Improved biofouling protection for volume / velocity flows

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatus, methods and / or systems for protecting articles and / or structures exposed to, submerged and / or partially submerged in an aquatic environment from fouling and / or fouling due to invasion and / or colonization by specific types and / or species of biological organisms and / or plants, including protection from microscopic and / or macroscopic fouling during extended periods of exposure to an aquatic environment.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 020,826, filed on May 6, 2020, entitled “BIOFOULING PROTECTION OF ELEVATED VOLUME / VELOCITY FLOWS,” Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Patent Application No. PCT / US19 / 59546, filed on November 1, 2019, entitled “DURABLE BIOFOULING PROTECTION,” and Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Patent Application No. PCT / US20 / 22782, filed on March 13, 2020, entitled “BIOFOULING PROTECTION,” the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to improved devices, systems, and methods for protecting articles and / or structures exposed to, immersed in, and / or partially immersed in, and / or adjacent to, an aquatic environment that experiences increased velocity and / or high volume flow from fouling and / or scaling due to the intrusion and / or colonization of specific types and / or species of biological organisms. More specifically, improved methods, apparatus, and / or systems are disclosed for protecting such structures and / or substrates from microfouling and / or macrofouling during periods of exposure to an aquatic environment. Background Art

[0004] The growth and attachment of various marine organisms to structures in aquatic environments, known as biofouling, is a significant problem for many industries, including recreational and industrial boating and shipping, the oil and gas industry, power plants, water treatment plants, water management and control, irrigation, manufacturing, scientific research, the military (including the Corps of Engineers), and the fishing industry. Most surfaces exposed to coastal, harbor, or seawater (and their freshwater counterparts), such as those associated with ship hulls, underwater moorings, chains and piles, oil rig platforms, buoys, boom systems, fishing nets, piers, and docks, are eventually colonized by animal species, such as barnacles, mussels (as well as oysters and other bivalves), bryozoans, hydroids, polychaetes, ascidians, and / or other tunicates, as well as various plant species. Biofouling is caused by the interaction between various plant and / or animal species and various aspects of the substrate to which they ultimately attach, resulting in the formation of an adhesive that firmly binds the biofouling organisms to the substrate, thereby causing biofouling. Despite its apparent simplicity, the biofouling process is a highly complex network of interactions influenced by a myriad of microorganisms, macroorganisms, and the changing characteristics of the aquatic environment.

[0005] The economic impact of biofouling is critical for many industries. In addition to the corrosion caused by biofouling on various surfaces exposed to aquatic environments, another significant economic consequence of biofouling is the formation of biofouling and / or scaling-induced scale on heat exchange surfaces and / or other wetted surfaces in many facilities where water is consumed or moved. For example, large water systems are used in a wide variety of processes, and in their most basic form, these systems rely on the transfer of heat from a hotter fluid or gas to a cooler fluid or gas, where this heat typically travels through a "heat transfer surface," which is typically the metal wall of a heat transfer pipe that separates the hot and cold substances. Typically, the fluid will contain water, which in many cases can be salt water drawn from a bay, sea, and / or ocean, fresh water drawn from a river, lake, or well / aquifer, or wastewater from various sources. Water is a favorable environment for many life forms, and these fouling organisms often colonize the wetted surfaces of heat transfer pipes, which can significantly reduce the system's heat transfer rate. In many cases, even a thin biofilm forming on a heat transfer surface can significantly insulate that surface, reducing its heat transfer efficiency and greatly increasing the overall operating cost of the system.

[0006] A variety of methods have been used to attempt to prevent and / or reduce biofouling accumulation in various water systems. One common attempt to ameliorate biofouling is to use influent filtration, but the large volumes and / or high water velocities required for raw water inlet generally limit efforts to filter fish and / or larger debris from the water stream. In addition to filtration, most water systems, and particularly water systems, treat the raw water stream with some form of oxidizing biocide or other additive, most commonly bleach, but also gaseous chlorine, bleach / sodium bromide, chlorine dioxide, monochloramine, and monobromamine. In addition to the high cost of purchasing and / or operating such systems, such corrosive substances, which in the case of chlorine can be strong oxidizers, can cause deleterious effects far beyond their intended use environments (i.e., once released, the corrosive substances can damage organisms in the surrounding aquatic environment), and many of these substances can enhance corrosion and / or degradation of the items they are intended to protect or related system components. Another problem in many facilities, particularly in the power generation industry, is that regulations set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) generally allow an average residual free available chlorine level of no more than 0.2 ppm over a two-hour period per day as "best available technology." With such restrictions, plants are allowed to be treated for less than 9% of any given day, giving microorganisms and / or other scaling elements an opportunity to settle, colonize, and form a protective biofilm layer. Similar restrictions and / or safety concerns exist for many other toxins and / or chemicals that may be added to such water in an attempt to limit scaling within the water system.

[0007] In many cases, industries will simply accept that scaling and / or scale formation will inevitably occur within their water supply systems, and these industries will expect to bypass and / or remove the affected systems / subsystems from service on a regular basis to clean, repair and / or otherwise address the effects of scaling and / or scale formation. For example, the flow of water in a given supply system may be stopped and / or reversed, with toxic and / or corrosive agents injected into the system to ideally kill and / or remove some of the scaling organisms and / or other obstructions. In various cases, cleaning and / or replacement of various components, such as valves, sensors, heat exchanger tubing and / or other components, may be completed. Obviously, such activities can be quite expensive, labor intensive, time consuming and / or result in damage to the scaling surfaces, and such actions may also require the enterprise to purchase additional system resources (i.e., excess capacity) to accommodate system / subsystem downtime during such evolutions.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need for improved devices, systems, and methods to eliminate or reduce the amount of biofouling on surfaces exposed to aquatic environments. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Various inventions disclosed herein include fulfilling the need for improved methods, apparatuses, and / or systems for protecting structures and / or substrates from microfouling and / or macrofouling during long-term exposure to an aquatic environment, including situations where it may be impractical, impossible, and / or inconvenient to completely isolate the exposed substrate or other structure from the presence of fouling organisms and / or other influences within the aqueous environment. This may include water flow-through and closed-loop situations where ambient water in an aqueous environment is circulated, consumed, and / or utilized (i.e., for water and / or for freshwater distillation), and / or situations where sensors or other devices are utilized to record and / or sample the surrounding aqueous environment.

[0010] The various inventions disclosed herein further include the recognition that a completely sealed environment and / or an aqueous fluid "circuit" that completely isolates a substrate from the surrounding aqueous environment may not be sufficient to protect the substrate from various negative effects of the aqueous environment, because the "protected" substrate may be subject to corrosion or other effects resulting from anoxic, acidic, and / or other conditions (and / or other conditions associated with such environments, such as microbial corrosion) that may occur within the completely sealed enclosure and / or in the vicinity of the substrate. Therefore, optimal protection of the substrate may be provided by an enclosure or similar device that "pre-treats" or "treats" the incoming and / or recirculating water within the aqueous environment at a location slightly "upstream" from the substrate to be protected.

[0011] In various embodiments, an anti-biofouling housing, filter media, dosing device, pretreatment device, mixing device and / or the like is described that can be positioned upstream and / or proximate to a substrate or other object to enclose, protect, filter, separate, isolate, insulate, safeguard and / or shield the substrate from one or more features or characteristics of the surrounding aqueous environment, including various embodiments described in pending Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent application No. PCT / US20 / 22782, entitled “Biofouling Protection,” filed on March 13, 2020, and pending Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent application No. PCT / US19 / 59546, entitled “Persistent Biofouling Protection,” filed on November 1, 2019, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. More specifically, various embodiments of the housing, filtration media, dosing devices, pretreatment and / or mixing devices will ideally interact with water and / or other aqueous fluids passing through and / or in the vicinity of the device, and are ideally used to modify the water in various ways, optionally including filtering and / or screening some fouling organisms from the fluid stream, while potentially altering the water chemistry and / or optionally applying various amounts of biocides and / or other substances directly to any fouling organisms that may pass through and / or in the vicinity of the device. In various embodiments, the activity of the device can protect downstream substrates from direct biofouling by certain types of micro- and / or macromolecular agents, and in at least some cases, promote the formation of a relatively persistent "artificial" surface biofilm, coating, or layer on one or more substrates that can potentially inhibit, hinder, avoid, and / or prevent the subsequent settlement, recruitment, and / or colonization of unwanted types of biofouling organisms on the substrate surface over an extended period of time, even in the absence of the device.

[0012] In various embodiments, the disclosed enclosure systems can desirably modify environmental conditions within a "protected" aqueous environment to inhibit and / or prevent various biofouling organisms from settling and / or colonizing various substrate surfaces within the aqueous environment. In some embodiments, the enclosure systems can include characteristics that alter the type, quantity, and / or "mix" of various biofilm-forming organisms within the protected environment to reduce the thickness, rate, and / or extent of biofilm formation, as well as potentially alter the biofilm formed thereby (e.g., reducing the rate of film formation and / or forming a biofilm with minimal thermal insulation), including altering substrate biofilm composition, thickness, and structural integrity. Exemplary embodiments can include modifying the aqueous environment to inhibit and / or prevent larvae and / or small organisms from being able to settle on substrate surfaces and / or to reduce or delay such settlement. In various alternative embodiments, features of the disclosed enclosures can control and / or vary the volume of water flow and / or the residence time of water within certain areas of the protected aqueous environment, can include components that act as flow restrictors and / or flow deflectors, can include fiber matrix media that induce mixing and / or laminar / non-laminar flow of fluid within the aqueous environment, including within the fiber matrix itself and / or within or between individual pores of the fiber matrix (including turbulent flow, laminar flow, and / or various combinations thereof), can optionally include one or more biocides or other chemical / material dosing devices and / or components that provide a controlled biocide release profile, including water-soluble or degradable resins that encapsulate the biocide that is released as the water flows through the dosing device. In some embodiments, a fiber matrix can be used that can filter and / or shield the protected aquatic environment from larger organisms, as well as potentially prevent organisms from clogging or "clogging" various components of the enclosure system, including the fiber matrix medium itself.

[0013] In various embodiments of the housing, filtering, dosing and / or mixing devices, the system components will ideally incorporate openings, voids and / or windows that allow a certain amount of water or other aqueous fluid to enter the water system from the external aqueous environment, and in some embodiments, the system can change the water chemistry and / or turbidity of the liquid passing through the device and / or residing within the water system, potentially resulting in different levels of clay, silt, finely divided inorganic and organic matter, algae, soluble colored organic compounds, chemicals and compounds, plankton and / or other microorganisms suspended in the liquid within the aqueous fluid system, the levels of which can variously result in different levels of scaling and / or corrosion (and / or lack of scaling and / or corrosion) of different substrates contained within the system compared to those in the open aqueous environment that may be the source of the fluid (i.e., prior to passing through the device).

