Reference electrode capable of preventing crystallization

Abstract

The utility model provides a reference electrode capable of preventing crystallization, and relates to the field of cathode protection systems. Comprising a closed organic glass tube, microporous ceramics are mounted at the bottom end of the organic glass tube, a saturated copper sulfate solution and a copper rod are arranged in the organic glass tube, and the copper rod extends out of the organic glass tube; according to the utility model, the problem that the ceramic head is easy to crack due to the problems of copper sulfate crystallization and the like of the old portable reference electrode structure is solved, the structure is more stable and reliable, the buried pipeline corrosion test is convenient, and the cost is low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of cathodic protection system technology, and in particular to a reference electrode for preventing crystallization. Background Technology

[0002] Reference electrodes are measurement tools used in electrochemical applications and research. Copper-saturated copper sulfate reference electrodes are protective technologies required by relevant technical specifications for use in buried or underwater metal structures (such as metal pipelines, storage tanks, cable trays, steel wharves, ship hulls, etc.) to prevent corrosion by applying an impressed current method. They are tools for measuring, adjusting, comparing, and monitoring the electrode potential of the protected object or research object.

[0003] In the implementation of cathodic protection engineering technology, the protected object in the cathodic state must be within a certain electrode potential range to obtain a good protection effect (taking most soil environments in my country as an example, relevant technical specifications require that the cathodic protection potential be less than or equal to -0.85V (relative to Cu / CuSO4 reference electrode). Therefore, the setting and measurement of electrode potential in cathodic protection is extremely important.

[0004] The Cu / CuSO4 reference electrode is a tool required by the technical specifications for electrical protection to provide a reference potential. Therefore, Cu / CuSO4 reference electrodes are widely used in cathodic protection systems for metal structures such as buried pipelines and underground cables.

[0005] Disadvantages of existing technologies: Existing portable copper sulfate reference electrodes are expensive and prone to copper sulfate crystallization, which can easily cause the ceramic head to crack, resulting in a short lifespan for the reference electrode. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the technical problems existing in the prior art, this utility model provides a reference electrode that prevents crystallization. The technical solution is as follows:

[0007] A reference electrode for preventing crystallization includes a closed plexiglass tube, the bottom end of which is fitted with a microporous ceramic. A saturated copper sulfate solution and a copper rod are disposed inside the plexiglass tube, with the copper rod extending outside the plexiglass tube.

[0008] Optionally, the acrylic tube is a tubular structure, with a first embedding groove circumferentially provided on the inner wall of the upper end face of the acrylic tube, and an upper cap inserted into the first embedding groove. The upper cap closes the top end of the acrylic tube, and a through hole is provided in the center of the upper cap. One end of the copper rod is inserted into the acrylic tube through the through hole.

[0009] Optionally, the lower end face of the plexiglass tube is inserted into the second embedding groove of the lower end cap. The lower end cap has a cylindrical structure, and the outer wall of the upper end face of the lower end cap is provided with a second embedding groove around its perimeter. The lower end cap is installed at the bottom end of the plexiglass tube through the second embedding groove.

[0010] Optionally, the bottom end of the lower cap is inserted with the microporous ceramic, which seals the bottom end of the plexiglass tube.

[0011] Optionally, a limiting ring is provided on the inner wall of the lower cap, the limiting ring limiting the microporous ceramic, and the bottom surface of the limiting ring abutting against the top surface of the microporous ceramic.

[0012] Optionally, a protective cover is installed on the outside of the bottom end of the lower cap, and the inner wall of the protective cover abuts against the outer wall of the lower cap.

[0013] Optionally, the apparent porosity of the microporous ceramic is 43.9%, and the pore size of the microporous ceramic is between 5 μm and 7 μm.

[0014] Optionally, the thickness of the microporous ceramic is 10 mm, the thickness of the microporous ceramic embedded in the lower cap is 8 mm, and the thickness of the microporous ceramic protruding from the bottom of the lower cap is 2 mm.

[0015] Optionally, a rubber gasket is provided between the lower end face of the plexiglass tube and the second embedding groove.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided by this utility model embodiment include at least the following:

[0017] This invention provides a stable electrode potential during testing of metal structures, accurately detecting the protection potential value on the protected structure. The use of a microporous ceramic semi-permeable membrane component as the reference electrode effectively solves the problem of copper sulfate crystallization caused by excessive ceramic thickness in previous products, which led to ceramic head breakage. This solution features a simple structure, ease of use, and an acrylic shell design, allowing observation of the residual solution level inside the reference electrode. Furthermore, this solution is cost-effective, stable, has a long service life, and is easy to apply in engineering fields. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1A schematic diagram of the structure of a reference electrode for preventing crystallization provided by this utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of a reference electrode for preventing crystallization, as provided by this utility model.

