Cathodic protection

a technique used to control the corrosion of a metal surface by

making it the cathode of an electrochemical cell. A simple method
of protectionconnects the metal to be protected to a more easily
corroded "sacrificial metal" to act as the anode. sacrificial metal
then corrodes instead of the protected metal. For structures such
as long pipelines, where passive galvanic cathodic protection is
not adequate, an external DC electrical power source is used to
provide sufficient current. There is also an impressed current cell
using Platinum anode and the advantage of Platinium as an anode
is that it doesnot give up electrons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYd9ENn1nP0

Applications:
1)pipelines
Distributed control system (DCS) is available in most of the compressor
stations of cross-country pipeline systems. Programmable logic controller
(PLC) is used in all the intermediate pigging (IP) stations/sectional valve (SV)
stations to collect the field data and to control the remote actuated valves. This
paper presents how DCS or PLC can be used for cathodic protection of gas
pipelines. Virtual instrumentation (VI) software is used here for simulation and
real-time implementation purpose. Analog input channels available in
DCS/PLC can be used to measure pipe to soil potential (PSP) with the help of
half-cell and voltage transducer. Logic blocks available in DCS can be used as
low selector switch to select the lowest PSP. Proportional-integral (PI)
controller available in DCS/PLC can be used for taking the controlling
action. PI controller output varies the firing angle of AC phase controller.
Phase controller output is rectified, filtered, and fed to the pipeline as cathodic
protection current. Proposed scheme utilizes existing infrastructure to control
pipeline corrosion.

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/cje/2014/681908
2)ships
Impressed Current Cathodic Protection(ICCP system)
An ICCP system uses positive current to prevent corrosion. A large
amount of positive current is passed in the water surrounding the
ship which prevents any kind of reactions from taking place. This is
done by using a rectifier which is connected to the surface steel
with the negative terminal and the positive terminal is connected to
the anodes that are fixed inside the ship's surface. The anodes are
made of inert or non reactive substances which cannot dissolve in
the water. The anodes are generally formed of oxides. This is
because oxides cannot oxidate further. Now the anodic reaction
wont have any metal to consume, the formation of oxygen bubbles
would take place but those oxygen bubbles are not harmful to the
surface. The impressed current is in the Range of 10A - 600 A.
The impressed current depends on many factors such as size,
speed etc The voltage can reach as high as 20-30V.
Though the installation charges are high, it is a long lasting and
reliable system. The maintenance required is too less and the
system can be controlled easily. Also the self monitoring system
enables less human interference and thus make it more user
friendly. It controls the current rate with the change in the
temperature and salinity of water.
An error in the ICCP system can cause severe damage to the part
of the ship below the water line, damaging both the surface and
the paint. It is generally used for ships which are long and have
high speed.

http://www.brighthubengineering.com/naval-architecture/29485-
cathodic-protection-system-ship-corossion-part-two/