[0014] In various embodiments, the devices described herein are used to create an at least partially "filtered," "treated," "quantified," and / or "differentiated" aquatic environment within a water supply system, wherein various water system components include housings, boundary walls, valves, heat exchangers, sensors, and / or other devices within the system and in contact with an aqueous medium, which can be considered a "substrate" and / or surface that may be protected. Ideally, the devices described herein have the potential to cause various surfaces and / or system components to become unfavorable for the settlement and / or recruitment of aquatic organisms that promote various types of biofouling (which may include surfaces that produce "negative" settlement cues and surfaces that may lack and / or exhibit reduced levels of "positive" settlement cues for one or more types of biofouling organisms). The devices and / or other configurations described in various embodiments herein may also ideally filter, reduce, and / or prevent many marine organisms that contribute to biofouling from entering the water system and / or inhibit such organisms from contacting and / or colonizing submerged and / or partially submerged surfaces of a given substrate.

[0015] In various embodiments, the antifouling device can include a permeable, formable matrix and / or structural material, which in at least one exemplary embodiment can comprise a woven polyester structure made of spun polyester yarn. In at least one further embodiment, the use of spun polyester yarn can desirably increase the effective surface area and / or fibrillation of the structural material on a microscopic and / or microscopic scale, which can desirably (1) result in a significant reduction in the "effective" or average size of natural and / or artificial openings extending through the structure, (2) reduce the amount and / or width of "free space" within the openings through and / or within the structure, thereby potentially reducing the separation distance between microorganisms (in the influent / effluent fluid) and the surface of the structure, and / or (3) alter and / or cause changes in water quality downstream of the device in various ways. The reduced average opening size of the structure will ideally increase the "filtration" of the liquid, thereby reducing and / or preventing various biological organisms and / or other materials from freely passing through the structure, and generally increasing the "residence time" within the structure of a portion of the organisms that may eventually pass through the structure, as well as significantly reducing the total volume of water within a given local area and / or group of pores or other openings within the structure. These factors will ideally result in a significant reduction or measurement of the size and / or viability of microorganisms and macroorganisms (as well as various organic and / or inorganic foulants and / or other compounds) that enter and exit the walls of the structure. In addition, these aspects will also ideally reduce the amount, extent and / or rate of biofouling or other degradation that may occur on the fibrous matrix material itself and / or within the openings therein, ideally maintaining the flexibility, permeability and / or other properties of the shell structure over an extended period of time.

[0016] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the structural wall of the housing can be fenestrated and / or perforated to a sufficient extent to allow a certain amount of liquid and / or other substances to pass through and / or "filter" the walls of the medium in a relatively controlled and / or metered manner (i.e., from an external or "open" aqueous environment to a water system located "downstream" of the housing), which can include creating a "differentiated" aqueous environment located downstream of the housing but "upstream" of the water system to be protected. The movement of liquid and / or other compositions from the open environment to the differentiated aqueous environment, and the subsequent movement of water from the differentiated aqueous environment to and / or through the water inlet of the water system, can desirably (in conjunction with various natural and / or artificial processes) induce, promote, and / or create a relatively "differentiated" or dynamic "artificial" environment within the "differentiated" aqueous environment, particularly having properties that differ in many respects from the dynamic properties of the surrounding aqueous environment, which desirably renders the different environment "undesirable" for many biofouling organisms, thereby reducing and / or eliminating the occurrence of biofouling within the housing and / or immediately downstream of the housing. Additionally, the presence of a large number of small perforations in the walls of the enclosure may ideally provide varying degrees of filtration for intake and / or exchange fluids, which may reduce the number and / or viability of organisms entering the differentiated aqueous environment through the wall pores and negatively impact organisms inside and / or outside the enclosure that may be near the media walls.

[0017] In various embodiments, the presence of the housing and any optional openings and / or perforations therethrough can create a "closed" or "partially closed" aqueous environment downstream of the housing that can be less conducive to microfouling and / or macrofouling of substrates therein than the surrounding aqueous environment, which can include the presence and / or presence of biofilm localization cues within the "differentiated" aqueous environment at a lower level of positivity than the biofilm localization cues of the surrounding aqueous environment. Ideally, the housing and / or other components of the system can create "differences" in the composition and distribution of various environmental factors and / or compounds within the "differentiated" aqueous environment and / or water system as compared to similar factors and / or compounds within the surrounding open aqueous environment, which "differences" inhibit and / or prevent significant biofouling from occurring (1) on the surface of any protected substrate, (2) on the interior wall surface of the housing, (3) within the interstices of the openings and / or perforations in the wall of the housing, and / or (4) on the exterior wall surface of the housing. In some embodiments, the housing and / or other system components may create a gradient of settling cues within a "differentiated" aqueous environment that induces and / or encourages some and / or all of the microfouling and / or macrofouling organisms to be located slightly away from any protected substrate, while in other embodiments, the housing and / or other system components may create a microenvironment near one or more protected substrates that is unfavorable for biofouling and / or other degradation of the substrates. In other embodiments, the housing and / or other system components may be positioned near and / or directly upstream of the substrate components, such as directly adjacent to the inlet of a heat exchanger and / or heat exchange piping within the water system, and still provide the various protections described herein.

[0018] In various embodiments, the housing can include a plurality of fiber matrix media having smaller openings, perforations, and / or holes in the structure, as well as one or more larger openings, such as an open bottom and / or top (or portions thereof), as well as various openings on the water inlet side. In various embodiments, a "large" opening can be defined as an opening in the housing that comprises at least 10% or more of the surface area of the outer surface area of the housing wall of the system, while in other embodiments, the large opening can comprise an area that is 2% or more, 5% or more, 15% or more, 20% or more, 25% or more, 30% or more, 35% or more, and / or 40% or more greater than the surface area of the outer surface area of the housing wall. In various other embodiments, a plurality of relatively small openings (i.e., 0.25% to 2% of the surface area of the outer surface area of the housing wall) can be functionally and / or structurally equivalent to one or more of the larger openings described herein.

[0019] In various disclosed embodiments, the unique protected environment within the aqueous environment downstream of the disclosed system can induce unique numbers and / or diversity of bacteria and / or other microorganisms within the protected water system, which can induce or promote the formation of one or more biofilms in the water system, wherein such biofilms may be "less firmly attached" to the substrate than biofilms typically encountered in unprotected environments. Such biofilms can promote the removal and / or "scraping" of fouling organisms from the substrate and / or from the intermediate biofilm layer. In this case, the microbial flora and / or microfauna can include different phyla (i.e., different bacteria and / or cyanobacteria and / or diatoms) from those located in natural or untreated aqueous environments. In some embodiments, the resulting biofilm may be thinner or contain impaired structural integrity. In some alternative embodiments, moving water according to water volume and / or speed under pumping conditions may only allow the formation of biofilms that are tougher than in a more static or static environment, wherein these tough biofilms may optionally not contain particularly induced strain and / or may lack sufficient physical support structure and thickness compared to more inductive naturally occurring biofilms.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, some or all of the biofouling protection and / or effectiveness described herein for the protected substrate may be ideally provided by the housing and its permeable, formable matrix, fibrous matrix, and / or structural wall material, without the use of various supplemental anti-biofouling agents, while in other embodiments, the housing may comprise a permeable, formable fibrous matrix and / or structural wall material that penetrates one or more biocides and / or antifouling agents into portions of the wall structure and / or its coating. In some embodiments, the biocides and / or antifouling agents may provide biofouling protection for the walls and / or components of the system itself (with the housing providing some degree of biofouling protection for downstream substrates), while in other embodiments, the biocides and / or antifouling agents may also provide some degree of biofouling protection for the substrate itself, while in other embodiments, the biocides and / or antifouling agents may provide biofouling protection for both the housing and the substrate, and / or various combinations thereof.

[0021] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the housing can include a plurality of replaceable modular components formed from a permeable, formable fibrous matrix of a polyester material made from spun polyester yarn, the replaceable modular components being coated on at least one side (e.g., an outwardly facing surface of the housing) with a biocidal compound or a coating or coating containing a biocide, wherein at least some of the biocidal compound permeates at least a portion of the bulk of the material. In at least one further embodiment, the use of ring-spun polyester yarn can desirably increase the effective surface area and / or fibrillation of the structural material on a microscopic and / or microscopic scale, which can desirably (1) result in a significant reduction in the average size of natural openings extending through the structure and / or (2) reduce the amount and / or width of "free space" within openings through and / or within the structure, thereby potentially reducing the separation distance between microorganisms (in the influent / effluent fluid) and the biocide coating residing on the structure. In such embodiments, the reduced average opening size of the structure will desirably increase "filtration" of the liquid to reduce and / or prevent various biological organisms and / or other materials from entering the enclosed or confined environment, while the reduced "free space" within the openings will desirably increase or amplify the effect of the biocide on organisms passing through the shell (including increasing the likelihood of direct contact between the biocide and various organisms) due to their close proximity to the biocidal coating. These factors will desirably result in a significant reduction in the size and / or viability of microorganisms and macroorganisms (as well as various organic and / or inorganic fouling) that enter the shell. Furthermore, the presence of the biocide coating and / or coating and / or additive on and / or in the shell structure will desirably significantly reduce the amount, extent and / or rate of biofouling or other degradation that may occur on the shell material itself and / or within the openings therein, desirably maintaining the flexibility, permeability and / or other properties of the shell structure over an extended period of time.

[0022] In some embodiments and / or in some aqueous environments, the presence of an optional biocide coating on at least the outer surface of the flexible material will desirably reduce the thickness, density, weight, and / or extent of biofouling and / or other degradation experienced on and / or within the openings within the housing itself, which will optimally extend the useful life of the housing in its desired location upstream of the substrate. In many cases, biofouling of various components of the housing can significantly increase the weight and / or stiffness of the components, which can damage the housing, the housing, and / or structures attached to the housing (which can include portions of the substrate itself), as well as adversely affect the buoyancy of the housing and / or any objects attached thereto. In addition, biofouling of housing components can reduce the flexibility and / or ductility of various structural components, which can cause and / or contribute to premature tearing and / or failure of the structure and / or associated attachment mechanisms. Furthermore, biofouling formation on / in the housing can "block" or reduce the size of and / or close openings through and / or within the housing structure, which can undesirably alter the permeability and / or inhibit the ability of incoming water to flow freely through the housing.

