Cathodic protection system for a motor vehicle

Abstract

An improved impressed current cathodic corrosion protection system for a motor vehicle having metallic parts to be protected against corrosion in the presence of condensation, road splash and high humidity conditions includes a direct current power source and means electrically connecting the negative pole of the power source to the metallic parts of the vehicle. An electrically insulating, hydrophilic, corrosion barrier coating is formed on the metallic parts of the vehicle to be protected and an electrode of electrochemically inert material is mounted in closely spaced electrically insulated relation to the metallic parts of the vehicle in a location to be electrolytically coupled to any metallic parts of the vehicle exposed through the coating by an electrolyte which forms on the hydrophilic coating as a result of wetting of the coating by any condensation, road splash or high humidity conditions, the electrode being electrically connected to the positive pole of the power source. The electrically insulating, hydrophilic nature of the corrosion barrier coating and the location of the electrode relative to the coating cooperate to permit large metallic areas of the vehicle to be cathodically protected with a single anode even when only limited condensation or road splash or the like occurs and cooperate to reduce power consumption of the system to the level necessary to protect only those metallic parts of the vehicle exposed through the coating, thereby to adapt the system to the power supply capabilities of motor vehicles.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.