This is the second of two papers describing the method and application of numerical modeling of the galvanic corrosion problem. The first paper4 derived the partial differential equation and boundary conditions governing this phenomenon. This paper describes the formulation of the finite-element method to solve that boundary-value problem within an electrolyte medium and presents several descriptive examples of the application of this method to real situations.
The method of galvanic modeling and analysis was demonstrated by the several examples. One problem simulated one of simple geometry and idealized linear electrode kinetics previously solved exactly in the literature. Two problems with measured results for correlation were solved, one of a laboratory-scale experiment with two dissimilar metals submerged in the electrolyte, and a second of a macro-scopic field problem of a shipboard seawater tank with the electrolyte enclosed by wetted metals. All three demonstration problems predicted electrochemical potential distributions in very good agreement with the exact solution or measured results.
It was concluded that the electrochemical modeling method developed in this research embodies both mixed potential theory and full electrodic behavior of metal/electrolyte systems with demonstrated accuracy.