[0023] In at least one embodiment, the antifouling housing can include a plurality of replaceable modules that can include modular filtration and / or dosing elements of the same or different sizes, shapes, thicknesses, and / or biocidal (or other material) coatings, including using biocide-coated filter modules in some locations of the system and uncoated filter modules in other locations of the system. Similarly, some modules can include a biocide coating that is initially eluted and / or otherwise dispensed within a limited time after fluid flow begins, wherein the time period is sufficient to allow different environments to form in the water system and / or upstream reservoir portion, wherein after the initial biocide elution has decreased to a low and / or ineffective level and / or elution or dispensing has ceased, the different environments can produce various inhibitory substances to provide subsequent biofouling protection to the substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The foregoing and other objects, aspects, features and advantages of the embodiments will become more apparent and can be better understood by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1A An exemplary embodiment of an antifouling system including an antifouling housing and / or structure is depicted;

[0026] Figure 1B Depicts Figure 1A A perspective view of a waterway in an anti-fouling system;

[0027] Figure 2A A series of exemplary waterways and associated components are depicted;

[0028] Figure 2B Depicts Figure 2A A side perspective view of an exemplary waterway;

[0029] Figure 3 depicts perspective views of exemplary modules or structures for use with the various antifouling systems disclosed herein;

[0030] Figure 4A and 4B Depicts components of an exemplary antifouling system incorporating a deployable antifouling sheet or similar component;

[0031] Figure 5 Another exemplary embodiment of an anti-fouling system utilizing seawater and / or freshwater as a cooling fluid source or other water source is depicted;

[0032] Figure 6A and 6B Another exemplary embodiment of a system for reducing biofouling and promoting seawater, freshwater, brackish water, or some other aqueous liquid used for various industrial purposes is depicted;

[0033] Figure 7A Depicted is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a natural or artificial reservoir or pond for use as a water source for a once-through cooling or recirculating cooling system.

[0034] Figure 7B An exemplary embodiment of a biofouling protection system is depicted that incorporates Figure 7A various arrangements of housing walls and / or other components for use with the reservoir;

[0035] Figure 7C Another exemplary embodiment of a biofouling protection system is depicted that incorporates Figure 7A various arrangements of housing walls and / or other components for use with the reservoir;

[0036] Figure 7D Another alternative embodiment of a biofouling protection system is depicted that incorporates Figure 7A various arrangements of housing walls and / or other components for use with the reservoir;

[0037] Figure 8 depicts a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a system for protecting a water supply system from various biofouling effects, the system incorporating a wall structure having multiple layers;

[0038] Figure 9An exemplary embodiment of a biofouling inhibition system is depicted that includes a supplemental pumping system for adding and / or removing aqueous liquid and / or other materials or substances to and from a reservoir;

[0039] Figure 10A depicts a scanning electron microscope micrograph of an exemplary spinning yarn used in a fabric medium;

[0040] Figure 10B Depicts Figure 10A A cross-sectional view of the central body of the yarn;

[0041] Figure 10C depicts an enlarged view of a knitted fabric comprising PET spun yarn;

[0042] Figure 11A Depicts exemplary rolled sheet fabrics for use in various antifouling shell designs;

[0043] Figure 11B An exemplary embodiment of a rolled sheet fabric incorporating adhesive, hook and loop fastener material is depicted;

[0044] Figure 12 depicts a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a permeable structure having various pore openings and channels extending from a front side to a back side of the structure, wherein a biocide coating at least partially penetrates the fabric and its pores;

[0045] Figure 13A Another exemplary embodiment of an uncoated polyester woven fabric is depicted;

[0046] Figure 13B An embodiment of 13A coated with a biocide coating is depicted;

[0047] Figure 14A Depicts natural uncoated burlap fabric;

[0048] Figure 14B and 14C Depicted are solvent-based biocidal coatings and water-based biocidal coatings. Figure 14A fabric;

[0049] Figure 15A An uncoated polyester fabric is depicted;

[0050] Figure 15B Depicts a biocidal coating Figure 15A fabric;

[0051] Figure 15C Depicts uncoated spun polyester fabric

[0052] Figure 15DDepicts a biocidal coating Figure 15C fabric;

[0053] Figure 15E An uncoated spun polyester fabric is depicted;

[0054] Figure 15F Depicted after coating Figure 15E the uncoated side of the spun polyester fabric;

[0055] Figure 16 Depicts the construction of a series of experimental waterways to determine the antifouling effectiveness of various system embodiments in directing varying amounts of filtered, pretreated, and / or metered ambient water;

[0056] Figures 17A to 17D Depicted in Figure 16 Scaling effects of various substrates after seven days of immersion in an experimental waterway;

[0057] Figure 18 Depicted in Figure 16 A top view of the scaling in the experimental waterway after seven days of immersion;

[0058] Figure 19 It is a top view schematic diagram of the pump and pipe configuration of another experimental waterway;

[0059] Figure 20A Depicted in Figure 19 A top view of the scaling in the experimental waterway after immersion for thirty days;

[0060] Figure 20B Shown Figure 19 perspective views of some additional experimental waterways, including views of waterway scale accumulation on various overflow channels;

[0061] Figures 21A to 21D Depicts Figure 19 Views of biofouling accumulation on control, protected (i.e., treated water), standard, and large waterways;

[0062] Figure 22A During the initial operation in early March Figure 19 Tabular view of waterway dimensions and flow characteristics;

[0063] Figures 22B to 22D Environmental water and Figure 19 A tabular view of the chemical characteristics of the waterway at different sampling time periods;

[0064] Figure 22E and 22G After soaking for 30 days Figure 19 A tabular view of the various types and amounts of biofouling on substrates within a waterway;

[0065] Figure 22F and 22H After soaking for two months Figure 19 A tabular view of the various types and amounts of biofouling on substrates within a waterway;

[0066] Figure 23 Another exemplary embodiment of a protective pumping system for adding or removing aqueous liquids and / or other materials or substances to or from a reservoir or tank is depicted;

[0067] Figures 24A to 24D Depicts the different scale accumulations on different substrates after 2 months of immersion;

[0068] Figures 25A to 25D Depicts biofouling on an unprotected control pump and various associated components, a standard pump and raceway, a fast pump and raceway, and a large pump and raceway after 2 months of immersion;

[0069] Figure 26A and 26B a tabular view depicting various dimensions and performance characteristics of water channels in an exemplary test setup;

[0070] Figure 27 Depicted is an exemplary embodiment of a complex fabric structure that is folded or wrinkled, such as a wavy and / or accordion-like fabric surface, which can significantly increase the surface area and / or potentially alter the filtration capabilities of an anti-fouling housing.

[0071] Figure 28 An alternative antifouling unit is depicted that includes multiple fiber structure modules parallel to the fluid flow, which allows the use of multiple modules for a single water flow;

[0072] Figure 29 depicts a top view schematic diagram of another enclosure test that examines water pre-treatment using a multi-layer enclosure (including a single-layer enclosure, a double-layer enclosure, and a triple-layer enclosure); and

[0073] Figure 30 Another experimental test is depicted in which metal chains with various protective casing arrangements were hung from docks and / or barges at Cape Marina. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] The disclosure of the various embodiments described herein is provided with sufficient specificity to meet statutory requirements, but such descriptions are not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in a variety of other ways, may include different steps or elements, and may be used in conjunction with other technologies, including those developed in the past, present, and / or future. Except where the order of individual steps or the arrangement of elements is explicitly described, the descriptions provided herein should not be construed as implying any particular order or arrangement among or between the individual steps or elements.

[0075] Disclosed herein are various systems and / or devices that are easy to assemble and / or use and can be used near, around, within, on top of, and / or below a substrate or other object located within (or placed in) an aqueous environment or aqueous containment tank susceptible to biofouling. In various embodiments, systems, devices, and methods are disclosed that can protect submerged and / or partially submerged substrates or other objects (or portions thereof) from the effects of aqueous biofouling, including developing and potentially maintaining biofouling resistance in the substrate for an extended period of time after various system components may have been depleted and / or removed.

[0076] In various embodiments, the disclosed systems can utilize structures or housing components formed from relatively inexpensive and readily available materials, such as polyester, nylon, or rayon structures, and / or natural materials, such as cotton, linen, or burlap structures (or various combinations thereof). The structures can be naturally degradable or engineered to degrade over time, particularly within or at any time prior to the useful life of the structure. In some embodiments, at least one active ingredient and / or biocide can be added to the surface of the structure or incorporated into the structure or housing. In non-limiting examples, the biocide can be incorporated into the polymer blends, fibers, filaments, yarns, and / or yarn bundles of the structure using any method generally known to those skilled in the art. In various embodiments, the modular components of the system can be removable and / or replaceable to allow the system to be used indefinitely as a biofouling inhibitor, which in some embodiments may include the replaceability of some system components during normal operation of the system.

[0077] In various embodiments disclosed herein, the terms "differentiated aqueous environment," "localized aqueous environment," and / or protected or treated environment are intended to broadly encompass some and / or all influent water that may have passed through the anti-fouling housing and / or may have been or will be altered by the influence and / or presence of the anti-fouling system, which may include one or more of the following (and / or any combination thereof): 1) any water that has passed through the housing or other components of the system, 2) any water within any pores or spaces between the interior and exterior surfaces of the housing (i.e., "entrained" within the fiber matrix), and / or 3) any water immediately adjacent to the exterior surface of the housing. In various embodiments, "liquid water" may refer to salt or seawater, fresh water, and brackish water.

[0078] While in some embodiments, the entire volume of the incoming water may pass through the antifouling system, in some alternative applications, only a portion of the incoming water volume may pass through the antifouling system. In various embodiments, the "treated" or "differentiated" aqueous environment will ideally be located "downstream" of the antifouling system, such as within the internal piping of a water supply system and / or within the walls of a water storage tank, where the interior walls of the tank may constitute the "substrate" to be protected, and some or all of the water is pumped from an external environmental source (such as a stream, lake, well, harbor, or reservoir) that constitutes the "open aqueous environment" for which protection of the substrate is sought.

[0079] In various embodiments, an antifouling system as described herein can be utilized to periodically provide biofouling protection to a protected substrate, which can include interrupting biofouling protection when an increase, decrease, and / or some other water flow change (including cross-flow and / or reverse flow or "backwashing" of fluid through components or elements of the antifouling system) in water flow proximate to the protected substrate is required, with biofouling protection potentially being restored after a period of time when water flow proximate to the protected substrate has returned to a "normal" or desired level (which can be the same or different than the water flow level before the change). Such situations can include the need for large amounts of cooling water and / or other water that exceed the system's capacity, which can reduce and / or eliminate some or all of the biofouling protection provided by the system during the increased flow period, but which can provide for restoration of biofouling protection once the water flow rate decreases below a predetermined design threshold.

[0080] In at least one exemplary embodiment, an anti-fouling system design may be provided that has particular utility as an anti-biofouling system for systems that use seawater and / or freshwater as a water source. In this embodiment, a floating or partially / fully submerged housing or "reservoir" may be provided within an aqueous environment, the housing containing a larger volume of aqueous fluid than the system may immediately require under normal use. The disclosed system may be located at the water inlet of the reservoir to ideally draw water through the housing into the reservoir. During the time required for most water molecules and / or droplets to pass through the water column within the reservoir, natural and / or artificial processes within the water column may ideally alter the water chemistry of the water within the reservoir (e.g., reduce the dissolved oxygen level in the water) such that at least one water chemistry factor has increased and / or depleted before traveling to the inlet of the water system.

