Corrosion mitigation and prevention remains largely reliant on manual, schedule-based maintenance practices such as hand-applied lubricants, protective coatings, and periodic visual inspections. These methods are labor intensive and error-prone. Moreover, accessing the affected mechanical zones such as engines, transmissions, and fuel tanks, often require partial disassembly, creating unnecessary downtime and risk of secondary damage. The US DOD spends approximately $20 billion each year towards corrosion prevention and mitigation, which amounts to a staggering 20% of its annual maintenance budget [https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA606227.pdf]. The GUARDIAN SmartPOD technology provides an opportunity to simplify and improve existing processes through an automated, low-cost solution that will be critical for asset sustainment and mission readiness. The SmartPOD is a rapid-application corrosion prevention technology that is easy to use and provides long-lasting protection. The device is designed to enable in situ monitoring and protection of materiel by deploying a high-quality mist of anti-corrosion fluids to highly confined complex geometries or assemblies, such as a gearbox, where there may be several surfaces or components that require treatment. Preliminary experimental and analytical results will be presented that show a fine mist can travel through a complex geometry and completely coat a gearbox housing thus preserving the asset and preventing corrosion.
