2122results about "Vessel cleaning" patented technology

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.

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 to be protected from biofouling. A method corresponds to the system.

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.

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 surface traveling mobile apparatus which moves by an endless track belt installed to be wrapped around a case from end to end, traveling on a surface by the rotation of wheels driven by a power source is provided. The surface traveling mobile apparatus includes vacuum chambers installed to be attached to the sides of the wheels, a vacuum tube for connecting the vacuum chambers to each other, a vacuum pump formed in part of the vacuum tube, the vacuum pump for inhaling and exhausting air, and suction mechanisms installed along the endless track belt at predetermined intervals, valve driven by contacting the wheels, and vacuum attached to the surface by the vacuum pump inhaling and exhausting air. Also, a cleaning apparatus including a spray unit for spraying water or wash liquid to the surface when the surface traveling mobile apparatus moves, and a rotating brush for washing the surface using the sprayed liquid, are provided. Accordingly, the surface traveling apparatus and the cleaning apparatus using the same can freely travel a plane, an inclined plane, a vertical plane, and a ceiling and thus, can clean areas which are not easily cleaned by people, such as windows or high buildings and high ceilings.

The present invention is a wake control mechanism for watercrafts comprising flat or upwardly curved wake control plate(s) which is / are connected to the stern in a variety of ways, either fixed or adjustable, such that the water passing beneath and / or beside the transom is scooped upward by the plate(s) and the watercraft is therefore pushed deeper into the water causing a larger wake. Additionally the plate(s) may have walls so that the scooped water is held above water level thus adding weight and further increasing wake size. Adjustments to the plate(s) position may be used to control the shape as well as the size of the wake.

The invention concerns a surface traversing apparatus that includes a frame, a seal having a seal perimeter that is mounted to the frame, and a drive configured to move the apparatus relative to the surface. The seal perimeter is adapted substantially for rolling contact with the surface to be traversed. The device is capable of suction adhering and moving along horizontal, vertical, inverted surfaces and the like, and overcoming obstacles or surface irregularities while maintaining suction adhesion to the surface. The device can be propelled along the surface with a locomoting rolling seal assembly, which provides both a seal to affect the vacuum adhesion and the locomotion to drive the device across the surface.

Disclosed are marine coating compositions that are useful to inhibit the fouling of a marine structure by a broad spectrum of organisms. Generally, the marine coating composition comprises an antifouling agent and an organic vehicle.

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.

The invention is suitable for the technical field of ship rust removing and washing, and provides a water jetting washing device. The water jetting washing device aims at solving the technical problem that the angles of washing nozzles in a ship rust removing and washing device in the prior art can not be adjusted. The water jetting washing device comprises a high-pressure water pipe assembly, a plurality of nozzles and a rotating assembly which is connected to the high-pressure water pipe assembly and used for driving the high-pressure water pipe assembly to rotate. The high-pressure water pipe assembly comprises a main water pipe connected with the rotating assembly and a plurality of branch water pipes communicated with the main water pipe and each provided with at least one nozzle. The water jetting washing device further comprises adjustment assemblies connected between the main water pipe and the branch water pipes to adjust the jetting angles of the branch water pipes relative to the nozzles. According to the water jetting washing device, as the nozzles are arranged on the branch water pipes, and the jetting angles of the nozzles are adjusted through the adjustment assemblies, the nozzles can conduct washing work and rust removing work at any angle, washing work and rust removing work under different working conditions can be achieved, and the washing effect and the rust removing effect are greatly improved.

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 mobile robot for cleaning, stripping, reconditioning or refurbishing a coating on a metal work piece has a remote controlled power module for locomotion and a working head for removing the coating. The robot is held on the metal work piece by magnets mounted on the robot but spaced from the work piece.

A modular apparatus for supporting and guiding a tool such as an ultra-high pressure water jet along a work surface, including a contour following assembly attached to a motorized lift vehicle. The contour following assembly includes a gimbals assembly with an instrument or tool carriage assembly, a positioning assembly that urges the gimbals assembly and the instrument carriage against the surface, and, optionally, a hydraulic, mechanical, or pneumatic pressure system that applies pressure to the positioning assembly. A scissors lift, hydraulic lift, telescoping arm, or other suitable device raises and lowers the apparatus. In operation, the gimbals assembly and the positioning assembly cooperate to maintain the instrument carriage in a user-selected position with respect to a work surface such as a ship hull, aircraft fuselage, storage tank, or the like. Depending on the type of tool selected, the apparatus may be used for cleaning or stripping surface coatings, buffing, painting, washing, and so forth. The apparatus is mobile, compact, cost-effective, and can be operated by a single operator.

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.

A water spray device for cleaning the hull of a boat is disclosed. The spray device includes a handle and wand portion. The handle portion has an angled portion separating an upper and lower part, a channel formed through the handle and a top and bottom open end. The top end engages a hose connected to a water source. A shut-off valve is disposed within the handle channel proximal to the top end. The wand portion is an elongated tube having an channel formed therein, an open top end for engaging the handle bottom end, a closed bottom end and a plurality of spray nozzles disposed along the wand. Water enters the handle portion, flows into the wand portion and out the spray nozzles. A user of the novel water spray device simply positions the spray nozzles towards the boat hull from the deck of the boat while holding the spray device and walks around the perimeter of the boat to quickly, easily and thoroughly clean the boat hull.

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.