[0081] In at least one exemplary embodiment, a method for determining the appropriate design, size, shape and / or other characteristics of a system can be used to determine a recommended minimum enclosed or confined volume and / or water exchange rate to ideally reduce and / or eliminate biofouling downstream of the system. In some embodiments, such as in a membrane filter configuration, where the system can be used to provide water and / or other source water to a manufacturing plant (i.e., a power plant, desalination plant, refinery and / or other manufacturing facility), the disclosed method can potentially be used to reduce and / or eliminate biofouling within the plant's water and / or other pipes, and in some embodiments, does not require additional filtration and / or microfiltration of the water. In various embodiments, the housing or similar system can include a plurality of modular panels, where one or more panels can be replaced when needed. In some embodiments, the panels can be replaced while the system is in normal operation.

[0082] In various embodiments, the design and use of the system can potentially, under certain conditions, promote, induce, and / or facilitate the formation of layers, biofilms, and / or deposits of materials on substrates and / or system walls, thereby reducing, repelling, inhibiting, and / or preventing subsequent attempts by microorganisms and / or macroorganisms to colonize, recruit, and / or scale some or all of the protected substrates (i.e., providing a degree of "biofouling inoculum" to the substrates). For example, various embodiments of the systems disclosed herein can result in the generation of a unique aqueous environment within a water system, thereby resulting in a unique mixture of microorganisms and / or microbial flora within the environment, including within one or more water layers near the surface of the substrate. In many embodiments, the unique mix and / or distribution of microorganisms / microbial flora within the water system can induce and / or influence the formation of microbial biofilms or other layers on the substrate, which, in combination with various surface bacteria, can release compounds that influence the settlement, recruitment, and / or colonization of fouling organisms on the substrate. In various embodiments, once a unique microbial biofilm layer is established, the layer can remain persistent and / or can maintain its characteristics and / or be self-replenishing, can continue to protect substrates from certain types and / or amounts of biofouling for extended periods of time in the absence of a system (i.e., where system components may be temporarily and / or permanently removed and / or damaged). In various embodiments, biofilms can contain different compositions and can have different structural integrity, thickness, etc. based on, among other things, local environmental conditions (including temperature, salinity, chemical composition, season of year, type of substrate being protected, and / or type of biofouling organisms on the substrate being protected).

[0083] In various embodiments, chemicals and / or compounds that affect the settlement, recruitment and / or colonization of fouling organisms on a substrate may include toxins and / or biocides, as well as chemicals and / or compounds that prevent such settlement, recruitment and / or colonization, as well as chemicals and / or compounds that may lack positive settlement, recruitment and / or colonization cues, and chemicals and / or compounds that may produce lower levels of positive settlement, recruitment and / or colonization cues compared to those produced on surfaces within the surrounding aqueous environment and / or compared to chemicals and / or compounds that produce positive settlement, recruitment and / or colonization cues for beneficial organisms (e.g., organisms that may not generally be considered important biofouling organisms). In some embodiments, certain "welcome cues" may be absent on the protected substrate and / or associated biofilm, which may provide extended fouling protection for the substrate. In various embodiments, "welcome cues" may encompass nutrients and / or chemicals that micro and / or macro flora require, desire and / or promote the settlement, recruitment, colonization, growth and / or replication of a given surface, and such "deterrent cues" may comprise waste metabolites and / or other chemicals that may inhibit, deter and / or prevent the settlement, recruitment, colonization, growth and / or replication of micro and / or macro flora on a given surface.

[0084] It is common to distinguish between "microfouling" (often referred to as "slime"), which is caused by the formation of complex biofilms by single-celled microorganisms such as bacteria, diatoms, and protozoa; "soft macrofouling," which includes macroscopic algae (seaweed) and invertebrates such as soft corals, sponges, anemones, tunicates, and hydroids; and "hard macrofouling" from shelled invertebrates such as barnacles, mussels, and tubeworms. Furthermore, a given biocide or biocide dosage level can often have different efficacy against juvenile and adult members of the same species, as well as different efficacy based on a number of water chemistry factors, including pH, dissolved oxygen levels, water temperature, and / or many other factors.

[0085] In various embodiments, inhibition of scaling can be represented by a reduction in total coverage of the substrate and / or one or more housing surfaces / voids by scaling organisms as compared to the total scaling coverage of a substantially similar substrate immersed and / or partially immersed in a substantially similar aquatic environment (without the protective housing). Such reduction in scaling can be a 10% or greater reduction in scaling, a 15% or greater reduction in scaling, a 25% or greater reduction in scaling, a 30% or greater reduction in scaling, a 40% or greater reduction in scaling, a 50% or greater reduction in scaling, a 60% or greater reduction in scaling, a 70% or greater reduction in scaling, a 80% or greater reduction in scaling, a 90% or greater reduction in scaling, a 95% or greater reduction in scaling, a 98% or greater reduction in scaling, a 99% or greater reduction in scaling, a 99.9% or greater reduction in scaling, and / or a 99.99% or greater reduction in scaling. Alternatively, the inhibition of fouling on one or more protected articles can be expressed as a percentage of the amount and / or mass of fouling formed on an equivalent unprotected substrate (i.e., by volume and / or weight). For example, a protected article may form a fouling cover that is less than 10% of the unprotected substrate (e.g., where the protected substrate forms a fouling cover that is less than 0.1" thick and the unprotected equivalent substrate forms a fouling cover that is 1" thick or greater), which would reflect a more than tenfold reduction in fouling levels on the protected substrate and / or housing wall compared to the fouling levels on the unprotected substrate. In other embodiments, the protected article may form less than 1% fouling, or the fouling levels on the protected substrate and / or housing wall may be reduced by more than a hundredfold. In still other embodiments, the protected article may form less than 0.1% fouling, and the fouling levels on the protected substrate and / or housing wall of the protected article may be reduced by more than a thousandfold. In even other embodiments of the present invention, the walls of the protected substrate and / or system components may have no significant fouling in any affected area of the substrate and / or housing wall, which may represent a fouling level of 0.01% (or more) or even 0% on the protected substrate and / or housing compared to the unprotected substrate (i.e., a reduction in fouling level of more than ten thousand times or more on the protected substrate and / or housing wall). ASTM D6990 and the Navy Ship Technical Manual (NSTM) are known reference standards and methods for measuring the amount of fouling percentage coverage and fouling thickness on a substrate.

[0086] In various additional embodiments, inhibition of fouling can be indicated by a reduction in the total increase in coverage of surfaces of substrates and system components by fouling organisms compared to the total increase in fouling coverage of a substantially similar substrate (i.e., without a protective enclosure) immersed and / or partially immersed in a substantially similar aquatic environment, which can be measured by visual inspection, physical measurement, and / or based on the increase in weight and / or volume of the individual components and / or combined substrate and enclosure when removed from the aqueous medium (i.e., the increase in weight due to the weight of fouling organisms attached thereto). Such reduction in fouling can be a 10% or greater reduction in fouling, a 15% or greater reduction in fouling, a 25% or greater reduction in fouling, a 30% or greater reduction in fouling, a 40% or greater reduction in fouling, a 50% or greater reduction in fouling, a 60% or greater reduction in fouling, a 70% or greater reduction in fouling, a 80% or greater reduction in fouling, a 90% or greater reduction in fouling, a 95% or greater reduction in fouling, a 98% or greater reduction in fouling, a 99% or greater reduction in fouling, a 99.9% or greater reduction in fouling, and / or a 99.99% or greater reduction in fouling. In various embodiments, exemplary weight gains can be measured in wet and / or dry states (or other moisture levels), which can significantly impact the overall weight change for a given system design, particularly when analyzing and comparing soft fouling organisms and / or biofilms and their impact.

[0087] Protection systems and structural enclosures

[0088] In various embodiments, the disclosed systems and / or system components will ideally modify the natural activity of biofouling organisms on "protected" wet surfaces within the water intake and distribution system, thereby reducing, eliminating, and / or modifying natural biofouling of wet surfaces within the system. FIG1 depicts an exemplary antifouling system 10, which may include a housing and / or structure 20 (in this embodiment, a three-dimensional "cube" having an outer wall of the housing), a pump 30 having a fluid conduit 35, and a waterway 40 containing a substrate 50. In this embodiment, an aqueous fluid, such as water, is drawn into the cube from the external environment through the housing wall, and the treated water flows through the fluid conduit 35 and the pump 30 before entering the waterway 40 containing the substrate 50 to be protected. Ideally, a constant flow of water enters the waterway 40, and excess water flows out of the waterway 40 through a one-way valve 60.

[0089] Figure 1B Depicts Figure 1A 4. In this embodiment, the waterway will ideally substantially surround a substrate (not shown), which inhibits ambient water from contacting the substrate in an undesirable manner. Figure 2A depicts a series of waterways and associated components, and Figure 2B Depicted is a side perspective view of an exemplary waterway.

[0090] Figure 3A perspective view of an exemplary module or structure 300 is depicted that may be used with the various systems disclosed herein. The module 300 may include a structural shell and / or structure 310 that may be secured at outer edges by a support structure 320, which in this embodiment may include a flexible and / or rigid outer frame of support beams. Additionally, this embodiment may desirably include a reinforcing material 330, such as a porous metal or wire mesh or a polymer or fabric, positionable on the downstream face of the media 310 (which material may be secured to and / or within the frame, if desired) that may reinforce and / or otherwise support the media 310 against the flow forces of a fluid passing therethrough. If desired, the module 300 may be sized and configured to be suitable for a receiver of an antifouling unit, such as a fluid pipe and / or an immersion antifouling unit, wherein the unit optionally includes multiple modules or structures therein (not shown). In some embodiments, the antifouling unit may include multiple fiber structure modules connected in series and / or in parallel with the fluid flow, including, if desired, using multiple modules for a single water flow (see Figure 28 ).

[0091] Figure 4A and 4B Components of an antifouling system are depicted that include a plurality of deployable "roller" sheets 400, each comprising a storage roller 410 and a deployable flexible sheet 420, wherein the flexible sheet 420 can be deployed from the storage roller 410 and extended downwardly (i.e., ideally under the force of gravity in some embodiments). In various embodiments, the storage roller 410 may include a buoyant member (e.g., a buoyant Styrofoam TM In various embodiments, a plurality of such deployable "roller" sheets may be arranged across a water system inlet or similar location, with the flexible sheet deployed to create a housing, filtration, and / or dosing membrane for water flow (as indicated by arrow 430), as described herein. If desired, the various roll sheets may include attachment mechanisms that allow adjacent sheets to be attached to each other.

