An odd twist of corrosion & transmission
February 2nd, 2023
Jury awards Fayette County dairy $4.75M in stray voltage lawsuit
Here’s the part that jumped up and hollered:
I’m familiar with the notion that transmission lines over pipelines can/do corrode the pipeline, so this use of “an anti-corrosion system that sends electricity into the ground to protect the pipeline” seems counter intuitive. So digging just a bit, the term “cathodic protection,” which does ring a bell.
Cool Science: Using Electricity to Fight Corrosion
And that article says:
To fight corrosion, we employ a technique called cathodic protection, which literally uses electrical currents to prevent rust.
With cathodic protection, a flow of electrical current is applied from an external source – a rectifier – through the ground and onto the steel pipe. The protective current changes the environment around the steel, stopping the corrosion reaction.
And “cathodic protection” is not a new concept either.
The intersection of these two concepts is what’s got me stumped. Adding this to the list of things to look into when I’m in a warm and isolated cabin up north!
Landmark Stray Voltage Case!
January 27th, 2011
Yesterday, the Minnesota Supreme Court released a landmark stray voltage opinion, clarifying the breadth of the “filed rate” and “primary jurisdiction” doctrines declaring that they do not limit suits for stray voltage damages against utilities. This has been a six year lawsuit for the Siewerts so far…
Here’s the STrib’s article — hmmmmm… no comments allowed! I wonder why that is?
Supreme Court rules for farmers in stray-voltage case
Last update: January 27, 2011 – 10:03 AM
“We’re very pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision,” said Greg Siewert, who farms with his father, Harlan, in Zumbro Falls. The Siewerts first filed suit against Northern States Power Co., a subsidiary of Xcel, in 2004.
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