In the realm of maritime luxury, the quest to offer yacht charter guests the perfect night's sleep has become an art form, one which luxury bed and linen supplier, CC Design, has fully committed to.
Biofouling is one of the main problems faced by every type of vessel at sea. Marine growths like barnacles and mussels cause further issues such as decreased ship performance, increased fuel costs, and corrosion.
Conveniently, there are many solutions on the market that combat fouling, and one of the most effective is ultrasonic antifouling. Yachting Pages spoke to a range of industry experts to give a complete overview of the technology, from how it works, its disadvantages and advantages, to how much it costs.
Ultrasonic antifouling systems use digital electronics and ultrasonic transducer technology. It works by emitting multiple bursts of ultrasonic sound waves simultaneously in multiple frequencies, creating a pattern of alternating positive and negative pressure.
Microscopic bubbles are created from the negative pressure, while the positive pressure implodes them due to cavitation. It’s this implosion, which creates a micro jet action that does the cleaning on hulls below the waterline.
This destroys single-cell organisms such as algae, the base component of any underwater ecosystem, which in turn will stop further growth.
The notion of ultrasonic antifouling has been around for three decades. However, it has only been used in the marine industry in the last five to six years; prior to this it has been used for cleaning dental and medical equipment, engine parts and even jewellery.
Environmental issues over the past decade have become more stringent on traditional antifouling methods, meaning the industry needed to find a solution.
Many studies and tests have been conducted and none have shown any danger to marine life.
The initial cost of these systems varies by size. For a small boat below 10m, one system and transducer would be sufficient costing under €1170 (c. $1370), however, a superyacht over 100m would require 10+ systems and transducers costing over €11,700 (c. $13,730).
To get the optimal effect yachts over 10m would require several additional transducers to be installed.
It is important to note that the transducers need to be bonded to the inside of the outer skin of the hull. It is imperative to be able to access this as some yachts have inner skins with a filled cavity. These types of hulls would hinder the sound waves to transfer through to the outer skin making it ineffective.
Furthermore, wooden hulls are not suitable. Wood has a low density and has many joints, which creates poor acoustic transmission of the ultrasonic high frequencies.
Ultrasonic antifouling is not 100% efficient. After a certain amount of time the boat will still need to be lifted out of the water and treated.
Painting the hull not only provides antifouling for your hull, but it is also a waterproofing barrier, protecting the coat from the effects of osmosis.
Ultrasonic antifouling does not rely on any other products to destroy bacteria and algae. However, experts suggest the system is used in conjunction with antifouling paint, to prevent the hull from natural staining.
For example, the gel-coat of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) hulls may look smooth to the naked eye but has microscopic imperfections. This allows particles to penetrate and remain even after a high-pressure wash. A painted hull closes these imperfections in the gel-coat and although an old paint becomes inactive against fouling, it will continue to naturally wear on the surface and when used in conjunction with an ultrasonic antifouling system, it becomes a more effective combination. This means re-painting can therefore be reduced to once every three years.
In the realm of maritime luxury, the quest to offer yacht charter guests the perfect night's sleep has become an art form, one which luxury bed and linen supplier, CC Design, has fully committed to.
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