[0092] Figure 5Another exemplary embodiment of an anti-fouling system is depicted, which is particularly useful as an anti-biofouling system for water systems that utilize seawater and / or freshwater as a water source. In this embodiment, a floating enclosure 500 or "reservoir" is provided in an aqueous environment 510, wherein the enclosure has one or more peripheral walls 520 that can contain a much larger amount of aqueous fluid than the system might require on a normal use basis. For example, if the system requires 1,000 gallons of water per minute during normal operation, the reservoir may ideally contain at least 10,000 gallons, at least 20,000 gallons, at least 50,000 gallons, at least 100,000 gallons, at least 500,000 gallons, and / or at least 1,000,000 gallons, and / or more. If desired, an optional top cover 530 and / or bottom cover 535 may be provided to isolate the enclosed water from the atmosphere and / or deeper water, such as by using a structure, a flexible impermeable membrane, or a plastic tarpaulin material. A water inlet 540 may be located within the reservoir, with the inlet supported by a float 550 or other support member, to which a flexible or rigid water conduit 560 is connected, which carries water drawn from the inlet 540 (which, in some embodiments, may have relatively different dissolved oxygen levels or other desired water chemistry factor levels in different embodiments) for delivery to the cooling equipment or other uses. Ideally, the water may enter the reservoir through various permeable membranes in the walls, top, and / or bottom. In some embodiments, during the time required for water molecules to move upward and / or through the water column within the reservoir, natural and / or artificial processes may change the water chemistry within the reservoir, such as through the activity of natural and / or artificial scavengers within the water column, which may reduce the dissolved oxygen level in the water such that the dissolved oxygen level is depleted before traveling to the inlet. However, in at least one alternative embodiment, the water inlet may be located near the bottom of the housing and / or the bottom surface of the reservoir, with the water inlet typically being the coldest water within the housing / reservoir for use by the cooling equipment.

[0093] As previously described, at least one exemplary embodiment includes a method for determining the appropriate design, size, shape, and / or other characteristics of a reservoir and / or anti-fouling system, which can be used to determine a recommended minimum enclosed volume and / or water exchange rate to ideally reduce and / or eliminate biofouling within the reservoir. In some embodiments, such as in a membrane configuration where the reservoir can be used to provide water and / or other source water to a manufacturing plant (i.e., a power plant, desalination plant, refinery, and / or other manufacturing facility), the disclosed method can potentially be used to reduce and / or eliminate biofouling within the plant's water and / or other pipes, and in some embodiments, does not require additional filtration and / or microfiltration of the water.

[0094] Figure 6A and 6BAnother exemplary embodiment of a system 600 is depicted that can be used to reduce biofouling and facilitate utilization of seawater, freshwater, brackish water, or some other aqueous liquid in a manufacturing plant, power plant, or some other facility. In this embodiment, the system 600 can be located in a body of water and can even be fully submerged in the aqueous environment (i.e., an underwater "lanai") to a depth "D," such as Figure 6A The system may include one or more replaceable impregnated structural housings 610 on one or more exterior surfaces, wherein a water intake pipe or other inlet device 620 is located within a reservoir 630 of the system 600, and as water is drawn into the intake device, a replacement water flow may enter the reservoir through the media 610 and / or any other openings and / or perforations in and / or between the reservoir walls (which may include the ceiling, side walls, and / or floor surfaces of the reservoir).

[0095] In some embodiments, the volume of the reservoir may be large enough to hold a large volume of liquid such that the liquid may be maintained within the reservoir for a desired "residence time" to allow the desired water chemistry changes to occur, thereby reducing and / or eliminating biofouling within the reservoir and / or facility's water pipes. In some other embodiments, the volume of the reservoir may be smaller and may not contain a significantly large reserve of liquid (compared to the expected flow rate into the inlet during use). In these embodiments, the liquid may not be maintained within the reservoir for the desired "residence time" to allow the desired water chemistry changes, and the housing and its components may be primarily relied upon to ideally reduce and / or eliminate biofouling within the reservoir and / or facility's water pipes and / or heat transfer surfaces.

[0096] In various desired embodiments, fully submerged systems may be particularly useful in situations where the reservoir holds and / or draws water from a lower or lowest point within a water column, which in some embodiments may be cooler water (i.e., used as cooling water) and / or which may contain lower and / or lowest levels of dissolved oxygen (or other desired water chemistry factors) in the water column.

[0097] In various embodiments, the system design ideally contains a volume of water that equals or exceeds the facility's daily (i.e., 24-hour) water consumption. For example, if the facility uses 100,000 gallons of water per hour over a 24-hour period, a preferred system design might contain at least 2.4 million gallons of water. Assuming that 1 cubic foot of seawater contains approximately 7.48 gallons, a preferred design might contain approximately 321,000 cubic feet, which could be a reservoir with a holding volume of approximately 113 feet wide by 113 feet long by 26 feet high (i.e., 331,994 cubic feet). In other preferred embodiments, the volume of water contained might be sufficient to supply at least 8 hours of water, while other preferred embodiments might provide 2 or more days of water. In some desired embodiments, the water present in the reservoir will ideally be given sufficient "residence" time so as to alter the chemistry of the water in a desired manner (as previously disclosed) to produce some type of "conditioned" water, which can include situations where the entire water needs of a given facility can be provided by the "conditioned" water, as well as situations where only a portion of the water needs of a given facility can be provided by the "conditioned" water.

[0098] In some alternative embodiments, it may be desirable to modify an existing body of water to include various features of the present system, such as utilizing a natural or artificial water source to provide water for cooling and / or some other water treatment. For example, energy generation facilities often utilize 300,000 to 500,000 gallons of water per minute (or more) to cool generator sets, while a typical large refinery may utilize 350,000 to 400,000 gallons per minute. In such cases, it may be uneconomical, impractical, and / or undesirable to construct a single reservoir or series of reservoirs to accommodate a full day's water usage. Instead, various embodiments incorporating the "partial" reservoirs and / or anti-fouling components (i.e., vertical sheets and / or skirts) described herein can be used to create a tortuous path for water within an existing natural and / or artificial reservoir to condition the water to meet a desired water chemistry level, and can include features that expose the surface of the flowing water to the atmosphere to promote evaporative cooling of the water reservoir and / or turbulent mixing of the water along the tortuous flow path.

[0099] Figure 7A A simplified perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a natural or artificial reservoir or pool 700 is depicted, which may include a water source for once-through cooling as well as a recirculating water reservoir or "cooling pool" typically used in recirculating systems. Figure 7B and 7CAs best seen in FIG, the biofouling protection system may include a plurality of housing walls 710 and / or non-limiting examples of removable or replaceable buoyant boom structures or skirts that may be positioned within a pool 700 to alter the natural flow of fluid toward an inlet 720, such as by positioning a series of alternating walls 710 within a pool, pond, or harbor, thereby desirably creating a maze or tortuous path for the aqueous liquid within the body of water. In this embodiment, the walls 710 may desirably redirect the liquid along one or more desired paths (e.g., along the paths indicated by solid black arrows), and filters and / or metered water through the walls (e.g., along the paths indicated by dashed white arrows) may allow for some or all of the water to be "conditioned" in a desired manner to achieve the various improvements disclosed herein. For example, water passing through such tortuous paths may be granted sufficient "residence" time to alter the water chemistry in a desired manner to produce a type of "conditioned" water, which may encompass situations where the entire water requirement of a given installation may be provided by the "conditioned" water, as well as situations where the "conditioned" water may only provide a portion of the water requirement of the given installation. If desired, the present invention can treat different "water streams" in different ways, such as in Figure 7C 720. An embodiment in which a first water stream 750 traverses the entire labyrinth and / or through a permeable housing wall to the inlet 720, and a second water stream 760 is added to the labyrinth at a location where it traverses only halfway through the labyrinth (or similarly through the housing wall) to the inlet 720. This arrangement can include water from different sources being added directly to the conditioned water within an existing water system.

[0100] exist Figure 7D Another alternative arrangement to the labyrinthine path is shown in , where a series of circular housings are employed to create a tortuous path toward the center of the reservoir where the inlet 720 is located, from which water can then be removed as previously described. Such an embodiment may be particularly useful where portions of a structure may become clogged or fouled over time, where the incoming water may follow a tortuous path around the clogged portion of the structure and ultimately follow the tortuous path further through unblocked portions.

[0101] If desired, the housing and / or other system design can incorporate one or more flow paths for the aqueous fluid that gradually increase and / or decrease in width and / or volume, with the water flow varying in cross-section as it approaches the inlet, which can be a particularly useful design feature in natural reservoirs and / or man-made tributaries or rivers to provide additional residence time and / or more filtering / dosing activity for the flowing water.

[0102] In another embodiment, the structure or enclosure can be designed as a sheet or wall to protect at least one substrate. The sheet / curtain structure was designed to determine the effectiveness and efficacy of freshwater biofouling of steel panels to prevent biofouling growth. This application can be used for biofouling protection of various underwater steel and other metal surfaces. In addition, this application can be used for any metal, fabric, polymer or other substrate in fresh or salt water. The experiment was designed to deploy vertical sheets at the seawall near the UWM Freshwater Academy in mid-May and retrieve them in mid-September to determine the effectiveness of biofouling. One panel was a control panel with no protective treatment and the other two panels were treated with structural protection, one panel with the treated (biocide coated) fabric facing inward toward the steel panel and seawall; the other panel with the treated (biocide coated) fabric facing outward away from the steel panel and seawall.

[0103] Each board is made of 1 / 8" thick steel plate. The total dimensions of each board are 18.5cm wide x 155cm long. The top of the board is 1m below the water surface. The boards are suspended by chains.

[0104] The results and data of the four-month test are listed in Tables 1 and 2.

[0105] Table 1. Vertical steel plate chemistry, June 2020.

[0106] <![CDATA[ plate ]]> June 3, 2020 Treated surface Treated surface comparison outside inside Probe time (12:13:17 PM) (12:16:02 PM) (12:17:14 PM) Depth m 0.601 0.622 0.533 Temperature 24 16.4 17 ODO% saturation 87.9 84.1 87.4 ODO mg / L 8.49 8.22 8.43 Specific conductivity μS / cm 483 448 535 pH 7.86 7.62 7.64 Turbidity FNU 1.09 1.03 1.23 BGA-PC RFU 0.08 0.05 0.06 BGA-PCμg / L not applicable not applicable not applicable Chlorophyll RFU 1.34 0.86 0.91 Chlorophyll μg / L 4.21 3.47 3.67 plate July 27, 2020 Treated surface Treated surface comparison outside inside Probe time (12:07 PM) (12:06:34 PM) (12:08:25 AM) Depth m 0.754 0.485 0.536 Temperature 24.011 24.01 24.013 ODO% saturation 74 73.7 73.1 ODO mg / L 6.22 6.19 6.17 Specific conductivity μS / cm 583 583 584 pH 7.85 7.85 7.84 Turbidity FNU 0.59 0.9 0.83 BGA-PC RFU -0.09 0.079 0.065 BGA-PCμg / L -0.05 0.12 0.11 Chlorophyll RFU 1.289 1.496 1.485 Chlorophyll μg / L 5.22 6.05 6.07

[0107] Table 2. Vertical steel plate chemistry, September 2020.

