In situ sensor for critical corrosion conditions in a material
AssigneeUniversity of Virginia Patent Foundation
InventorsS. Ray Taylor, Patrick A. Cella
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An in situ sensor for monitoring the degree of corrosion of rebar in a concrete structure relies on a four-point resistance measure of a test wire embedded in the concrete structure. The resistance across the wire is compared with the resistance of a reference wire, which is corrosion resistant. As corrosion advances, the cross-sectional area of the wire decreases, effectively increasing the resistance measured. The sensor may be used to measure corrosion inhibitor performance, and the effect of dilution.
Claims8
An in situ sensor to determine the state of corrosion of rebar in a cement matrix, comprising:
- a test wire having a diameter smaller than the rebar embedded in said matrix;
- four electrically conductive leads attached to said test wire for measuring the resistance along a length of said test wire, wherein a portion of said test wire is electrically contacted to a segment of said rebar at points which are recessed and wherein the recessed region is filled with mortar;
- a reference wire embedded in said matrix to which four electrically conductive leads are attached for measuring the resistance along a length of said reference wire, said leads of said test wire and said reference wire being connected to a source of electrical current and a means for determining resistance in said test wire and said reference wire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.