[0021] Figure label:

[0022] 1. Copper rod; 2. Upper cap; 3. Acrylic glass tube; 4. Lower cap; 5. Rubber gasket; 6. Microporous ceramic; 7. Protective cap; 8. Reference electrode; 9. Pipe; 10. Pipe test lead wire; 11. Multimeter. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0024] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this invention do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms "an," "a," or "the" do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect.

[0025] It should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", and "back" used in this utility model are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0026] like Figures 1 to 2As shown, this embodiment provides a reference electrode to prevent crystallization; it includes an acrylic tube 3, an upper cap 2, and a lower cap 4. The acrylic tube 3 is a transparent tubular structure. A first embedding groove is provided around the circumference of the inner wall of the upper end face of the acrylic tube 3. The protruding end of the upper cap 2 is inserted into the first embedding groove and seals the top of the acrylic tube 3. A through hole is provided in the center of the upper cap 2. One end of a copper rod 1 is inserted into the acrylic tube 3 through the through hole, and the other end of the copper rod 1 extends out of the acrylic tube 3, that is, the other end of the copper rod 1 is exposed at the top of the upper cap 2 through the through hole. The lower cap 4 is a cylindrical structure with a through cavity in the center, and the through cavity extends through the lower cap 4. A second embedding groove is provided around the circumference of the upper end face of the lower cap 4. The lower end face of the acrylic tube 3 is inserted into the second embedding groove, and the bottom surface of the acrylic tube 3 is installed at the top of the lower cap 4 through the second embedding groove. A limiting ring is provided on the inner wall of the cavity of the lower cap 4, and the distance from the bottom surface of the lower cap 4 to the bottom surface of the limiting ring is 8mm. A microporous ceramic 6 is inserted into the bottom end of the cavity of the lower cap 4. The microporous ceramic 6 is a semi-permeable membrane component. The microporous ceramic 6 blocks the cavity of the lower cap 4 and thus blocks the bottom end of the plexiglass tube 3, that is, the microporous ceramic 6 is connected to the inside of the plexiglass tube 3. The top surface of the microporous ceramic 6 abuts against the bottom surface of the limiting ring, that is, the limiting ring limits the microporous ceramic 6. The plexiglass tube 3 contains a saturated copper sulfate solution, which is in contact with the microporous ceramic 6. One end of the copper rod 1 is inserted into the plexiglass tube 3 and placed in the copper sulfate solution. Since the plexiglass tube 3 is made of transparent material, the remaining amount of copper sulfate solution inside can be observed.

[0027] A protective cover 7 is installed on the outer surface of the bottom end of the lower cap 4, with the inner wall of the protective cover 7 abutting against the outer wall of the bottom end of the lower cap 4. The microporous ceramic 6 has an apparent porosity of 43.9%, a pore size between 5μm and 7μm, a thickness of 10mm, an 8mm thickness embedded in the lower cap 4, and a 2mm thickness protruding from the bottom end of the lower cap 4 (i.e., a 2mm thickness not embedded in the cavity of the lower cap 4). A rubber gasket 5 is provided between the lower end face of the plexiglass tube 3 and the second embedding groove. The rubber gasket 5 has an annular thin sheet structure. The rubber gasket 5 can securely connect and prevent leakage. The copper sulfate solution communicates with the outside world through the microporous ceramic 6.

[0028] In existing technologies, the ceramic used for the reference electrode is often too thick. When the moisture inside the reference electrode is depleted, copper sulfate crystals easily form on the ceramic, causing the ceramic head to crack. This solution uses a thinner microporous ceramic 6, which avoids copper sulfate crystallization. At the same time, the thickness of the microporous ceramic 6 ensures that the reference electrode 8 is in full contact with the soil, guaranteeing measurement accuracy. Using the microporous ceramic 6 as the sealing end of the reference electrode 8 overcomes the contradiction of poor sealing and permeability in existing technologies. It provides a certain degree of sealing while maintaining uniform permeability, ensuring continuous and unobstructed ion exchange between the reference electrode 8 and the environmental medium during the measurement process.

