Battery-powered cathodic protection system

A cathodic protection system for inhibiting oxidation of a reinforcing member disposed within a concrete bridge pile, comprising:

• a compact, autonomous battery adapted to mount to the pile at a position well above the water line, said battery having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
• a conductor adapted to electrically connect said negative terminal of said battery to the reinforcing member of the bridge pile;
• an anode jacket constructed of a cementitious material and being adapted to surround and make physical contact with the bridge pile at an axial position along the pile adjacent the water line;
• and
• an anode disposed within said anode jacket at a position proximate to the reinforcing member and being electrically connected to said positive terminal of said battery;
• wherein said battery is used to provide power only to the bridge pile to which it mounts.

A cathodic protection system for inhibiting oxidation of reinforcing members disposed within a plurality of concrete bridge piles, comprising:

• a power source comprising at least one compact battery adapted to mount to the bridge at a position well above the water line, each battery having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
• a wiring arrangement adapted to electrically connect said power source to a pre-existing wiring arrangement of the bridge which makes electrical contact with a plurality of the reinforcing members of the bridge piles, said wiring arrangement being electrically connected to an effective negative terminal of said power source so as to be adapted to connect said effective negative terminal of said power source to the plurality of the reinforcing members of the bridge piles;
• a plurality of anode jackets constructed of a cementitious material, each anode jacket being adapted to surround and make physical contact with one of the bridge piles at an axial position along the pile adjacent the water line;
• and
• a plurality of anodes, one anode disposed within each anode jacket and being electrically connected to an effective positive terminal of said power source with said wiring arrangement;
• wherein said power source simultaneously provides power to each of the bridge piles provided with an anode.

A building structure having a plurality of concrete piles, each of the piles having an internal reinforcing member, comprising:

• a compact, autonomous battery mounted to substantially each of the piles at an axial position along the pile well above the water line, each battery having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
• a first conductor electrically connecting said negative terminal of each battery to the reinforcing member disposed within its respective pile;
• an anode jacket constructed of a cementitious material that contiguously surrounds the pile at an axial position along the pile which coincides with the water line;
• an anode disposed within said anode jacket;
• and
• a second conductor electrically connecting said positive terminal of each battery to the anode of its respective pile;
• wherein each battery separately provides power to only to its respective pile.

A method for cathodically protecting a reinforcing member disposed within a concrete structure, comprising the steps of:

• positioning an anode adjacent the reinforcing member to be protected within a cementitious material contiguous with the concrete structure in which the reinforcing member is disposed;
• electrically connecting the anode to a compact, autonomous battery that can be mounted to the concrete structure in an open-air environment;
• and
• electrically connecting the battery only to the reinforcing member of the concrete structure.

A method for cathodically protecting reinforcing members disposed within bridge pilings, comprising the steps of:

• forming a jacket around each of the bridge pilings at an anticipated water line, the jacket being contiguous with the bridge pile to which it is attached;
• disposing an anode within each jacket, each anode substantially surrounding each bridge pile adjacent the water line;
• mounting a compact, autonomous battery to each bridge pile at a point well above the water line;
• electrically connecting each battery to the respective anode disposed about its bridge pile;
• and
• electrically connecting each battery to the respective reinforcing member of its bridge pile;
• wherein each bridge pile is provided with its own autonomous cathodic protection.

A cathodic protection system for inhibiting oxidation of a reinforcing member disposed within a cementitious structure, comprising:

• an autonomous battery adapted to mount to the cementitious structure at an open-air location, said battery having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
• a conductor adapted to electrically connect said negative terminal of said battery to the reinforcing member of the cementitious structure;
• an anode jacket constructed of a cementitious material and being adapted to be placed in physical contact with the cementitious structure;
• and
• an anode disposed within said anode jacket and being adapted to be positioned proximate to a portion of the reinforcing member disposed within the cementitious structure that is to be cathodically protected, said anode being electrically connected to said positive terminal of said battery.