Tendon foundation guide cone assembly and anode
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsDale R. Snyder, Jr., James D. Smith, James W. Stevens, Robert M. Kipp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of providing a cathodic protection to an installed pile is disclosed in which a plurality of anodes are provided on a tendon foundation guide assembly which is attached to a lowering unit and lowered to the pile. The tendon foundation guide assembly is attached to the installed pile and at least one of the anodes is electrically connected to the pile. The tendon foundation guide assembly is then separated from the lowering unit. In another aspect of the invention, a tendon foundation guide assembly is disclosed for deployment upon the top of an installed pile for cathodically protecting the pile and a tendon receptacle inside the pile.
Claims18
A tendon foundation guide assembly for deployment upon the top of an installed pile for cathodically protecting the pile and a tendon receptacle inside the pile, the tendon foundation guide assembly comprising:
- a cylindrical base;
- a load shoulder projecting radially inward from the cylindrical base to accept and seat upon the top of the installed pile;
- an anode system comprising a plurality of electrically interconnected anodes;
- and
- a connection device provided by the cylindrical base suitable to secure the tendon foundation guide assembly to the pile and provide a secure electrical connection between the anode system and the pile;
- and
- transfer mounts provided by the tendon foundation guide assembly suitable to releasably secure the tendon foundation guide to a lowering device.
A method of providing cathodic protection to a pile installed in the ocean floor in a deepwater application, comprising:
- providing a plurality of anodes on a tendon foundation guide cone assembly and electrically connecting at least one of a plurality of slips with at least one of the anodes;
- releasable securing the tendon foundation guide cone assembly to a lower end of a tendon through a plurality of shear pins extending between the tendon foundation guide cone assembly and the tendon;
- lowering the tendon foundation guide cone assembly on the lower end of the tendon to the pile;
- engaging the slips between a cylindrical base of the tendon foundation guide cone assembly and the top of the pile surrounded thereby to secure the tendon foundation guide cone assembly to the installed pile and provide a secure electrical connection between the anodes and the pile;
- landing load shoulders within the tendon foundation guide cone assembly upon the top of the installed pile;
- and
- further lowering the tendon to vertically shear the shear pins connecting the tendon to the tendon foundation guide cone assembly.
A method of providing cathodic protection to an installed pile, comprising:
- providing a plurality of anodes on a tendon foundation guide assembly;
- attaching the tendon foundation guide assembly to a lowering unit;
- lowering the tendon foundation guide assembly on the lowering unit to the pile;
- attaching the tendon foundation guide assembly to the installed pile and electrically connecting at least one of the anodes to the pile;
- and
- releasing the tendon foundation guide assembly from the lowering unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.