[0108] <![CDATA[ plate ]]> September 10, 2020 Treated surface Treated surface comparison outside inside Probe time (10:45:13 AM) (10:49:59 AM) (10:55:21 AM) Depth m 1.138 1.164 0.5361.137 Temperature 17.11 17.11 17.12 ODO% saturation 71.6 69.6 70.4 ODO mg / L 6.9 6.7 6.3 Specific conductivity μS / cm 557 558 552 pH 6.84 7.48 7.41 Turbidity FNU 2.57 7.65 5.1 BGA-PC RFU 0.222 0.206 0.206 BGA-PCμg / L 0.19 0.18 0.1 Chlorophyll RFU 0.956 0.955 0.944 Chlorophyll μg / L 3.79 3.78 3.73

[0109] In this experiment, both the control and treatment groups had low abundances of many protozoan taxa, including small nematodes, crustaceans such as cladocerans, rotifers, gastrozoa, oligochaetes, diatoms, and protozoa. These small organisms are not considered contributors to biofouling in freshwater.

[0110] The main biofouling organisms are, in particular, dreissenid quagga / zebra mussels, and ectophytic bryozoans. 2 ) than the fabric facing outward (1108 / m 2 ) was more effective in preventing mussel biofouling. In a previous experiment, a similar experiment with 1200 / m 2 In a similar experiment previously conducted with the fabric facing inwards, the mussel counts were 0 m 2The treated fabric side facing inward had a lower percentage of bryozoan coverage (5.8%) compared to the higher coverage (13.3%) on the treated fabric side facing outward. The control had lower coverage than the treated fabric.

[0111] Board studies have shown that treated fabrics designed as sheets, curtains or shields can significantly reduce the number of biofouling mussels. 2 Compared with the control, the abundance of mussels on the inward side of the treatment was 189 / m 2 The abundance of mussels on the outward side of the treatment was 1104 / m 2 This can be confirmed by the data of similar studies. 2 The effect on bryozoan fouling was less clear in this study, as the percent cover of the control was lower than that of the treated fabric, both inward and outward facing. The substantial reduction in mussels suggests that with further refinement, commercial applications could be successful.

[0112] Treated enclosures designed as sheets or walls reduced the settlement of biofouling organisms on steel panels for at least four months. The enclosures significantly reduced the settlement and colonization of quagga and zebra mussels by 86% compared to controls. The treated side of the fabric facing the substrate (with the biocide-coated side of the fabric on the inside) contained six times fewer mussels (83% fewer) on the steel panel compared to the treated side facing away from the substrate (with the biocide-coated side of the fabric on the outside). The skirt or sheet structure prevented the settlement and colonization of mature quagga and zebra mussels on the substrate for at least four months. Early-stage veliger zebra mussels were able to settle but were unable to grow from the juvenile stage to the adult stage. The impaction point may be between the metamorphosis from the early veliger to the full-faced veliger stage. Attached photosynthetic algae growth may occur on the exterior (treated side) of the structure due to exposure to light.

[0113] Figure 8A perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a system 800 for protecting a water supply from biofouling is depicted. The system incorporates a wall structure having multiple layers. This system may include a wall structure incorporating multiple layers having the same, similar, or different permeabilities within each layer, the same, similar, or different materials within each layer, and / or the same, similar, or different thicknesses within each layer. In another embodiment, the layers may be separated by minimal or no distance between each layer, or by a significant distance between each layer. In various embodiments, some layers may be in direct contact with one or more adjacent layers, while in other embodiments, adjacent layers may be separated by 1 / 10 inch or less, 0.25 inch or less, 0.5 inch or less, 1 inch or less, or greater spacing. In some other embodiments, the layers may be separated by greater distances, such as 1 inch or more, 6 inches or more, 1 foot or more, 10 feet or more, or 100 feet or more. If desired, some layers may be separated by porous intervening materials or fillers.

[0114] If desired, the first upper layer 810 can be removable, wherein removal of the first upper layer (which can include a "tear-off" or other type of connecting portion 815) reveals an intact second lower layer 820, and removal of the second lower layer reveals an intact third lower layer (not shown), and so on, all upstream of the protected substrate. If desired, the first upper layer can be removable while the remaining lower layers remain intact, and then the replacement first upper layer can be positioned around the intact lower layers, such as where the first upper layer may become sufficiently dirty to justify removal and / or replacement. Alternatively, the multiple upper and / or lower layers can include multiple sacrificial layers, each of which is removed as it becomes sufficiently fouled, thereby revealing the pristine or semi-pristine layer underneath (i.e., still surrounding and protecting the substrate). In some embodiments, the lower layer can remain in place for extended periods of time and can be replaced or removed daily, weekly, monthly, 3 months, 6 months, or even 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, and / or 5 years or longer, with the outer layer and / or lower layer being removed, replaced, and / or refreshed periodically as previously described (i.e., removing the fouling layer and replacing it with a new upper layer immediately and / or with a delay). Such systems can be employed in saltwater, freshwater, and / or brackish water, if desired.

[0115] In at least one further alternative embodiment, the antifouling housing can include multiple fiber matrix media layers or "stages" through which water can flow, wherein each layer or section of a layer has different water conditioning properties. For example, a three-stage antifouling system can include a first layer for protecting the structure, a second layer for conditioning the water, and a third layer for metering water and / or killing organisms passing therethrough, etc. If desired, the multiple layers can be combined into a single replaceable module, or each layer can be individually removed and / or replaced.

[0116] Figure 9 An exemplary embodiment of a water flow mechanism of a supplemental pumping system 900 for adding and / or removing aqueous liquids and / or other materials or substances to and from a reservoir 910 is depicted. In this embodiment, the system includes an outer wall or boundary, which in some embodiments may include one or more permeable walls, and in other embodiments may include one or more semi-permeable and / or impermeable walls (which in some embodiments may include some or all walls of an impermeable shell). A pumping mechanism 920 may be provided having a flow chamber or water inlet 930 and a water inlet tube 940. The pump further includes an outlet 960 and an outlet tube or flow chamber or flow path tube 970 extending from the outlet of the pump, through at least one wall of the reservoir, and through / into the aqueous environment within the reservoir. In various embodiments, at least some flow chamber portion 980 of the outlet tube may extend a distance within the reservoir, wherein the outlet may be positioned proximate to and / or distal to a protected substrate or water supply (not shown) and / or one or more walls of the reservoir. During use, if desired, the pumping mechanism can be activated to supply external water to the reservoir in a desired manner, and / or the operation of the pump can be reversed to draw water from the reservoir, thereby releasing the water into the environment outside the reservoir. Alternatively, the pumping mechanism can be used to supply additional oxygen or other water chemistry factors to the reservoir. If desired, some or all of the pumping mechanism and / or flow chamber and / or water inlet 930 can be positioned within the reservoir, or alternatively positioned within and / or through some portions of the reservoir wall, or if desired, can be positioned outside the reservoir. In another embodiment, the water flow mechanism can be a propeller system, a foot pedal system, a flow tube, a flow channel or a flow passage, which can be used to move water or produce desired flow characteristics in a manner similar to a pump system.

[0117] In various embodiments, system components can incorporate permeable walls of varying configurations, including (1) an enclosure that completely encloses the water inlet or protected substrate (i.e., a "box" or "flexible bag" enclosure), (2) an enclosure having side walls surrounding the periphery of the water inlet or substrate (i.e., a "skirt" or "drape" that encloses the sides of the substrate but may have an open top and / or bottom), (3) an enclosure formed from modular walls that can be assembled around the water inlet or substrate, which may incorporate various open and / or missing modular sections (i.e., an "open geodesic dome" enclosure), (4) an enclosure that surrounds only the submerged portion of the water inlet and / or substrate (i.e., a "floating bag" enclosure with an open top), and / or (5) an enclosure that protects only a single side of the water inlet and / or substrate (i.e., a "drape" enclosure), among many other possible enclosure designs. Additionally, the housing wall may be relatively smooth or flat or curved and / or continuous, or the housing wall and / or housing may comprise a more complex structure, such as a wavy, corrugated, or accordion-like surface (i.e., see Figure 27 ), folded, "corrugated" or "crimped" surfaces and / or other features that can significantly increase the surface area and / or potentially change the filtering capacity of the housing wall, if desired.

[0118] In various embodiments, the antifouling system can be combined with one or more walls, which comprise a three-dimensional flexible structure comprising fiber filaments and having an average base filament diameter of about 6 mils or less (that is, 0.1524 mm or less). In various alternative embodiments, the shell can comprise deformed polyester. In addition, natural fiber materials such as 80x80 burlap can be used in the shell, even if the natural material degrades relatively quickly in an aqueous environment and potential degradation processes cause significant measurable pH differences in the system, this may be useful in various aqueous environments. If desired, various embodiments can incorporate degradable and / or hydrolyzable materials and / or bonds (that is, between components and / or along the polymer chains of component materials) that allow the components to degrade in an aqueous medium after a certain period of time.

[0119] In some embodiments, the antifouling system or its various components can contribute to a measurable change in the pH level of the protected environment, particularly in cases where one or more "target" fouling organisms (i.e., organisms intended to be affected in some way by the antifouling system) may be sensitive to increases or decreases in pH levels and respond "negatively" thereto. In many cases, marine organisms are very sensitive to slightly acidic pH changes (pH < 8). In contrast, freshwater organisms typically survive well within the 7 pH to 8.4 pH range and begin to respond negatively once ammonium levels increase. In some embodiments, the effective change in pH to achieve some or all of the purposes of the present invention can be a level of change that is much smaller than that which negatively affects the metals and other materials within the protected system. If desired, a pH-controlled antifouling system can provide the additional benefit of reducing scale formation in a given fluid system as the pH decreases, which can be provided at a level lower than that which negatively affects the materials that make up the water system.

