COMPARING DIFFERENT UNDERWATER CLEANING DESIGNS
High-Pressure Water Cleaning vs Brush Cleaning
ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) vs Diver Operated Cart
This topic is
debateable in every aspect except when it comes to being environmentally
compliant. Comparing High-Pressure
Water Cleaning vs Brush Cleaning Systems as well as the comparison of ROV vs
Diver operated carts, the following must be clearly understood.
The key element in
any design is to find a methodology to match the forces required (Shear Force)
in Underwater Hull Cleaning to overcome the adhesion strength of marine
organisms. These forces must be adjustable to compensate for the varied
adhesion strengths of Marine Organisms as well as the various Anti-Fouling
coating types.
Consideration in
the Design:
High Pressure Water jets vs brush
-
Using High-Pressure Water Jets makes the removal process of
"containment and extraction" of biofouling arduous. Owing to the pressure
differential between vacuumed area and water pressure not being great enough to
be effective in a high rate of capture.
-
Whereas the brush cleaning methodology
displaces the water creating a natural vacuum and allowing for a large
percentage capture and extraction of the biofouling to the filtration system
-
High pressure water jets are unable to obtain the high shear
force required to overcome the adhesion force of the biofouling organisms on
the hull. Hence the inability to remove macro-fouling.
-
Whereas the brush cleaning methodology can
adjust to the required shear force to overcome the adhesion force of the
organisms. Hence its ability to remove micro and macro biofouling.
ROV Hull
Cleaning Carts vs Diver Operated Vacu-Cart
One needs to be mindful of how a
High-Pressure Water Jet System ROV adheres to the hull surface vs Diver
Operated Brush Vacu-Cart System's adherence to the hull surface.
-
With the ROV, thrusters are used to manoeuvre the cart
towards the vessel, of which are also used to keep the cart attached to the
vessel by means of a suction force. This exact suction force is extracting the
Alien Invasive Species directly from the surrounding biofouling and dispersing
them through the thruster discharge/outlet into the surrounding water before
they can be captured, contained, and neutralised. This contrasts with the IMO
and BIMCO requirements and standards of capture, containment, and neutralising
of the translocated Alien Invasive Species.
-
Contrary to the above mentioned design, the
Diver Operated Vacu-Cart is manoeuvred onto the hull by the diver. The centralised
vacuum system and brush rotational water displacement technology creates a
vacuum onto the vessel hull. This methodology automatically creates a capture
and containment of the alien invasive species preventing any biodiversity.
The
objective is to create a vacuum and containment area within the cart to not be
reliant on the thrusters for suction to adhere the cart to the vessel. These
are environmental problems that need to be solved which are currently being
overlooked by creative marketing.