Use of composite d. c. power in anodic protection

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR ACHIEVING SUBSTANTIALLY INSTANTANEOUS ANODIC PASSIVATION OF A LARGE METALLIC STRUCTURE HAVING A MAXIMUM CURRENT REQUIREMENT OR PASSIVATION IN EXCESS OF THE OUTPUT OF AN INDIVIDUAL COMMERCIAL POTENTIOSTAT COMPRISING THE FOLLOWING STEPS IN COMBINATION: (A) CONNECTING SAID METALLIC STRUCTURE TO AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE CATHODE, ONE REFERENCE ELECTRODE AND ONE CONTACT CONTROLLER WHEREIN SAID METALLIC STRUCTURE SERVES AS THE ANODE OF SAID CIRCUIT, (B) SUPPLYING A COMPOSITE CURRENT BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND SAID CATHODE, SAID COMPOSITE CURRENT COMPRISING A FIRST PORTION OF CURRENT SUPPLIED FROM A POTENTIOSTATIC DEVICE AND A SECOND PORTION OF CURRENT SUPPLIED FROM A DIRECT CURRENT POWER SOURCE, SAID POTENTIOSTATIC DEVICE AND SAID JPOWER SOURCE BEING CONNECTED IN PARALLEL, SAID COMPOSITE CURRENT BEING OF A MAGNITUDE IN EXCESS OF THAT REQUIRED FOR ACHIEVING SUBSTANTIALLY INSTANTANEOUS PASSIVATION OF SAID METALLIC STRUCTURE CONNECTED AS ANODE, (C) AUTOMATICALLY SENSING WHEN SAID STRUCTURE CONNECTED AS ANODE IS WITHIN THE DESIRED POTENTIAL RANGE FOR ANODIC PROTECTION, (D) AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHING OFF SAID SECOND PORTION OF CURRENT SUPPLIED FROM SAID DIRECT CURRENT POWER SOURCE WHEN THE POTENTIAL OF SAID ANODE WITH RESPECT TO SAID REFERENCE ELECTRODE BECOMES MORE NEGATIVE THAN THE SET POINT OF SAID CONTACT CONTROLLER AND THEREAFTER, (E) MAINTAINING BY MEANS OF SAID JPOTENTIOSTAT, THE POTENTIAL OF SAID STRUCTURE WITHIN THE DESIRED RANGE.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR ACHIEVING SUBSTANTIALLY INSTANTANEOUS ANODIC PASSIVATION OF A LARGE METALLIC STRUCTURE HAVING A MAXIMUM CURRENT REQUIREMENT OR PASSIVATION IN EXCESS OF THE OUTPUT OF AN INDIVIDUAL COMMERCIAL POTENTIOSTAT COMPRISING THE FOLLOWING STEPS IN COMBINATION: (A) CONNECTING SAID METALLIC STRUCTURE TO AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE CATHODE, ONE REFERENCE ELECTRODE AND ONE CONTACT CONTROLLER WHEREIN SAID METALLIC STRUCTURE SERVES AS THE ANODE OF SAID CIRCUIT, (B) SUPPLYING A COMPOSITE CURRENT BETWEEN SAID ANODE AND SAID CATHODE, SAID COMPOSITE CURRENT COMPRISING A FIRST PORTION OF CURRENT SUPPLIED FROM A POTENTIOSTATIC DEVICE AND A SECOND PORTION OF CURRENT SUPPLIED FROM A DIRECT CURRENT POWER SOURCE, SAID POTENTIOSTATIC DEVICE AND SAID JPOWER SOURCE BEING CONNECTED IN PARALLEL, SAID COMPOSITE CURRENT BEING OF A MAGNITUDE IN EXCESS OF THAT REQUIRED FOR ACHIEVING SUBSTANTIALLY INSTANTANEOUS PASSIVATION OF SAID METALLIC STRUCTURE CONNECTED AS ANODE, (C) AUTOMATICALLY SENSING WHEN SAID STRUCTURE CONNECTED AS ANODE IS WITHIN THE DESIRED POTENTIAL RANGE FOR ANODIC PROTECTION, (D) AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHING OFF SAID SECOND PORTION OF CURRENT SUPPLIED FROM SAID DIRECT CURRENT POWER SOURCE WHEN THE POTENTIAL OF SAID ANODE WITH RESPECT TO SAID REFERENCE ELECTRODE BECOMES MORE NEGATIVE THAN THE SET POINT OF SAID CONTACT CONTROLLER AND THEREAFTER, (E) MAINTAINING BY MEANS OF SAID JPOTENTIOSTAT, THE POTENTIAL OF SAID STRUCTURE WITHIN THE DESIRED RANGE.