Method for regulating anode-cathode spacing in an electrolytic cell to prevent current overloads and underloads

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR CONTINUOUSLY PROTECTING ELECTRODES AGAINST CURRENT OVERLOADS OR UNDERLOADS IN AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL CONTAINING AN ELECTROLYTE DECOMPOSABLE BY ELECTRIC CURRENT, SAID ELECTROLYTE BEING IN CONTACT WITH SAID ELECTRODES, SAID ELECTRODES BEING COMPRISED OF AT LEAST ONE ADJUSTABLE ANODE SET AND A LIQUID CATHODE IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP, APPLYING A CURRENT TO EACH SAID ANODE SET THROUGH AT LEAST ONE CONDUCTOR, DETECTING A SIGNAL CORRESPONDING TO SAID CURRENT IN SAID CONDUCTOR, COMPENSATING SAID SIGNAL FOR TEMPERATURE VARIATION IN SAID CONDUCTOR TO PRODUCE A TEMPERATURE-COMPENSATED SIGNAL, AMPLIFYING SAID TEMPERATURE-COMPENSATED SIGNAL TO PRODUCE AN AMPLIFIED SIGNAL, GENERATING AN AVERAGE SIGNAL REPRESENTING AMPLIFIED SIGNALS FROM EACH SAID ANODE SET IN SAID CELL, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: A, GENERATING A COLLECTIVE SIGNAL PROPORTIONAL TO SAID AVERAGE SIGNAL, B. SELECTING INDIVIDUALLY FOR EACH ANODE SET A FIRST PORTION OF SAID COLLECTIVE SIGNAL AS AN UPPER REFERENCE SIGNAL, C. SELECTING INDIVIDUALLY FOR EACH ANODE SET A SECOND PORTION OF SAID COLLECTIVE SIGNAL AS A LOWER REFERENCE SIGNAL, THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SAID UPPER REFERENCE SIGNAL AND SAID LOWER REFERENCE SIGNAL REPRESENTING THE OPERATING CURRENT RANGE FOR SAID ANODE SET, D. COMPARING SAID AMPLIFIED SIGNAL WITH SAID UPPER REFERENCE SIGNAL AND SAID LOWER REFERENCE SIGNAL, AND E. ADJUSTING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID ANODE SET AND SAID CATHODE WHEN SAID AMPLIFIED SIGNAL FALLS OUTSIDE SAID OPERATING CURRENT RANGE.