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8703261 Marine biofouling reduction
1018
G. New Patents
quency of the water column (5), (1,3))O)/( is the length of the water column, and g is the acceleration of gravity.
8703261 MARINE BIOFOULING REDUCTION Michael Frederick DIPROSE, Edward Emyr WILLIAMS, Brent KNOX-HOLMES, 1 Pownail Terrace, Town Head, Eyam, Derbyshire $30 1RE, United Kingdom assigned to THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD With on-shore installations making use of large volumes of sea water, and off-shore installations and ships in permanent contact with sea water, micro and macro biofouling is a major problem, reducing the efficiency of on-shore installations, and causing corrosion in both on-shore and offshore installations and ships. The object of the invention is to provide a substantial reduction in marine biofouling. One aspect of the invention meets the objective by generating across the
OLR (1987) 34 (I 1)
structure an alternating current of a strength and frequency sufficient to shock marine biofouling organisms and sufficient to upset the normal behaviour patterns of the marine biofouling organisms entrained in the sea water passing around or through the structure. A second aspect of the invention meets the objective by generating across the structure a combination of alternating and direct currents between two strategically located electrodes whereby to release into the water around or within the structure controlled amounts of chlorine ions and copper ions to produce an environment actively hostile to potential marine biofouling organisms. The effect of releasing copper ions and chlorine ions simultaneously is that they cooperate in a synergistic manner that greatly enhances the biocidal effect on marine organisms over and above the effect of the separate use of copper ions and chlorine ions. The generated electric fields produce a current density dependent on the electrode type, form and value of the impressed current, and by the resistance dictated by the salinity of the sea water and the distance between electrodes, and is adjusted so as to disrupt the settling behaviour, but not sufficiently high to cause the death of organisms.
For information about P A T S E A R C H ~
Pergamon lnfoLine Inc. 1340 Old Chain Bridge Road McLean, Virginia 22101 USA Telephone (703) 442-0900 Telex: 90-1811
Pergamon InfoLine Limited 12 Vandy Street London EC2A 2DE England Telephone (01) 377-4650 Telex: 8814614
Pergamon Orbit lnfoLine Inc. 8000 Westpark Drive McLean, VA 22102 USA Telephone (703) 442-0900 Telex: 90-1811
Pergamon Orbit InfoLine Ltd 12 Vandy Street London EC2A 2DE UK Telephone (01) 377-4650 Telex: 8814614
G. New Patents
quency of the water column (5), (1,3))O)/( is the length of the water column, and g is the acceleration of gravity.
8703261 MARINE BIOFOULING REDUCTION Michael Frederick DIPROSE, Edward Emyr WILLIAMS, Brent KNOX-HOLMES, 1 Pownail Terrace, Town Head, Eyam, Derbyshire $30 1RE, United Kingdom assigned to THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD With on-shore installations making use of large volumes of sea water, and off-shore installations and ships in permanent contact with sea water, micro and macro biofouling is a major problem, reducing the efficiency of on-shore installations, and causing corrosion in both on-shore and offshore installations and ships. The object of the invention is to provide a substantial reduction in marine biofouling. One aspect of the invention meets the objective by generating across the
OLR (1987) 34 (I 1)
structure an alternating current of a strength and frequency sufficient to shock marine biofouling organisms and sufficient to upset the normal behaviour patterns of the marine biofouling organisms entrained in the sea water passing around or through the structure. A second aspect of the invention meets the objective by generating across the structure a combination of alternating and direct currents between two strategically located electrodes whereby to release into the water around or within the structure controlled amounts of chlorine ions and copper ions to produce an environment actively hostile to potential marine biofouling organisms. The effect of releasing copper ions and chlorine ions simultaneously is that they cooperate in a synergistic manner that greatly enhances the biocidal effect on marine organisms over and above the effect of the separate use of copper ions and chlorine ions. The generated electric fields produce a current density dependent on the electrode type, form and value of the impressed current, and by the resistance dictated by the salinity of the sea water and the distance between electrodes, and is adjusted so as to disrupt the settling behaviour, but not sufficiently high to cause the death of organisms.
For information about P A T S E A R C H ~
Pergamon lnfoLine Inc. 1340 Old Chain Bridge Road McLean, Virginia 22101 USA Telephone (703) 442-0900 Telex: 90-1811
Pergamon InfoLine Limited 12 Vandy Street London EC2A 2DE England Telephone (01) 377-4650 Telex: 8814614
Pergamon Orbit lnfoLine Inc. 8000 Westpark Drive McLean, VA 22102 USA Telephone (703) 442-0900 Telex: 90-1811
Pergamon Orbit InfoLine Ltd 12 Vandy Street London EC2A 2DE UK Telephone (01) 377-4650 Telex: 8814614