[0120] Figure 23Another exemplary embodiment of a protective pumping system for adding or removing aqueous liquids and / or other materials or substances to or from a reservoir or water tank is described. In this embodiment, the system includes an optional external reservoir or water tank composed of a solid material, and an internal reservoir or holding tank, which in some embodiments may include one or more permeable walls, and in other embodiments may include one or more semi-permeable and / or impermeable walls (which in some embodiments may include some or all of the walls of the impermeable internal reservoir). A pumping mechanism having a flow chamber or water filter or water inlet and an inlet pipe can be provided, wherein the pump further includes an outlet and an outlet pipe or flow chamber or flow path pipe, which extends from the pump outlet, passes through at least one wall of the internal reservoir, and passes through / enters the aqueous environment within the reservoir. In various embodiments, at least some of the flow chamber portions can extend a certain distance within the reservoir, wherein the flow path passes through or near one or more internal reservoir water inlet holes and enters the internal reservoir. The flow path is introduced into the structural strip that is regulated or treated. The liquid or other material in the flow path is exposed to the treated structure strip and passes around the strip, on the top of the strip, below the strip or through the strip. The internal reservoir can contain one or more permeable or impermeable treated structure strips. The size of the treated structure strip can be arranged to be lined on the inner surface of the internal reservoir, or to be arranged to fit a plurality of structure strips in the internal reservoir. A plurality of structure strips can be adjusted in size and position vertically, horizontally or diagonally in the internal reservoir or cylinder. The structure strip adjusted or treated is attached to the internal reservoir on at least one side of the strip and can be positioned closely to suppress tension or relax to achieve material flexibility. The tension force required for the strip to be attached to the reservoir depends on flow rate, the volume of the reservoir and other factors. The treated structure strip provides mixing in laminar flow or flow applications. The flow path outlet can be positioned close to and / or away from one or more walls of a protected substrate or a water supply system and / or a reservoir. An optional fluid filter or filter can be located at the outlet. During use, if desired, the pumping mechanism can be activated to supply external water into the reservoir in a desired manner and / or the operation of the pump can be reversed to draw water from the reservoir and thereby release it into the environment external to the reservoir.

[0121] In a preferred embodiment, a plurality (in some embodiments, between 125 and 250) of treated structural strips (i.e., 2" x 30") can be positioned in a vertical configuration (which can include a non-tensioned suspension) within a 25-gallon cylindrical reservoir. Water flows through a pre-treatment filter and then enters the cylindrical reservoir through an inlet port located at the bottom of the reservoir. Once the cylindrical reservoir is filled with water, the water flows through the top and reaches the plurality of permeable treated structural strips before overflowing into the reservoir outlet. The reservoir outlet can contain an optional containment step with treated structures or "bioballs" or the like. The water can flow into additional screens / filters or heat exchangers or for similar applications. This system can be used with fresh water, salt water and / or brackish water, or another other liquid contemplated herein.

[0122] Experiments on skirt-type water tanks and strip-type water tanks

[0123] Each has different potential applications for biofouling reduction. Both skirted and strip tanks showed significant reductions in mussels, bryozoans, snails, and sponges. Compared to the control strip tank wall, the skirted tank demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in biofouling, particularly near the treated fabric lining the tank wall, and was particularly effective in preventing biofouling by mussels, bryozoans, sponges, and snails. A small number of mussel velarvae were found in the debris accumulation on the skirt fabric, but these apparently did not metamorphose, as neither juveniles nor adults were present on the skirt.

[0124] Strip tanks using the central treatment cylinder demonstrated significant suppression of invertebrate biofouling organisms, including zebra mussels, bryozoans, sponges, and lung snails, with suppression levels reaching zero biofouling, compared to the outer, untreated portion of the tank receiving harbor water inflow (including the tank walls, the outer wall of the central cylinder, the outer surface of the cooling tubes, and the multi-sheet artificial substrate), which harbored high levels of these same organisms.

[0125] The study analyzed a protective pumping system for adding and / or removing aqueous liquids and / or other materials or substances to and from a reservoir or tank. The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of two separate biofouling treatment systems with high-velocity or pumped water. One, a "strip tank," used a central cylinder with high-density treated fabric strips designed to maximize exposure and duration. The other system, a "skirt tank," used a treated fabric skirt wrapped around the tank's inner wall. Each fiberglass / gel-coated tank (495 gallons (1,874 liters) with a water depth of 30 inches (76 cm)) was constructed. Water from Lake Michigan Harbor was pumped into the building and split nearly equally between each tank. The influent water was directed to a Groco-brand water filter before entering the tanks. The water then flowed through an orifice into the central cylinder, and a sampled portion was captured in a standpipe by an auxiliary pump. The water in each tank was then routed to a series of vertical stainless steel pipes, serving as a replacement for cooling tubes that might be used in industrial settings. Each tube consists of 316 stainless steel (polished) and 304 stainless steel (unpolished). Water flows from these tubes to a second outflow Groco water filter and then to the drain for treatment. This system provides several potential points for biofouling to attach: 1) The inflow to the Groco filter is raw water from the harbor, providing a range of potential biofouling organisms, for a period of one month. 2) The surface of the tank wall (confined in skirted tanks because the skirt is loosely attached to the wall), for a period of four months. 3) The outer and inner walls of the central treatment cylinder, for a period of four months. 4) The outer wall of the PVC standpipe, for a period of four months. 5) The outer and inner walls of the 304 stainless steel pipe, for a period of four months. 6) The outer and inner walls of the 316 stainless steel pipe, for a period of four months. 7) The aluminum manifold that holds the SS pipes in place, for a period of four months. 8) The outflow from the Groco water filter, for a period of one month. The inflow and outflow Groco filter baskets contain two microscope slides and four artificial substrate biospheres. 9) Each tank contained four sheets of artificial substrate, with a Christmas tree imprinted on the bottom of the tank for four months. Figure 23 A rough estimate of the water flow through the strip tank was made.

[0126] Tables 3 to 7 below present data on the amount of scaling from the strip and skirt tank experiments.

[0127] Table 3. Strip tank biota. Note: Values / ml are derived from 1 ml samples collected from control and experimental GROCO filters.

[0128] Biofouling technology strip tank biota

[0129] Tank size: 495 gallons / / 1874 liters

[0130] Processing drum size: 29.1 gallons / / 110.2 liters

[0131] Treatment side surface area 7.48m 2

[0132] (treated + untreated surface area 14.96m 2 )

[0133]

[0134]

[0135] Table 4. Skirt tank biota. Note: Values / ml are derived from 1 ml samples collected from control and experimental GROCO screens.

[0136] Biofouling Technology Skirt Tank Biota

[0137] Tank size: 495 gallons / / 1874 liters

[0138] Processing skirt circumference: 5.75m

[0139] Processing skirt surface area 4.38m 2

[0140]

[0141]

[0142] Table 5. Water tank cooling pipe debris.

[0143] Research on strip water tank and skirt pipe

[0144] SS cooling pipe Debris content date 9 / 17 / 2020 316SS 304SS total Strip water tank Wet weight, g Wet weight, g g Tube 1 0.6 3.8 4.4 Tube 2 1.5 3.1 4.6 Tube 3 1.2 2.9 4.1 Tube 4 1.7 3 4.7 316SS 304SS total Skirt water tank Wet weight, g Wet weight, g g Tube 1 4.9 12.8 17.7 Tube 2 3.6 13.7 17.3 Tube 3 3.2 13.3 16.5 Tube 4 3.5 13.4 16.9

[0145] Table 6. Biota of artificial substrates in water tanks.

[0146] Study on artificial substrate of strip water tank using biofouling technology

[0147]

[0148] Table 7. Strip tank fouling biota.

[0149] Study on artificial substrate of strip water tank using biofouling technology

[0150]

[0151] The strip tanks showed significant inhibition of invertebrate biofouling organisms, including zebra mussels, bryozoans, sponges, and lung snails, all of which were not post-treated in the central cylinder. Control, external, untreated portions of the tanks receiving harbor water inflow (tank walls, central cylinder exterior, cooling tube exterior, and multi-sheet artificial substrate) harbored high populations of these organisms: zebra mussels (>1575 / m2); bryozoans (>28% surface cover); sponges (>45 / m2); and snails (>540 / m2).

[0152] The treatment section of the strip tank, which includes the inner wall of the central cylinder, the outer walls of the risers, and the inner walls of the cooling tubes, was free of colonization by the same invertebrate biofouling organisms (zebra mussels, bryozoans, sponges, and lung snails), with the exception of a single snail specimen living at the water / air interface in the central cylinder. Freshwater lung snails are able to tolerate harsh environments largely because they lack gills and instead have a lung cavity that absorbs oxygen from the atmosphere. This allows them to tolerate low oxygen environments and avoid the sensitivity of their gills to harsh chemicals.

[0153] The inner lumens of the strip tank cooling tubes showed no biofouling organisms; however, a small amount of debris accumulated on the walls (see figure). In contrast, the inner lumens of the skirt tank cooling tubes showed significantly more debris on the walls (see figure) than the inner lumens of the strip tank tubes. This difference may be related to the presence of microfilms (bacteria?) on the inner walls of the strip and skirt tanks, as well as the greater biological activity of small invertebrates, particularly nematodes and rotifers in the skirt tank tubes (a nematode was found in the central cylinder of the strip tank).

[0154] Comparison of diversity changes in the strip tanks (Table C6) indicates that this system disproportionately reduced rare taxa relative to common taxa over the course of the 4-month experiment, suggesting a distorted spectral impact of the biofouling treatment. Relative to diversity in the skirted tanks (see below), this is likely due to the larger surface treatment area and limited water contact within the central cylinder. This suggests greater induced stress (treatment) compared to the skirted system. Furthermore, this is supported by the relative presence of the skirted tank system (see below), where fouling was greater on the treatment fabric away from the peripheral tanks, i.e., less treatment contact with the water. These diversity-related inferences are preliminary suggestions based on limited data.

[0155] Compared to the control strip tank wall, the skirted tanks demonstrated a significantly greater inhibition of biofouling, particularly near the treated fabric lining the tank wall, and were particularly effective against biofouling by mussels, bryozoans, sponges, and snails. A small number of mussel veligers were found in the debris accumulation on the skirt fabric, but these apparently did not metamorphose into juveniles, as neither juveniles nor adults were present on the skirt.

[0156] The arrangement of the treated fabric, multi-panel artificial substrate, and central cylinder of the skirted tanks provided an opportunity to observe differences in biofouling over 65 cm, ranging from near the wall fabric to the multi-panel and to the central cylinder farthest from the treated fabric. Zebra mussels were virtually zero on the fabric skirt, 7 / m2 on the multi-panel, and 31 / m2 on the central cylinder. Bryozoan biofouling was zero on the fabric, reaching approximately 1% coverage on the multi-panel and approximately 10% coverage on the central cylinder. Sponges and snails were consistently absent from the multi-panel and central cylinder. In general, biofouling in the skirted tanks was significantly lower than that in the control strip tanks (outer areas).

[0157] Comparison of diversity changes in skirted tanks (Table C7) indicated that the system proportionally affected rare and common taxa over the course of the 4-month experiment, demonstrating a broad spectrum of effects of the biofouling treatment.

