Aging transmission and distribution systems are at increasing risk of damage due to corrosion and metal loss as they near the end of their design life.  At risk from this corrosion are the costs for repair or replacement, power outages, as well as damage to the electrical grid.  Engineering and maintenance individuals within the transmission and distribution industries should consider attending this course for this critical fundamental information on corrosion of transmission and distribution systems.

Using case studies and project experience, this course will discuss the fundamentals of the science behind corrosion, testing equipment, tower and pole corrosion, distribution systems corrosion, underground transmission corrosion, proper material and coatings selection, cathodic protection, stray current and pipeline induction corrosion, and electric communications corrosion.

Learning Outcomes

• Review the science of corrosion
• Review testing equipment needed and how to use it
• Discuss the causes of transmission tower and pole corrosion
• Review distribution systems corrosion
• Identify reasons for underground transmission line corrosion
• Analyze the causes of underground distribution systems corrosion
• Review material selection for corrosion prevention
• Discuss coatings selection for corrosion prevention
• Layout the fundamentals of cathodic protection
• Assess the effects of stray current corrosion
• Analyze the cause and effect of pipeline induction corrosion
• Review the causes of electric communications corrosion

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2023

Understanding the Science of Corrosion

1. Standards
   • NACE, IEEE, EPRI, ANSI, ASTM, IEC, CCITT, Cigre, NEC, NESC, etc.
2. The elements & energy stability
   • Electromotive series
   • Dissimilar metals
   • Chemistry
3. Soils
4. Grounding corrosion

Testing Equipment

1. Different types of testing equipment and devices used to detect corrosion

Transmission Tower and Pole Corrosion

1. Towers and poles
2. Anchor rods
3. Direct embedded poles
4. Hardware
5. Transformers
6. Conductors

Distribution Systems Corrosion

1. Anchor rods
2. Direct embedded poles
3. Hardware
4. Transformers

Underground Transmission Line Corrosion

1. Pipe type cables
2. Solid dielectric cables
3. Towers and supporting structures

Underground Distribution Systems Corrosion

1. Concentric neutral corrosion
2. Solid dielectric insulation treeing failures
3. Pad mounted equipment corrosion
4. Manhole equipment corrosion

Materials Selection for Corrosion Prevention

1. Iron
2. Wood
3. Composites
4. Weathering corten steel
5. Stainless steel

Coatings Selections for Corrosion Prevention

1. Coatings performance
2. Paint, powder coats
3. Galvanization, aluminizing, cladding, ion spray

 Cathodic Protection

1. Galvanic anodes CP
2. Impressed current
   • System designs
   • Rectifier types
3. Anode grounding beds
4. Deep well anodes

Stray Current Corrosion

1. Underground equipment
2. Harbor marinas
3. Pipelines

Pipeline Induction Corrosion

Electric Communications Corrosion

1. Copper cables
2. Fiber optic cables
3. OPGW
4. ADSS

William (Bill) A. Byrd, P.E, C.S.

Mr. Byrd has 42 years of Corrosion Engineering Experience as a NACE Certified Professional Corrosion Specialist and Cathodic Protection Specialist while being a licensed professional engineer in multiple states.  He is a member or past member of numerous technical committees with NACE, IEEE, IEC, and a chairman of IEEE standards subcommittee and a standards reviewer of over 30 standards. He is also a past NACE committee member of: T-2 & T-2A (Corrosion and Nuclear Systems); T-2B (Corrosion in Solar Systems); T-5 & T-5G (Corrosion and the Nuclear Fuel Cycle); T-10 (Underground Corrosion Control); T-10C (Corrosion in Electric Power & Telecommunications); T-10C-8 (Corrosion in Manholes); and T-10D (Protective Coatings i.e., paints and painting procedures). He is a published author and reviewer for several technical magazines and co-holder of a U.S. Patent.