[0029] The working process of this utility model:

[0030] Insert the bottom end of the acrylic tube 3 into the second embedding groove to connect the lower cap 4 to the acrylic tube 3. Insert the microporous ceramic 6 into the through cavity of the lower cap 4 to seal the bottom end of the acrylic tube 3. Pour a saturated copper sulfate solution into the acrylic tube 3 so that the height of the saturated copper sulfate solution in the acrylic tube 3 is about 3 / 4 of the height of the acrylic tube 3. Insert one end of the copper rod 1 into the acrylic tube 3 to make it contact the copper sulfate solution. Insert the lower end face of the upper cap 2 into the first embedding groove to install the upper cap 2 and seal the top end of the acrylic tube 3. The other end of the copper rod 1 extends out of the acrylic tube 3 through the through hole of the upper cap 2 and contacts the outside. The reference electrode 8 is now installed.

[0031] When testing the potential of pipe 9, place the reference electrode 8 on the damp soil directly above pipe 9, ensuring good contact between the bottom of the reference electrode 8 and the soil. Connect the black probe of multimeter 11 to the exposed copper rod 1 of reference electrode 8, and connect the red probe of multimeter 11 to pipe test lead 10. Connect pipe test lead 10 to pipe 9. Adjust multimeter 11 to an appropriate range, read the data, and record the pipe-to-ground potential value and polarity.

[0032] This solution ensures stable electrode potential during testing of metal structures, accurately detecting the protection potential value on the protected structure. The use of a microporous ceramic semi-permeable membrane component for the reference electrode effectively solves the problem of copper sulfate crystallization caused by excessive ceramic thickness in previous products, which led to ceramic head breakage. This solution is simple in structure, easy to use, and features an acrylic shell design, allowing observation of the residual solution level inside the reference electrode. This solution is cost-effective, stable, has a long service life, and is easy to apply in engineering fields.

[0033] The following points need to be explained:

[0034] (1) The accompanying drawings of this utility model embodiment only involve the structure involved in this utility model embodiment. Other structures can refer to the general design.

[0035] (2) For clarity, the thickness of layers or regions is enlarged or reduced in the drawings used to describe embodiments of the present invention, i.e., these drawings are not drawn to scale. It is understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region or substrate is referred to as being “above” or “below” another element, the element may be “directly” located “above” or “below” the other element or there may be intermediate elements.

[0036] (3) Where there is no conflict, the embodiments of this utility model and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.

[0037] The above are merely specific embodiments of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. The protection scope of this utility model shall be determined by the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A reference electrode for preventing crystallization, characterized in that, The device includes a closed acrylic tube, with a microporous ceramic installed at the bottom end of the acrylic tube. A saturated copper sulfate solution and a copper rod are placed inside the acrylic tube, with the copper rod extending outside the acrylic tube.

2. The reference electrode for preventing crystallization according to claim 1, characterized in that, The acrylic tube is a tubular structure. A first embedding groove is provided around the inner wall of the upper end face of the acrylic tube. The upper end cap is inserted into the first embedding groove and the upper end cap closes the top of the acrylic tube. A through hole is provided in the center of the upper end cap, and one end of the copper rod is inserted into the acrylic tube through the through hole.

3. The reference electrode for preventing crystallization according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower end face of the plexiglass tube is inserted into the second embedding groove of the lower end cap. The lower end cap has a cylindrical structure. The second embedding groove is provided around the outer wall of the upper end face of the lower end cap. The lower end cap is installed at the bottom end of the plexiglass tube through the second embedding groove.

4. The reference electrode for preventing crystallization according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom end of the lower cap is inserted with the microporous ceramic, which seals the bottom end of the plexiglass tube.

5. The reference electrode for preventing crystallization according to claim 4, characterized in that, The inner wall of the lower cap is provided with a limiting ring, which limits the microporous ceramic. The bottom surface of the limiting ring abuts against the top surface of the microporous ceramic.

6. The reference electrode for preventing crystallization according to claim 3, characterized in that, A protective cover is installed on the outside of the bottom end of the lower cap, and the inner wall of the protective cover abuts against the outer wall of the lower cap.

7. The reference electrode for preventing crystallization according to claim 1, characterized in that, The apparent porosity of the microporous ceramic is 43.9%, and the pore size of the microporous ceramic is between 5 μm and 7 μm.

8. The reference electrode for preventing crystallization according to claim 5, characterized in that, The microporous ceramic has a thickness of 10 mm, the microporous ceramic embedded in the lower cap has a thickness of 8 mm, and the microporous ceramic protruding from the bottom of the lower cap has a thickness of 2 mm.

9. The reference electrode for preventing crystallization according to claim 3, characterized in that, A rubber gasket is provided between the lower end face of the plexiglass tube and the second embedding groove.

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