SmartPod™
Cathodic protection and monitoring for deep water assets

SmartPod displays the performance readings of its own anodes, via the built-in electrodes and subsea display.

The SmartPod is an aluminum anode system, designed to be retrofitted to subsea equipment in order to provide both cathodic protection and monitoring data simultaneously. The SmartPod is an enhanced version of our standard RetroPod™ anode system, equipped with on-board monitoring, provided by V-String reference electrodes, and a SunStation subsea readout. The SmartPod thus displays its own performance on the subsea readout, to be interpreted any time an ROV is present at the installation site.

A Central Protection Station - Each SmartPod has enough aluminum anode material to protect approximately 25,000 square feet of coated steel for a term of up to 20 years. Using multiple RetroClamps, an operator can attach these anodes to multiple subsea structures, protecting entire fields with only a few Pods. The electrodes attached to the clamps make sure that each protected structure (trees, well heads etc.) is also reliably monitored. SmartPods are easily installed with any Work Class ROV system, and once installed, the SunStation readouts are all located centrally on the Pod structure, creating a convenient monitoring station for an ROV to visit upon future inspections.

A Reliable Connection - The RetroClamp is patented technology, developed at Deepwater and available nowhere else. The RetroClamp connects to the SmartPod by two armored cables to the asset it is intended to protect. The Clamp completely ROV-friendly; its contact tip creates electrical contact The floating plate on the top of the clamp ensures a strong and constant connection that will not damage the coating system. The ease with which it is installed makes the RetroClamp incredibly cost-effective in comparison to underwater welding or other attachment methods.

Applications

Traditional Offshore Structures

Many offshore structures that sit in between 85 ft and 300 ft of seawater have the CP replaced very cost effectively using the RetroPod system. The system has been performing well in some installations for over 10 years.

Deep water equipment

With the RetroClamp system, and reduced currents in deep water, many operators have begun to use the RetroPod system to retrofit CP on deep water production equipment.

Deep water pipelines

The post-installed option of installing the anodes directly after a pipeline is laid has great benefit to the pipeline coating system, which is the main defense against corrosion. By reducing the coating damage to a pinpoint (where the RetroClamp is attached) from the traditional damage suffered during bracelet anode installation, the operator will ensure a longer life for the pipeline.

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Key design points

Cathodic protection monitoring without probes

The built in monitoring system literally replaces cathodic protection surveys. Any time an ROV is near the SmartPod, it can take a cathodic protection potential reading with its light and camera. Outside of regular required intervals, there is no need to schedule an ROV survey for cathodic protection readings ever again.

Great for pipelines

The SmartPod can protect pipelines stretching for hundreds of meters, eliminating need for bracelet anodes on deep water infield flowlines (if post installed). This arrangement also allows pipeline coatings to be maintained at maximum efficiency, since there will be no damage to the coating during bracelet anode installation.

Quality Control

All of the anodes that Deepwater provides are manufactured at one of our ISO 9000 certified foundries. Each foundry is located just minutes from the engineers and designers running our projects, allowing Deepwater to oversee QA/QC on every anode.