Marine galvanic control circuit

Claim 2

Apparatus for suppressing Galvanic deterioration of the hull of a vessel including metallic material wherein the latter is immersed in water acting as an electrolyte, adjacent a dock including metal dissimilar to the metal in said hull and receiving power from a power source grounded at the dock and connected via electrical conductor means to the vessel and grounded at the metallic hull material thereon, said apparatus including solid state Means interposed between said electrical conductor means and ground and having a predetermined intrinsic junction voltage drop sufficient to prevent current flow through said conductor means due to the voltaic cell effect.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said metallic material of said hull includes aluminum and wherein said metallic material of said dock includes iron.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said solid state means includes a silicon diode.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein two pair of oppositely poled silicon diodes are inserted in the grounded conductor means between said conductor and the ship''s ground.

Claim 6

Apparatus for blocking current flow in a voltaic cell arrangement including a dock including metallic material, a ship having a hull including metal dissimilar from the metallic material of said dock, both said dock and said ship being immersed in water including minerals, and a power source grounded electrically at the dock and ship for supplying electrical power to the latter when the ship is moored at the dock, said apparatus including: semiconductor means connected between the grounded hull of the ship and dock and having a predetermined intrinsic junction voltage drop sufficient to prevent current flow due to the voltaic cell effect.

Claim 7

Apparatus for blocking current flow in a voltaic cell arrangement including a dock including metallic material, a ship having a hull including metal dissimilar from the metallic material of said dock, both said dock and said ship being immersed in water including minerals, and a power source grounded electrically at the dock and ship for supplying electrical power to the latter when the ship is moored at the dock, said apparatus including: semiconductor means connected between the grounded hull of the ship and dock and having a predetermined intrinsic junction voltage drop sufficient to prevent current flow due to the voltaic cell effect.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said semiconductor means includes a plurality of diodes connected electrically in series relation, wherein said ship''s hull acts as the negative electrode in said voltaic cell arrangement and wherein said diodes are poled to block current flow to prevent plating out of said ship''s hull material onto said dock.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said diodes are silicon diodes.

Claim 10

Apparatus for suppressing Galvanic deterioration of a structure including metallic material wherein the latter is immersed in water acting as an electrolyte in close proximity to and receiving power from a power source grounded at a location having conductive material dissimilar to the metal in said structure and connected via electrical conductor means to the structure and grounded at the metallic material thereon, said apparatus including solid state means interposed between said electrical conductor means and ground and having a predetermined intrinsic junction voltage drop sufficient to prevent current flow through the conductor means due to the voltaic cell effect.

Claim 11

Apparatus for suppressing Galvanic deterioration of a structure including metallic material wherein the latter is immersed in water acting as an electrolyte in close proximity to and receiving power from a power source grounded at a location having conductive material dissimilar to the metal in said structure and connected via electrical conductor means to the structure and grounded at the metallic material thereon, said apparatus including solid state means interposed between said electrical conductor means and ground and having a predetermined intrinsic junction voltage drop sufficient to prevent current flow through the conductor means due to the voltaic cell effect.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said solid state means include first and second pairs of oppositely poled diodes.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said diodes are the silicon type.