Anti-Fouling Systems Performance
The purpose of the anti-fouling systems are to prevent the blockage of inlet gates, cooling systems and seawater injection systems, which are mainly caused by the formation of marine organisms, mainly barnacles and mussels.
Unblocking is especially costly and time consuming, especially when the entire pipe section needs to be cleaned or replaced. This phenomenon becomes even more dangerous when marine sea valves and other important parts of the affected equipment compromise the capability and safety of the equipment. Any minor blockage can have a dire effect, causing the engine to operate at very high temperatures and significantly increasing fuel consumption. This phenomenon is directly attributable to the cost of operating and vessel profitability or other equipment in contact with seawater.
View of pipes blockage due to fouling
The anti-fouling systems are based on electrochemical principles and usually consists of a pair of copper and aluminum or copper and iron anodes (depending on the structure) mounted on seachests or strainers using a cable to a control panel are connected.
In practice, the copper anode produces ions that are transported by seawater flow, creating an environment where barnacles and mussels cannot precipitate. By the introduction of copper ions at very low concentrations, about 2 ppb, the anti-fouling systems stop the deposition. The performance of copper ions is enhanced by aluminum hydroxide created by aluminum anodes that accumulate released copper ions. This mass of aluminum-hydroxide aluminum is strongly gelatinized from within the system, resulting in scattering within closed areas with slow motion to the surface of the pipes that marine larvae often want to precipitate there. As a result, marine larvae do not precipitate and move directly to the discharge point. At the same time a thin layer of aluminum is formed to stop corrosion on the inner surfaces of the pipes. In this way, a dual-function system protects marine pipes and equipment from fouling and corrosion.
Borna Electronics Co. with over 30 years of experience in the industry, declares its readiness to design, procurement, consultation and construction of anti-fouling systems.
