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US 5,176,807 AGranted
Expandable coil cathodic protection anode
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorAshok Kumar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cathodic protection system for a tank has an anode which comprises a long extendible coil of wire of a valve metal coated with a suitable electrically conductive ceramic material. The coil provides reduced electrolyte resistance and power consumption. At installation the coil is extended to provide the anode length desired for the particular tank. Each end of the anode can have insulation to provide the desired dielectric standoff. The insulation of the lower end can be in the form of a the weighted element to stabilize the position of the anode.
Claims20
An anode assembly suitable for insertion through an opening in the top of a chamber forming structure to provide impressed current cathodic protection of the interior surface of the chamber, which comprises:
- a holder plug for securing the anode assembly to the structure and closing said opening, said holder plug having a top surface which would be positioned outside of the chamber and a bottom surface which would be positioned inside of said chamber, said holder plug having a channel extending therethrough from said top surface to said bottom surface;
- an electrical connector;
- an anode wire having a substantially straight upper segment, an intermediate segment and a substantially straight lower segment, said upper segment extending through said channel, but spaced from said holder plug, with the upper end of the upper segment being electrically connected to said electrical connector;
- electrically non-conductive material being positioned in said channel to close said channel and to physically support said electrical connector and said anode wire in electrical isolation from said holder plug;
- said upper segment of said anode wire having a continuous coating of electrically insulating material thereon extending at least from said electrically non-conductive material downwardly a substantial distance along the length of said upper segment;
- said intermediate segment of anode wire being in the form of an extendible helical coil;
- a stabilizing element secured to the lower end of said lower segment to prevent electrical contact between said lower segment and the adjacent surface of the chamber, said stabilizing element being formed of electrically non-conductive material and having a weight which is sufficient to maintain said helical coil in an extended position;
- and
- said anode wire comprising an elongated valve metal substrate with a continuous annular coating thereon of an electrically conductive ceramic material.
6 more elements
In a water heater comprising:
- a water tank having a shell wall with an inner wall surface;
- a passive anticorrosive layer on said inner wall surface;
- a first conduit extending through said shell wall to permit entry of water into said water tank;
- a second conduit extending through said shell wall to permit the outflow of water from said water tank;
- means associated with said water tank for heating water contained within said water tank;
- and
- a cathodic protection device having an anode positioned with said water tank, the improvement wherein said cathodic protection device comprises:
- a holder plug securing the cathodic protection device to the tank, said holder plug having a top surface which is positioned outside of the tank and a bottom surface which is positioned inside of said tank, said holder plug having a channel extending therethrough from said top surface to said bottom surface;
- an electrical connector;
- an anode wire having a substantially straight upper segment, an intermediate segment and a substantially straight lower segment, said upper segment extending through said channel, but spaced from said holder plug, with the upper end of the upper segment being electrically connected to said electrical connector;
- electrically non-conductive material being positioned in said channel to close said channel and to physically support said electrical connector and said anode wire in electrical isolation from said holder plug;
- said upper segment of said anode wire having a continuous coating of electrically insulating material thereon extending at least from said electrically non-conductive material downwardly a substantial distance along the length of said upper segment;
- said intermediate segment of anode wire being in the form of an extendible helical coil;
- a stabilizing element secured to the lower end of said lower segment to prevent electrical contact between said lower segment and the adjacent surface of the tank, said stabilizing element being formed of electrically non-conductive material and having a weight which is sufficient to maintain said helical coil in an extended position;
- and
- said anode wire comprising an elongated valve metal substrate with a continuous annular coating thereon of an electrically conductive ceramic material.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.