When it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Anode Engineering team recognised the costly outcomes from engineer travel times in the collection of cathodic protection (CP) data. They also recognised that annual field surveys of CP provide only a small snapshot of the cathodic protection at that one moment in time.
By contrast, the GreenAmp® remote monitoring system is capable of providing hourly measurements of pipeline protection levels to an intuitive online portal or to an asset owner’s own systems. Available in single channel and four channel units, the four-channel version also offers the option of programming the timing for interruption to be initiated via a web-based portal.
GreenAmp is the patented technology of Anode Engineering, recognised experts in corrosion control engineering. This locally developed and manufactured product comes with a global potential to dramatically reduce greenhouse emissions for pipeline operating companies worldwide.
The GreenAmp DCD unit (single-channel daisy chain data) is designed for installation in a test point box, and typically recording a pipe to soil potential (CP level) once every hour. This interval can be remotely changed to suit operations staff requirements.
The greenhouse emission reduction potential is easy to see when recording can be initiated and data recorded remotely.
The GreenAmp 4 Plus unit (DCD4+) compliments the single channel units in locations that have impressed current cathodic protection units (ICCP), sacrificial anode beds (SACP), or foreign structures (FS). It has the following additional features:
•Four channels of data such as ICCP unit output volts, current, pipe potential and a foreign structure potential
•It accepts active 4-20mA signals from sensors such as soil moisture meters, A.C. current transducers and other custom applications
•An output contactor for synchronous switching of ICCP CP unit or sacrificial systems to generate instant off potentials. Removing the “IR” drop indicates the true polarised potential (protection level) of the pipe. All of this is achieved remotely, saving on emissions and associated travel costs.
The Anode Engineering team recognised early in development that a variety of communication protocols would be required to accommodate the many scenarios of the Australian outback. GreenAmp primarily uses LTE, IoT (internet of things) protocols of Cat M1 and Narrow Band IoT (NB IOT) and Sigfox.
In areas that lack IoT coverage, the GreenAmp Daisy Chain Data (DCD) protocol wirelessly shares data from DCD unit to DCD along a pipeline. Each unit has a range of 5 km to the next and can link up to 10 units, offering 50 km of daisy chain coverage in such areas.
GreenAmp is also compatible with the latest low earth orbit satellite (LEOS) systems, which are specifically designed for IoT applications allowing economical and reliable coverage in the most remote locations. In 2023, LEOS comms will also be added to the communications stable.
The GreenAmp portal is an intuitive web-based interface featuring graphs of test point pipe potential data; configurable alarm states for out-of-range readings; scheduling of current interruptions with high resolution logging; geographic maps of a pipeline with the ability to interrogate individual points; and a range of easily interpreted customisable info-graphics.
A fully documented API allows GreenAmp data to be seamlessly integrated into existing I.T. systems if required. There have been a number of other non-pipeline implementations including monitoring of anode systems on marine structures, commercial ships and pontoons covering both steel and aluminium.
For more information visit the GreenAmp Systems website.
This article appeared in the January 2022 issue of The Australian Pipeliner magazine. Click here to view the digital edition.