There is several different, products that are used on ships to remove fouling with Ultra Sonic waves.
one is: Shipsonic Ultra Sonic Algae Remover for ships.
The Shipsonic is specially designed to prevent algae build-up under the ship’s waterline, there by preventing growth on the ship’s hull.
The Shipsonic produces an ultra-sonic wave pattern, which travels through polyester, metal and water and prevent the build-up of algae on the ship’s hull. The Shipsonic consists of an electrically powered 240 AC Volt electronic control box and a transducer, which is connected via a three-core 10-meter cable. The transducer is either installed inside the ship’s bilge in a holder, which is glued to the ship’s hull
http://www.shipsonic.com/shipsonic.english.info.html
Another use for Ultra Sonic Waves is cleaning of under water pipes.
Since fouling generated inside pipes of chemistry plant equipment, shortens “its life”, periodical maintenance such as cleaning or replacement is needed. Therefore, the development of a safe and sanitary method of preventing a corrosion and blockage inside pipes is desired. In this study, a vibration system, composed of a bolt-clamped Langevin transducer and a pipe, was employed to experimentally study the possibility of fouling removal. In the experiment, a flexural vibration was excited in a pipe containing fouling using ultrasonic waves. When the pipe was made to vibrate, with calcium carbonate or starch used as the fouling, it was shown that the fouling was diffused into the air, and except at the node of the flexural vibration, the fouling was removed completely. Also, the result showed that a higher input voltage to the transducer was more effective in removing the fouling.
http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jsmec/49/3/49_713/_article
Tags: Anti-fouling, fouling, technology, ultra sonic waves
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Hi Morten,
That’s a pretty good article on anti-fouling. There’s research being done into more natural ways to keep nets clean too.
Check out this link;
http://www.scieng.flinders.edu.au/biology/people/academic/benkendorff_k/research.html
The researcher’s comments are particularly interesting – “The egg capsules of Dicathais orbita are also proving to be a good model for the investigation of natural antifouling defenses. Surface biofouling has enormous economic consequences for the shipping and aquaculture industries.”
“Consequently, there is a serious need to develop new treatments aimed at disrupting microbial biofilms. Understanding of the ways that natural organisms regulate fouling of their surfaces could trigger novel ideas for anti-fouling technology.”
Natural anti-fouling is quite an environmentally friendly concept too!
Sean
I think using ultrasonic cleaners, it is important to understand whether these waves have any kind of effect on the fish.
It is vital,to consider while operating these cleaners, so that the ultrasonic waves should not transfer through the ambient water, affecting the farmed fishes.
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We sell equipment that is designed to control algae on underwater surfaces using ultrasound. Our equipment does not cause any damage to fish, we have installed it in several lakes with Rainbow and Brown trout without any effect on feeding behaviour or visible signs of stress. It works off 24V DC. We can tune it to specific algae species if required, but the general frequency works well on most fouling organisms. We have tried to get rid of barnacles but without success, but bacteria and algae are no problem.
take a look at http://www.envirosonic.eu for more details
I am very interested in your products. And i want to order one for my ship.I am very eager to know howyour device to kill the barnacles and other organisms.
As I am a engineer familiar with the mechanism of the ultrasound. I want to konw what principle you use to kill such nuisances,due to the cavitation of the ultrasound of the resonante behavior of the ultrasound frequency with the critical frequency of the cells of the organisms or other potential factors. If should be efficient what about the frequency and the power.
Ultrasonic sound waves of relatively low power do not cause cavitation but use the sound pressure to control algae. They also control the attaching of algae and barnacles to ships and other surfaces below water but they do this by preventing fouling where it starts: at the biofilm.
If you like to read more about the ultrasonic method to control biofouling you can read more on the following links:
- http://www.lgsonic.com/market/aquaculture
- http://www.lgsonic.com/market/reduce-biofilm-formation
Especially the top link explains a lot about ultrasonic biofouling and it summarizes a lot of research which LG Sound has been doing to fouling on open sea fish cages over the past few years. You can also contact us directly, is you would like to receive our research on fouling to boats which is not yet published online.