Patents by Inventor Earnest E. Nelson

Earnest E. Nelson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method and apparatus for monitoring a cathodically protected corrodible hollow member
    Patent number: 4061965
    Abstract: A cathodic protection system for a buried, fluid pipeline that has an electrical lead or coil electrically coupled between the pipeline and a sacrificial anode. As the anode deteriorates by electrochemical reaction with its environment, a current flows through the lead or coil, producing an electromagnetic field that permeates the pipeline. The strength of this magnetic field can be correlated to the condition of the sacrificial anode and/or the condition of a protective coating on the pipeline. An apparatus for detecting the strength of the electromagnetic field travels through the pipeline in a scraper or similar device, senses the magnitude of the field, and generates a signal indicative of the condition of the cathodic protection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1976
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1977
    Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation
    Inventor: Earnest E. Nelson