Physical scale modelling (PSM) is an experimental technology that has been used to evaluate and
design shipboard impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems. PSM is also a preferred tool
used for validating numerical modelling results owing to the well-controlled conditions in PSM
experiments. However, one issue in using PSM for the validation of numerical modelling results is the
lack of information on the actual polarization behavior of the cathodes on a model hull during PSM
experiments. Consequently, the polarization curve data used as boundary conditions in numerical
modeling trials is usually different from the polarization behavior of the cathodes in PSM experiments.
This difference can result in a discrepancy between the numerical modelling and the PSM results that is
difficult to separate from other numerical errors.