PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-712
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 712
MARCH 2012
55
PS 712
MAR 12
S
oldiers live because of corrosion control and prevention in the utilities they use
every day.
There’s an old saying, “What you can’t see can still hurt you!” This is true of
underground utilities such as gas and water. Their pipes and valves need corrosion
control because their metal parts are subject to corrosion. Corrosion can lead to leaks
and breaks, and in the case of gas lines, explosions.
The Army is applying some new options to Fght utility corrosion.
Cathodic protection (CP) runs an electric current between a ceramic anode and the
utility to be protected. The utility is kept at a negative potential, and the anode is kept
at a positive potential. Newer “deep well” ceramic anode CP systems have recently
been installed at two installations to protect water reservoirs and pipelines, as well as
Fre suppression, steam and natural gas lines.
But monitoring these systems was hard because they are laid underground and
there are a lot of them.
Maintenance workers now use a new wireless
system to check the working condition of the
utility lines. Workers can drive past CP test
stations where remote monitoring units (RMUs)
gather data. The data can be analyzed and used
to keep the utility lines in good condition. Some
Army installations already have 100 such test
stations that can reduce monitoring time from
three months to three days!
What’s that mean for Soldiers? Life on Army installations is safer as better
prevention keeps utility systems working. And better corrosion prevention provides
considerable time savings for maintenance personnel.
o
perating in dirt and mud is murder on the dozer’s sprocket bearings.
That’s because water and dirt get past the
seals and into the bearings, causing abrasion
and corrosion that eat at the bearing’s polished
surfaces. Worn bearings knock the dozer’s track out
of alignment—causing excessive wear and tear on
the vehicle’s undercarriage components.
To head off problems, lube the bearings every
time you Fnish a day’s run in mud or water. Pump
in grease until new lube comes out around the
diagonal bearing cap assembly, which is behind the
drive sprocket.
Pump grease here
High Tech Utility Protection
lube
sprocket
bearings
D7G Tractor…
urk!
this
mud is
killin’
my sprocket
bearings!
The Army’s
doing
its
part. Be
sure
you
do yours!
Corrosion
prevention
saves
time,
component
parts, money
and
lives!
Maintenance personnel can use a laptop PC or a PDA unit to automatically interrogate
and record CP protection levels during a “drive-by” of each monitoring station.
Utilities such
as water
and gas are
underground
and taken for
granted…
unless we
want a drink
of water or
heat in our
buildings!
Buried pipes can develop
rust. But, there are new tools
and monitors to reduce the
effects of corrosion.
712 54-55.indd
1-2
1/31/12
10:35 AM
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