2100results about "Vessel cleaning" patented technology

Disclosed herein is an article that includes a first plurality of spaced features. The spaced features are arranged in a plurality of groupings; the groupings of features include repeat units; the spaced features within a grouping are spaced apart at an average distance of about 1 nanometer to about 500 micrometers; each feature having a surface that is substantially parallel to a surface on a neighboring feature; each feature being separated from its neighboring feature; the groupings of features being arranged with respect to one another so as to define a tortuous pathway. The plurality of spaced features provide the article with an engineered roughness index of about 5 to about 20.

A hull cleaning robot includes at least one cleaning apparatus for cleaning the hull of a vessel, at least one drive track holding the robot on the hull as the robot maneuvers about the hull, and at least one turbine actuatable by water flowing past the hull for operating the at least one drive track and, optionally, the cleaning apparatus.

A system includes a UV light source and an optical medium coupled to receive UV light from the UV light source. The optical medium is configured to emit UV light proximate to a surface from which biofouling is to be removed once the biofouling has adhered to the protected surface. A method corresponds to the system.

A chassis clings to a ship hull or other ferrous surface by a magnet that moves toward or away from the surface to adjust the magnet air gap and thus the attractive force. The magnet(s) can be the only clinging force or used with other sources such as a suction chamber or fluid jet drive. An internal magnet on a crank mechanism can pivot around a wheel rotation axis inside a wheel body having a non-ferrous traction surface or tire. The magnet gap is least at an angle perpendicular to the surface on which the wheel rests, and larger at an angle oblique to that, for varying the attractive force to two or more levels. The vehicle can be an autonomous hull maintenance device with sensors, controllers and actuators to sense, measure and clean away fouling.

A dynamic coating includes at least one polymeric layer for attachment to a surface. The polymeric layer includes at least one electrically conducting polymer including layer, wherein under influence of a dynamic signal applied to the polymeric layer, a contact angle of the polymeric layer dynamically and substantially increases or decreases upon oxidation or reduction of the polymer. The polymeric layer can also expand or contract upon oxidation or reduction. The coating can be used for a variety of applications including a non-toxic biofouling preventative system and for forming low voltage electrowetting pumps.

An article has a surface topography for resisting bioadhesion of organisms and includes a base article having a surface. A composition of the surface includes a polymer. The surface has a topography comprising a pattern defined by a plurality of spaced apart features attached to or projected into the base article. The plurality of features each have at least one microscale dimension and at least one neighboring feature having a substantially different geometry. An average feature spacing between adjacent ones of the features is between 10 μm and 100 μm in at least a portion of the surface. The surface topography can be numerically represented using at least one sinusoidal function. In one embodiment, the surface can comprise a coating layer disposed on the base article.

The present invention provides an apparatus and a method to prevent biofouling of underwater optical systems using ultraviolet light generated from within a pressure vessel and through an optics window, without removing the optical systems from the water and without disbursement of chemicals into the water.

A method for the locomotion of devices on opposite sides of a surface, one or more of which are mobile robots. Devices on opposing sides of the surface are coupled by an attractive force, which helps generate enough friction between said devices and the surface to allow devices to move across the surface.

A coated surface for resisting or enhancing bioadhesion includes at least one patterned polymer including coating layer having a plurality of features attached to or projected into a base surface. The features each have at least one microscale (<1 mm) dimension and have at least one neighboring feature having a substantially different geometry. The patterned coating layer preferably provides an average roughness factor (R) of from 4 to 50. The coating layer resists or enhances bioadhesion as compared to the base surface.

