Modeling of the process of corrosion cracking of underground pipelines

The article presents the results of the development of a methodology for predicting the process of corrosion cracking of underground pipelines using the COMSOL Multiphysics 5.6: Corrosion Module software product. Using the developed technique, it was found that at small values of longitudinal deformation (1.75 and 2.75 mm), a uniform distribution of stresses, corrosion potential, density of anode and cathode current is observed along the entire length of the crack. With an increase in the degree of deformation of the order of 3.75 and 4 mm, the distribution of stresses, corrosion potential, density of the anode and cathode current is more uneven: the maximum values of these values are reached at the top of the corrosion crack, and their more uniform distribution is characteristic along its edges. It is shown that the effect of local elastic deformation on the corrosion crack does not contribute to the strengthening of the mechanical-electrochemical interaction, which contributes to an increase in corrosion activity.