Automated cathodic protection monitor and control system
AssigneeCC Technologies Systems, Inc.
InventorsMark Yunovich, Neil G. Thompson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automated, remote control/monitoring system for a cathodic protection system for a buried metallic object based on monitoring multiple coupon test stations, buried next to the metal object, by a central processor, which can individually control multiple cathodic protection rectifiers. Preferably, the reference for potential measurements is a buried coupon having a metallurgy substantially the same as the metallurgy of the buried object.
Claims30
An automated data collection system for a cathodic protection system for inhibiting corrosion of a metal object buried in soil, the object being associated with a multiplicity of cathodic protection circuits electrically connected to and at spaced intervals along the object, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a multiplicity of test stations at spaced intervals along the object, each test station including
- (i) at least one buried reference electrode;
- (ii) a polarized coupon switchable into electrical connection with the object and having a metallurgical composition similar to the object;
- and
- (iii) an electrical parameter detection circuit in electrical connection to at least the polarized coupon;
- (b) a coupon monitoring, data storage and data communication circuit connected to the detection circuit for storing and transmitting detected values of the parameter;
- (c) a data communication telemetering system connected to the coupon monitoring, data storage and data communication circuit for transmitting data representing electrical parameter values detected by the detection circuit to a central location;
- and
- (d) a remotely located central control-processing unit connected to the data communication telemetering system for acquiring and storing data from each test station representing the values detected at each test station for subsequent data processing and display.
An improved coupon test station for measuring the adequacy of cathodic protection for mitigating the corrosion of a metal object buried in soil, the test station having a first coupon of substantially the same metal as the buried object to form an electrode for contact in the soil and for connection to the buried metal object and a second coupon of substantially the same metal as the buried object to form an electrode for contact in the soil, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a voltage detector circuit connected to both coupons for measuring the potential between the coupons.
A method for monitoring a multiplicity of cathodic protection circuits electrically connected to a buried metal object and including a multiplicity of buried anodes at spaced locations along, and spaced from, the object, the method comprising:
- (a) burying a polarized coupon having a metallurgy similar to the metal object at each of a multiplicity of test stations spaced along the object, the polarized coupon being normally connected to the buried object;
- (b) at each test station detecting an electrical parameter associated with the polarized coupon at the location;
- (c) telemetrically communicating data representing the detected parameter from each test station to a remotely located central control-processing unit computer;
- and
- (d) storing at the central computer the communicated data from each test station representing the values detected at each test station, in accordance with stored instructions, for subsequent data processing and display.
A method for detecting a potential which substantially represents the polarized potential of a metal object buried in soil and connected to a cathodic protection system, the method comprising:
- (a) burying in the soil a first coupon of substantially the same metal as the buried object to form an electrode for contact in the soil and for connection to the buried metal object;
- (b) burying a second coupon of substantially the same metal as the buried object to form an electrode for contact in the soil;
- (c) electrically connecting the first coupon to the buried metal object and permitting it to become polarized;
- (d) disconnecting the first coupon from the buried metal object;
- and
- (e) measuring the potential between said coupons.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.