The invention discloses a robot for cleaning a composite adsorption ship body, relates to the field of machinery, and aims to provide a composite adsorption mode combining magnetic adsorption with propeller adsorption for the current robot for cleaning a ship body. The robot comprises a rack, three cleaning brushes, a motor and a travelling mechanism, wherein the front part of the rack is provided with the cleaning brushes and the motor, and the two sides of the rack are provided with the travelling mechanism; the rack is also provided with a propeller and anti-dumping magnetic wheels; the propeller is arranged in the middle of the rack and is connected with the motor; the anti-dumping magnetic wheels are arranged at the rear part of the rack; the travelling mechanism comprises two crawler attachments and is driven by the motor, and outer sides of the crawler belts are provided with magnets; and the outer circumference of the anti-dumping magnetic wheels are provided with magnets, and the upper part of the anti-dumping magnetic wheels are provided with bearings. The robot has the beneficial effect that the underwater part and overwater part of the ship body can be completely cleaned.

An antifouling paint composition comprising an enzyme, such as endopeptidase, Subtilisin (EC 3.4.21.62) and Alcalase(R), and a rosin compound, wherein the enzyme is effective to reduce or prevent fouling by aquatic organisms of a surface coated with the composition. Also disclosed is a method for preventing fouling of a surface by aquatic organisms.

An antifouling coating composition comprising (A) a silyl ester copolymer containing constituent units derived from a polymerizable unsaturated carboxylic acid silyl ester; (B) a carboxylic acid; (C) a bivalent or trivalent metal compound; and (D) a dehydrating agent. It is preferred that the component (C) be contained in an amount of 1.2 equivalents or more, in terms of the number of equivalents of metal as a constituent of the component (C), per equivalent of carboxyl group of the carboxylic acid (B); that the component (C) be a bivalent metal compound; and that the component (C) be a compound of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium and barium. From the antifouling coating composition, there can be obtained an antifouling coating film which exhibits less cracking tendency, excellent adherence so as to ensure less peeling tendency and desirably controlled hydrolysis rate so as to be excellent in antifouling performance, in particular, antifouling properties in highly fouling environment and long-term antifouling properties. With respect to the provided antifouling coating composition, its storage stability is high, its concentration can be increased, the amount of solvent used therefor can be reduced, and its applicability is high.

Disclosed is a flow-driven antifouling device for a seismic marine streamer cable. A cylindrical housing is circumferentially mounted to a submerged, circular cable. Fluid flow over the cable provides motive power to rotate the device around the outer surface of the cable, preventing barnacles, marine growth and other fouling accumulation. Interior wheels contact the cable outer surface to disrupt fouling growth and control the direction of travel along the length of the cable. Radially-protruding vanes utilize the local fluid flow over the cable to apply a rotation to the device, powering its movement. The orientation of the inner wheels determines corkscrew direction, allowing forward and aft travel along the cable. Continuous and uninterrupted motion prevents fouling development, which improves the fidelity of seismic sensors and decreases drag on the cable.

Internal electrode layers are superimposed in a dielectric substrate 1 at intervals. Step absorption layers are respectively provided on lateral sides of the internal electrode layers. A side portion of the internal electrode layer forms an inclined surface, and the step absorption layer is superimposed so as to partially overlap the inclined surface of the internal electrode layer. This is also applied to the other internal electrode layers and step absorption layers.

A protective member includes outer and inner layers interconnected by multiple connectors under tension along their longitudinal axis. The connectors absorb energy from an impact force by resisting further tension along their longitudinal axis, can elongate along their longitudinal axis and allow the layers to move relative to each other. The protective member can be used in numerous applications and environments, including for participants in sports, in applications including bumpers, passenger cabins, car seats, beds, torso protection, ships, gloves, footwear and items.

The robotic device conducts an action on a curved ferromagnetic surface. The robotic device includes a chassis platform and at least one magnetic side drive module. The chassis platform rolls on the curved ferromagnetic surface and is maintained thereon by virtue of the curved ferromagnetic surface being ferromagnetic. The at least one magnetic side drive module is pivotally attached to the chassis platform and is for conducting the action on the curved ferromagnetic surface as the chassis platform rolls on the curved ferromagnetic surface.