I-Corps: Microbial Corrosion Monitor

该I-Corps项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是通过开发微生物腐蚀监测器来改善腐蚀监测。 在美国有超过260万英里的管道，微生物腐蚀导致管道运营商的大量成本。 目前，操作员被警告产品故障，并使用微生物影响腐蚀（MIC）套件、腐蚀试样和实验室测试的组合开始腐蚀测试。腐蚀测试的结果可能需要数周时间，在此期间微生物群落可能会发生变化，腐蚀缓解策略将不成功。 开发一种能够立即确定微生物生长何时会导致腐蚀的探针，可能会对腐蚀管理产生重大影响。 这样的探测器可能对石油和天然气、水处理、食品生产和环境监测领域的消费者感兴趣。 在腐蚀监测行业中，对探测器和监测器的需求已经很大，以评估非生物腐蚀损害。 下一代腐蚀监测器可以很好地通过结合实时监测微生物生长及其对腐蚀的影响的能力来定义这个I-Corps项目是基于一个创新的探针，该探针能够在腐蚀开始之前预测微生物生长何时会导致微生物影响的腐蚀（MIC）。 这里开发的MIC仪器由一个探头组成，可以监测仅由微生物生长引起的腐蚀类型和严重程度。 这对于我们的探头来说是独一无二的，因为所有其他可用的探头都无法区分非生物和生物腐蚀。 该探头结合使用分裂室/零电阻安培计（ZRA）和电化学阻抗谱技术。通过探针获得的数据进行分析，与一种新的算法，给出实时的腐蚀速率数据的生物腐蚀，确定腐蚀的类型，并从低到严重的生物腐蚀率。 该仪器可用于快速筛选从样品中分离的不同生物体的腐蚀能力。 这将使操作人员能够快速确定哪些类型的生物体引起腐蚀，并允许他们部署适当的杀菌剂。 MIC的即时检测将允许更安全的管道运行，减少停机时间，并降低管道运行的总成本。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is improving corrosion monitoring through development of a microbial corrosion monitor. There are over 2.6 million miles of pipeline in the United States and microbial corrosion leads to substantial costs for the pipeline operators. Currently, operators are alerted to a breakdown of product and begin corrosion testing using a combination of microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) kits, corrosion coupons, and laboratory testing. Results from corrosion testing can take weeks, during which time the microbial community can change and the corrosion mitigation strategy will be unsuccessful. Development of a probe capable of immediately determining when microbial growth will cause corrosion could have a significant impact on corrosion management. Such a probe could be of interest for consumers in oil and gas, water treatment, food production, and environmental monitoring. There is already great demand in the corrosion monitoring industry for probes and monitors to access abiotic corrosion damage. The next generation of corrosion monitors could very well be defined by the ability to incorporate real-time monitoring for microbial growth and its impact on corrosionThis I-Corps project is based on an innovative probe that is able to predict when microbial growth will lead to microbially influenced corrosion (MIC), before the onset of corrosion. The MIC instrument developed here is comprised of a probe that can monitor type and severity of corrosion caused solely by microbial growth. This is unique to our probe, as all other available probes cannot distinguish between abiotic and biotic corrosion. The probe uses a combination of split-chamber/zero-resistance ammetry (ZRA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. The data obtained by the probe is analyzed with a new algorithm that gives real-time corrosion rate data for biotic corrosion, determines the type of corrosion, and rates the biotic corrosion from low to severe. The instrument can be used to quickly screen for the corrosion-causing ability of different organisms that are isolated from a sample. This will allow operators to quickly determine which types of organisms are causing corrosion and allow them to deploy the proper biocide. Immediate detection of MIC will allow for safer pipeline operation, decrease downtime, and decrease the overall cost of pipeline operation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.