Patent ID: 7704372

Claim:
A sacrificial anode assembly for cathodically protecting and/or passivating a metal section, comprising: a cell, which has an anode and a cathode arranged so as to not be in electronic contact with each other but so as to be in ionic contact with each other such that current can flow between the anode and the cathode; a connector attached to the anode of the cell for electrically connecting the anode to the metal section to be cathodically protected; and a sacrificial anode electrically connected in series with the cathode of the cell; wherein there are provided one or more isolating elements which prevent communication of ionic current from the cell to the environment such that current can only flow between the cathode of the cell and the sacrificial anode and between the anode of the cell and the connector; and wherein the sacrificial anode and the cell are connected together so as to form a single unit such that the sacrificial anode is electrically connected in series with the cathode of the cell.