Evaluation of Electrochemical Properties and Life Prediction of Sensor Wire in Leak Detection Systems of Underground Heating Pipelines

In this study, we investigated the electrochemical properties and lifespan of the NiCr (NiCr 8020) sensor wire of a resistance leaking detection (LD) system to detect pipe corrosion and leakage in an actual district heating (DH) system. The temperature and applied stress of the sensor wire during the actual operation of the resistance LD system of the DH system were derived through simulations and calculations. The anodic dissolution of the sensor wire was accelerated with the increased temperature and the applied current. The corrosion type changed from localized corrosion, such as pitting, to uniform corrosion. The applied stress caused ductile fracture of the thinned sensor wire by anodic dissolution. In conclusion, we confirmed that in the resistance LD system of a DH system, where current and stress are applied at high temperatures, the sensor wire becomes thin due to the anodic dissolution and subsequent ductile fracture. In addition, the lifespan of the sensor wire was derived according to the resistance level measured in the resistance LD system of the DH system. Our findings contribute to preventing failure and improving the reliability of the resistance LD systems of DH systems.