Direct Current Voltage

Gradient

DCVG

DCVG Surveys

With

a Pipe
Connection

Without

a Pipe
Connection

DCVG Surveys
A

DCVG survey is an electrical

method of locating holidays in a
pipeline coating.

Preparing to Undertake a Survey

Hexcorder

(DCVG)
Half Cell Poles
Cables
Calibrated Half
Cells
Safety Equipment
Alignment
Drawings

Pipe

Locator
Radio
Test leads
GPS Current
Interrupters

Danger
Do

not survey
during a thunder
storm or if thunder
can be heard

DCVG Surveys
To easily

locate coating defects you need

pulsed DC current. This can be provided
by the cathodic protection rectifiers using
GPS Synchronized current interrupters.

If

the pipeline is protected by sacrificial

anodes then a temporary rectifier and
interrupter needs to be installed.
b

Installing A GPS Synchronized

Interrupter

Sufficient current
interrupters need to
be installed such that
all cathodic protection
current is halted at the
point of measurement
during the instant OFF
potential
measurement

Starting the Hexcorder

Turn

the Hexcorder
ON by pressing the
upper right yellow
key, before suiting
up with your
equipment, to allow
the GPS engine time
to acquire the
satellites.

Select Type of Survey

Select

the survey

type

C = Close Interval
D = Data Logger
V = CIPS+DCVG
G = DCVG
S = Side Drain

DCVG Surveys
Readings

are
usually taken 1
metre apart.
Always have both
half cells on the
ground when
recording the
voltage gradient.

Reference Electrode Calibration

If

the potential
difference between
the half cells to be
used during the
survey and a new
half cell is more
than 5 mV then the
half cells need
service before use.

Put on Your Survey Equipment

Hexcorder
Half

Cell extension
poles
Connecting cables
Radio transceiver

Connect the Half Cells

Connect

the half
cells to the
Hexcorder
Left to left
connector, right to
right connector
Tip Spray with DW40 if the vegetation
is wet

Half Cell Extension Pole

Connect

the
cables to the half
cell extension
poles and to the
Hexcorder.

DCVG Without A Pipe

Connection
DCVG
Used

to locate
coating defects
and damage in
pipeline coatings.
Does not indicate
level of Cathodic
Protection

Your Now Ready to Survey

The

pipe locater
should be just
ahead of the
surveyor to locate
the pipe for the
surveyor

Two Surveyors are Quicker than

One
Purchase Cath-

Tech Duel Surveyor

Kit

Quick Menu

Pressing the white

key labeled MENU
allows comments to
be quickly appended
to your data.
You can enter your
own comments Press
5 (Test) from the Main
menu to edit the quick
menu comments.

DCVG No Pipe Connection

The surveyor
monitors the voltage
gradient measured
between two half cells
over and beside the
pipe.
When a voltage
gradient is found the
surveyor prospects
for the location and
size of the holiday

DCVG No Pipe Connection

Surveyor Walks over

pipeline
IR drop creates
voltage gradient in
soil
Voltage gradient leads
to epicenter
Soil contact important
One surveyor

Equipotential Lines at a Defect

Equipotential

lines
are established in
the soil around a
defect.

As

the probe
spacing increases
the voltage
gradient increases.

Defect Epicenter
Where

the probe
placemat crosses
the equipotential
lines a voltage
gradient is
measured.
When the probes
are parallel to the
equipotential lines
a null is observed.

Equipotential Variations

Uniform equipotential
lines are observed
when a small defect is
located on the top or
bottom of the pipe.
Defects on the side
give elliptical
equipotential
gradients

DCVG No Pipe Connection

Advantages

Disadvantages

No trailing wire
Less sensitive to
AC and DC
interference

Laborious

Survey rate

affected by terrain
and coating
condition

DCVG No Pipe Connection

Voltage

gradients
are measured in
the soil around the
pipe line

DCVG No Pipe Connection

The

bar graph
moving from the
left to the right is a
voltage gradient.
Current is flowing
from left to right.
The scale of the
bar graph is 0 - 150
mV.

DCVG No Pipe Connection

The

bar graph
moving from the
right to the left is a
voltage gradient.
Current is flowing
from right to left.
The scale of the
bar graph is 0 - 150
mV.

Bar Graph Scale

The

bar graph has 3 ranges:

+/- 10.0 Millivolts
+/- 50.0 Millivolts
+/- 100.0 Millivolts
Press

and hold 1 for 10 mV, press and

hold 5 for 50 mV, press and hold 0 for 100
mV (confirmation left end of bar graph)

Gradient Display & Storage Modes

Press

and hold Q display = O

Alternating ON then OFF bar Graph

Press

and hold P display = N

Alternating (ON-OFF) then
zero bar graph

The Hexcorder DCVG or Millennium

Measures

anodic
and cathodic
voltage gradients
Indicates current
flow direction
Can record up to
+/- 500 millivolts

Voltage

gradient,
direction, GPS
coordinates and
time can be
recorded in
memory
simultaneously.

DCVG No Pipe Connection

DCVG

has been used worldwide with

success for over 20 years
When used correctly, it is a good
coating defect diagnostic tool
DCVG helps prioritize remedial
actions

DCVG
The

Hexcorder
DCVG and
Millennium models
can measure and
record the voltage
gradient and the
GPS coordinates
of each
measurement

Software
Special

software is not required

with the CATH-TECH
HEXCORDER survey system.

Windows

Hyper Terminal is used to

down load the data.
Microsoft Excel or other spread
sheet program is used to graph the
data

Data Security
At

the end of the day or more frequently

the data should be down loaded to a PC
and backed up on the hard drive and on
diskette.

For

added security editing of the

survey data can not be
accomplished after it is stored in
the HEXCORDER's memory.

Data Format
The

data can be exported in three

formats:
ASCII comma delimited
Hexadecimal
ProActive

Downloading Data To A PC
Connect

the
Hexcorder to your
PC with the
supplied 9 Pin
Serial cable.

The CATH-TECH
Hexcorder Survey System
No

special software

is required to produce
presentation quality
graphs of your data
gathered by the CATHTECH Hexcorder
Professional Survey
Equipment

Thank you from the staff at:

Cathodic Technology Limited
15-1 Marconi Court
Bolton, Ontario
Canada L7E 1E2
Ph. 905 857-1050
Fax 905 857-3499
Email ctl@corrosion-rust.com
Web Site www.dcvg.net