5 minute read
Clean Ships, Clean Seas
The Corran Ferry in Scotland had regular problems with marine growth, but has not reported any issues since being fitted with ShipSonic.
shipsonic proMises effective cleaning solution
Marine growth can increase
fuel consuMption on vessels
by as Much as 40%. this leads to
higher fuel and operating costs,
as well as more co 2 emissions. shipsonic
could be the environmentally-friendly
solution to these problems.
All photos courtesy of shipsonic/Marine growth prevention specialists.
For hundreds of years, ship owners have recognised the effect that marine growth has on vessel performance. in the days of wooden sailing vessels, owners nailed copper plates to the bottom of a hull in an attempt to keep the fouling at bay. with the introduction of steel hulls, protection shifted to paints and coatings. “However, these substances are horrific polluters of the sea and they are not selective in the creatures they kill”, states chris ryan, director at Marine Growth Prevention Specialists (MGPS), the distributor of ShipSonic. “They will just as easily poison fish in the human food chain as they will a barnacle. This attack on the marine environment cannot go on. it is not sustainable, and it isn’t healthy.” the former deep-sea marine engineering officer joined forces with Gavin Fisher, a sales and marketing specialist with years of experience in environmentally-friendly antifouling, and Sharon Owens who has a medical background and an understanding of the biological issues. together, they formed MGPS and set out to find a solution. “This is when we met the Dutch team behind shipsonic. they had taken an ultrasonic antifouling system that was
having intermittent results and instead of pocketing the profits while they could, they invested in years of research and development”, recalls Mr Ryan. “They brought in partnerships with major cooler manufacturers and even the dutch government. with the help of the royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research in Yerseke, they developed an effective, reliable, and robust ultrasonic antifouling system. there has rarely been a system with such potential to truly revolutionise global shipping.”
Greater Efficiency, Fewer Emissions shipsonic works by introducing an ultrasonic soundwave at varying frequencies. this causes the protected structure to vibrate, creating a sub-optimum environment on which marine growth organisms will not settle. The system can be used on the hull, but also on pipework, sea chests, and box coolers. once shipsonic is installed on a new or freshly cleaned surface, it will keep that surface clean over the life of a vessel. “It has been developed to the point where it now stands alone in the next generation of antifouling technology. This system isn’t just a way to keep barnacles and mussels at bay, but it offers ship owners a real reduction in fuel consumption and emissions”, declares Mr Ryan. “Most carbon emission reductions solutions on the market offer 1% to 5% reductions. ShipSonic can offer double and even quadruple that reduction. And, as we refine the technology and ship designers adopt it more and more at the design stage, who knows how much efficiency it could bring to world shipping?”
Easily Fitted and Maintained ShipSonic can be retrofitted on most vessels or incorporated into newbuilds. “It is a very suitable system for refits, because it doesn’t take up much space on board”, explains Mr Ryan. “Our smallest system control unit is about the size of a hatbox, whereas our
Depending on the size of the system, ShipSonic’s control units vary in size, from a hatbox to a small domestic refrigerator.
largest control unit is about the size of a medium-sized domestic refrigerator. The most common transducers are about the size of a can of soup and cabling is 6mm in diameter.” the system can be installed with minimal downtime and does not require specialised installers, adds Mr Ryan. “We would certainly expect any ship’s engineer or electrician to have no problems at all. the system is simply a switch-on-to-operate.” It also requires little maintenance. “If, say, a >>
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cable was accidentally damaged, it might cause an internal fuse to blow. while a new cable might need to be run, the fuse can be changed in seconds. in the unlikely event that a component such as a pcb or power supply in the control unit fails, the system is designed in a modular fashion to enable a swap-out in minutes. everything is plug and play.”
Changing the shipping world at the moment, shipsonic has already been installed on vessels as diverse as workboats and small ferries to offshore vessels and major cruise ships. the system has been particularly popular with the UK and Danish fishing fleet. Mgps keeps in constant contact with its customers to see how the system is performing, tells Mr Ryan. “None of the vessels have been drydocked since the installation, but we are receiving regular feedback that cooling system temperatures remain in good order and that vessel speeds and fuel consumption remain efficient, with much less visible hull growth.” One of the success stories is that of a Scottish ferry, which operates in extremely nutrient-rich waters. “Because of an ineffective antifouling system, she had regular problems with very severe marine growths until ShipSonic was installed”, comments Mr Ryan. “To date, she hasn’t reported any problems at all with the system or marine growth in her coolers. this proves to us that we are right to be so passionate about shipsonic and our role in this ecological revolution. The Scots and Dutch have a long history of successful ventures, and this is no different. Together, MGPS and shipsonic are going to change the shipping world forever.”
i. mgpsltd.com i. shipsonic.com
