Cathodic protection system and method
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorJacob Chamoun
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system comprises a cathodic protection system having an anode and configured to protect a protected structure from corrosion. The system comprises a monitoring circuit operatively coupled to the cathodic protection system. The monitoring circuit comprises an electrical-to-optical transducer. The electrical-to-optical transducer is configured to generate a light signal in response to electrical current flowing between the protected structure and the anode of the cathodic protection system, the protected structure and a reference electrode, or the reference electrode and the anode.
Claims25
A system, comprising:
- a cathodic protection system comprising an anode and configured to protect a protected structure from corrosion;
- a monitoring circuit operatively coupled to the cathodic protection system, the monitoring circuit comprising an electrical-to-optical transducer;
- and
- the electrical-to-optical transducer configured to generate a light signal in response to electrical current flowing between the protected structure and the anode of the cathodic protection system, or in response to electrical current flowing between the protected structure and a reference electrode, or in response to electrical current flowing between the reference electrode and the anode;
- wherein the monitoring circuit further comprises a coupling circuit comprising a voltage converter, the voltage converter configured to:
- step up a voltage generated responsive to the electrical current;
- and
- drive the electrical-to-optical transducer with the stepped up voltage.
A method, comprising:
- protecting a protected structure from corrosion using a cathodic protection system comprising an anode;
- monitoring for corrosion at the protected structure using a monitoring circuit comprising an electrical-to-optical transducer;
- generating, by the electrical-to-optical transducer, a light signal in response to electrical current flowing between the protected structure and the anode, or in response to electrical current flowing between the protected structure and a reference electrode, or in response to electrical current flowing between the reference electrode and the anode;
- stepping up a voltage generated responsive to the electrical current using a voltage converter;
- driving the electrical-to-optical transducer with the stepped up voltage;
- and
- communicating the light signal to a remote data acquisition system via a fiber-optic link.
A system, comprising:
- a cathodic protection system comprising an anode and configured to protect a protected structure from corrosion;
- a monitoring circuit operatively coupled to the cathodic protection system, the monitoring circuit comprising an electrical-to-optical transducer;
- and
- the electrical-to-optical transducer configured to generate a light signal in response to electrical current flowing between the protected structure and the anode of the cathodic protection system, or in response to electrical current flowing between the protected structure and a reference electrode, or in response to electrical current flowing between the reference electrode and the anode;
- wherein the electrical-to-optical transducer includes or is coupled to an encoder, the encoder configured to encode the light signal according to a predefined encoding scheme.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.