as follows:

• the bags are removed from a product;
• a steel wire with a curved hook at its end hooks a loop of a cotton bag of anode;
• magnesium anodes PM 20U, PM 10U or PM 5U are placed in a borehole (wellbore) with the help of an installation cable;
• the anode is covered with soil in a borehole (wellbore), the soil is compacted, the installation cable is removed;
• then some more soil is added to the borehole and it is compacted very carefully not to damage the anode, cable, contact areas;
• in case of dry soils two-three buckets of water are poured into the borehole when the anode is installed and covered with soil.