Change is hard, but can save millions…
Preventing unwanted bio-fouling costs the commercial shipping sector in the region of $100 billion annually, and there are big savings to be made if proper anti-fouling measures are employed.
Shipowners and managers may be reticent about changing their established Maintenance, Repair, and Operating (MRO) schedules, but the right tool for the right job will keep floating assets working longer and more economically.
How it works
- Sonihull systems produce multiple bursts of ultrasonic energy in a range of targeted pulse frequencies.
- These pulses are transmitted through the material that the transducer is attached to.
- The ultrasound produces a pattern of increasing and decreasing pressure on the surface of the material.
INCREASING AND DECREASING PRESSURE
The ultrasound produces a pattern of increasing and decreasing pressure on the surface of the material. In a process called non-inertial cavitation, microscopic bubbles are created during the reduced pressure cycle and are imploded as the pressure increases. The microscopic agitation has a cleansing effect that destroys surface algae.
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KEY FEATURES OF SONIHULL
- Environmentally Friendly: Effective bio-fouling without the poisonous environmental legacy of biocides or microplastics.
- Easy Installation: No drydocking, no through-hull fittings, no expensive Impressed Current Antifouling copper anodes to replace.
- Less Downtime: No cleaning hard-to-reach areas, extended maintenance intervals, less downtime, and reduced running costs.
- No Disturbance: Inaudible to humans and marine life with no interference to sonar and electronic equipment.
- Lower Fuel Consumption: Clean hull, propellers, and rudders can reduce fuel consumption by up to 30%.
- Microbial Control: Ideal for bulk storage. Sonihull suppresses Diesel bug and keeps potable water fresher for longer.
- Low Power Consumption: At only 3.6 Watt-hours per transducer, Sonihull is ideal for onboard, standby, or remote power.
- Lower Operating Costs: Can save up to 95% of capital and MRO costs when compared to impressed-current antifouling systems.
- Easy System Integration: Compatible with RS232 / RS422 and Modbus communication interface for remote control with critical path fault monitoring.
- Zero poisonous environmental legacy: Unlike biocidal coatings and impressed-current systems, Sonihull is a low cost, low maintenance with zero poisonous environmental legacies.
- Protects inside-and-outside: From hulls, shafts, propellers, and waterjets, to sea-chests, tanks, keel-coolers, box-coolers, pipework, intakes, and valves.
WHAT ARE YOU PROTECTING?
Box Coolers, Seachests & Pipeworks
Preventing bio-fouling in box coolers, sea chests and pipework is essential for ensuring that a vessel’s cooling system functions correctly. If fouling establishes in these locations, cooling capacity and flow rates can be severely reduced, which can lead to lengthy remedial work or even main equipment failure.
Propeller Shafts & Propellers
The condition of a vessel’s propeller and hull will have the biggest impact on fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Despite having a much smaller surface area than the hull, the hydrodynamics of the propeller are critical to propulsive efficiency, engine load, and ultimately the operator’s bottom-line.
Hulls & Surfaces
Fouling on a ship’s hull increases hydrodynamic drag and creates a corresponding spike in fuel consumption and exhaust gas emissions. The worse it gets, the more expensive it becomes to operate the ship.
