Cathodic Protection Rectifier Simulators

Protecting miles of underground pipe from corrosion requires rectifiers placed periodically along the pipeline, providing thousands of watts of DC power. American Innovations’ Bullhorn Remote Monitoring systems (RMUs) keep a close eye on these rectifiers in remote and hard-to-reach locations to ensure ongoing, safe operation. 

Demonstrating the use and functionality of the Bullhorn products in an office, or tradeshow environment presents unique challenges. Industrial rectifiers are heavy, costly, and contain high-voltage connections that can be hazardous, making them impractical to transport for sales calls. American Innovations (AI) reached out to Pump Studios to create two versions of a rectifier simulator: one that is highly portable for one-on-one demonstrations and suitable for the sales team to transport, and another designed to make a strong impression on the tradeshow floor.

Pump developed the portable simulator to fit in a standard Pelican case, with a lighted logo that indicates when the load (simulated pipeline) is active or interrupted, AC and DC outputs to power the RMU and relays of the Bullhorn system, and easy locations to connect the monitoring system. A steel plate provides a magnetic attachment point for the bullhorn system and accessories, allowing the user to open up the case and have a demo running in minutes. 

The additional tradeshow simulator was designed to visually simulate a rectifier. This unit was housed in an industrial enclosure, designed to mount to a 2” steel pipe, and the load indicator was replaced with a branded, lighted sign visible from across the show floor. 

Given a tight time frame and low volumes, Pump not only designed the systems but handled all the fabrication and assembly including custom, laser-etched front panels, component selection, and testing.