[0158] The treated fabric skirts provided protection against biofouling organisms for at least four months. Biofouling was significantly lower in the skirted tanks compared to the unprotected control tanks. The skirted tanks demonstrated considerable containment of invertebrate biofouling organisms, including zebra mussels, bryozoans, sponges, and lung snails. Small numbers of mussel veligers were found in the debris accumulation on the skirt fabric, but these never metamorphosed into juveniles or adults. Zebra mussels were present at a rate of 7 / m on the multi-plate. 2 , 31 / m on the central cylinder 2 Sponges and snails were consistently absent from the skirt fabric, multilayer panels, and center cylinder. The cooling tube interiors exposed to treated water from the skirt experiment contained more debris accumulation than the cooling tube interiors exposed to treated water from the strip experiment. The turbidity of the treated water in the skirt tank was significantly higher than the turbidity of the treated water in the strip tank. The tank interiors used for the skirt experiment contained more microfilms than the tank interiors used for the strip experiment.

[0159] Treated water from the strip experiment contained less biofouling activity than treated water from the skirt experiment. The strip tanks displayed significant inhabitation by invertebrate biofouling organisms, including zebra mussels, bryozoans, sponges, and lung snails. The inner walls of cooling tubes exposed to treated water from the strip experiment contained 74% less detritus accumulation than the inner walls of cooling tubes exposed to treated water from the skirt experiment. Biodiversity changes in the strip tanks revealed a disproportionate reduction in rare taxa relative to common taxa, suggesting a distorted spectral impact of the biofouling treatment. This is likely due to the larger surface treatment area and limited water contact within the central cylinder, which resulted in greater induced stress compared to the skirt treatment. Over a four-month period, microfouling of the biosphere substrate in the strip tanks decreased by 15.6%.

[0160] Dwell time and dwell time

[0161] In some cases, a reservoir of water or other aqueous fluid can be established, the amount of water or other aqueous fluid in this reservoir far exceeding the amount of a given water system for a few seconds, minutes, hours, day or week, wherein various water chemistry "differences" as described herein can be introduced in the reservoir to produce, maintain and manage various required antifouling effects on the substrate within the water system. However, in other cases, it may be necessary and / or desirable to construct a system with little or no reservoir capacity, such as drawing water directly from a natural water source for immediate use, and / or combining a reservoir with a water supply that is significantly less than a day or even a few hours, especially when design constraints may be limited by available real estate, environmental issues and / or other simultaneous uses of aqueous media. In such cases, it may be desirable to provide continuous and / or periodic water conditioning treatments, as previously described, which can artificially cause and / or accelerate the various water chemical factors described herein. In this case, the water chemistry in the reservoir can be monitored regularly and / or continuously, and one or more water conditioning treatments can be performed on the water in the reservoir as needed.

[0162] For example, the desired minimum housing size and associated components can be determined by comparing the expected demand over a day or so to the time required to allow water chemistry to reach a desired and / or acceptable level within some or all of the water system (in various alternative embodiments, this may be referred to as "residence time," "dwell time," and / or "turnaround time"). For some preferred embodiments, the terms "residence time" and / or "residence time" and / or "turnaround time" and similar terms may be used interchangeably. "Residence time" is a well-known term that applies to the retention time of a fluid in a fluid reservoir and is generally a measure of the average time that water molecules reside in the reservoir. The residence time defined for a steady-state system can be equal to the reservoir volume divided by the inflow or outflow rate, although in some systems (including various embodiments disclosed herein), the residence time can optionally incorporate into the equation a certain amount of "mixing" of liquid within the reservoir. Alternatively, the residence time of a fluid block can be the total time the block spends within a control volume (e.g., in a reservoir, in a water system, in a chemical reactor, in a heat exchanger or other component, in a lake, and / or even in the human body). The residence time of a "group" of blocks can be quantified based on the frequency distribution of the residence times in the group (called the residence time distribution (RTD)) or based on their average value (called the average residence time).

[0163] "Residence time" can have a similar definition, but is often specifically applied as "dwell time" (i.e., in military and / or computer applications). In general, dwell time is a mathematical relationship between volume and flow rate (volume / flow rate) - furthermore, dwell time can often be considered the inverse of turnover rate.

[0164] In various embodiments of the anti-fouling system, the system components may include one or more components that provide sufficient residence time and / or residence time in the protected water of the water system, such that there is sufficient time for dissolved oxygen (DO) and / or other water quality elements to change to desired levels, and ideally, sufficient time for fouling organisms to be assessed and evaluated for settling attraction within the protected environment. Where sufficient residence time is provided for pre-treatment of the water, this may allow fouling organisms to be assessed in some embodiments to avoid settling and / or colonization.

[0165] In various embodiments, the amount of residence time sufficient to inhibit and / or prevent scaling of substrates and / or water system components can vary with a variety of factors, including water flow, temperature, bioflora type, growing season, salinity, sunlight, available nutrients and / or oxygen, pollutants, and the like. In some cases, a minimal change in water chemistry may be required to achieve the desired result, while in other embodiments, a more significant change in water chemistry may be required to achieve the desired result. In some cases, a residence time of only a few seconds, minutes, or hours after entering and / or passing through the anti-fouling housing may produce sufficient water chemistry changes, while longer residence times of several days, months, or years may be desirable and / or necessary to achieve the desired result. The residence time required for optimal results can be adjusted or modified depending on the application. Some applications require a residence time of 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 4 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days, 10 days, 14 days, 30 days, 60 days, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, or 12 months.

[0166] For example, one exemplary embodiment of an anti-fouling system may include a filtration and / or dosing unit comprising at least one permeable structure having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a plurality of pores extending therebetween, the permeable structure having a biocide coating on the outer surface, the biocide coating extending at least partially into the plurality of pores, the filtration unit being positioned proximate to an inlet of a water circuit, wherein some or all of the water passing through the water circuit passes through the filtration unit, wherein the water requires an average residence time to pass through the filtration and / or dosing unit and the water circuit and exit a drain of the water circuit, wherein the biocide coating can elute a biocide into the water passing through the filtration and / or dosing unit, the biocide contacting a plurality of fouling organisms in the water and inhibiting the ability of at least one species of the plurality of fouling organisms to colonize one or more substrate surfaces within the water circuit for at least the average residence time.

[0167] In some embodiments (e.g., in higher flow rate systems), it may be sufficient for the antifouling system to simply reduce and / or limit the amount of time that the organisms must assess and / or "deny" the ambient aquatic conditions to sufficiently prevent colonization and / or settling, which may optionally be consistent with various water chemistry changes and / or other effects provided by the antifouling system. However, in some other cases, higher flow rates in the water system may force and / or pull fouling organisms into and / or through the protected environment before the organisms' "assessment" can be completed and / or the desired water chemistry changes can take effect, which may lead to increased fouling due to "opportunistic" settling and / or colonization occurring at higher rates, which may be further exacerbated by changes in the natural detachment rates of the microorganisms and varying degrees of opportunistic "grazing" of the fouling organisms by microbial predators and / or the like. In many cases, it is desirable to achieve a "sweet spot" of desired flow rate (or range or flow rate) that minimizes the settling and / or colonization of fouling organisms while increasing and / or promoting the detachment of fouling organisms and / or the consumption of fouling organisms by microscopic predators, etc.

[0168] In some embodiments, the antifouling system will desirably create one or more conditions that prevent and / or inhibit various fouling activities within the protected environment, such as by inducing the production of antifouling biofilms within the protected environment, killing and / or harming fouling organisms, and / or inducing behaviors in various organisms within the protected environment that may inhibit the settlement, colonization, and / or growth of fouling organisms on the substrate. For example, such inhibitory activity may include direct effects on the fouling organisms themselves (i.e., inhibiting colonization and / or growth or promoting detachment) as well as effects on organisms that may produce and / or form biofilms within the protected environment and / or on predatory organisms that may prey on fouling organisms within the protected environment. Such inhibition can be permanent, long-lasting and / or long-lasting, or can be temporary, lasting for a desired period of time, such as 2 seconds or less, 5 seconds or less, 30 seconds or less, 1 minute or less, 5 minutes or less, 10 minutes or less, 30 minutes or less, 1 hour or less, 6 hours or less, 12 hours or less, 1 day or less, or other lengths of time within some or all of the protected environment or portions thereof.

[0169] In some cases where the minimum reservoir size cannot be achieved, or where water chemistry changes require an undesirable amount of time to achieve, it may be desirable to condition the water as needed. This may include periodic "refreshment" processes when the water in the reservoir is drained and / or otherwise replaced. Furthermore, where a large reservoir is not required, the various water conditioning processes described herein can be used continuously with smaller reservoirs and / or even within the facility's intake piping, if desired. In such cases, the various water conditioning processes described herein can be used to continuously condition water with nitrogen or other gases and / or chemicals (e.g., in a water plant). Such processes may be particularly useful in situations where there is insufficient residence time within a given reservoir to complete a batch process, or where closed-loop treatment techniques (i.e., using closed-loop testing and treatment circuits to determine and / or maintain desired water chemistry levels (oxygen levels, etc.) within a certain range) are desired. In various embodiments, the various system designs and / or water conditioning processes described herein can be used separately and / or together as needed. This can include using the reservoir alone during periods of low water demand and using both technologies simultaneously during periods of higher water demand, if desired. In a similar manner, the water conditioning treatments described herein can be utilized solely during periods of low water demand, with both water conditioning and simultaneous housing being utilized during periods of higher water demand. It should also be understood that different environmental conditions may require different treatments for the aqueous medium, including seasonal and / or other differences in temperature and humidity, insolation, salinity, high / low water levels, high / low scaling seasons, etc.

[0170] In many cases, a particular type of fouling organism will survive and thrive within one or more optimal conditions, including ranges for temperature, oxygen or other dissolved gas levels, dissolved solids levels, pH, water flow rate, and other conditions. Regarding water flow rate, the specific optimal flow rate often depends on the type of fouling organism. Many fouling organisms have adapted to survive in "higher" flowing waters; for example, zebra mussels are originally river species that thrive at high flow rates. The optimal flow rate for many fouling organisms can depend on the organism's swimming ability and the food it eats (i.e., high flow rates often help deliver food to stagnant or less mobile organisms). Typically, if the flow rate becomes too low or falls below an organism's critical low flow rate level, the organism may "starve," begin to decompose, and become unhealthy due to a lack of food and nutrients (including dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, and / or other factors). If the flow rate becomes too high, some organisms may not have the time or means to settle and / or thrive on the substrate. Typically, most organisms have a "sweet spot" due to their optimal flow rate, which can be used as part of the anti-fouling housing system in some embodiments.

[0171] Large water systems and heat exchanger efficiency

[0172] Large-scale fluid systems are used in a wide variety of processes, and in their most basic processes, these systems rely on fluid movement and fluid consumption. Typically, the fluid will contain water, which in many cases can be salt water extracted from bays, seas, and / or oceans, fresh water extracted from rivers, lakes, or wells / aquifers, or wastewater from various sources. Some facilities utilize a once-through or single-pass cooling process, in which water is pumped into the plant's system and used for a single pass through the process and / or equipment before being discharged to the environment, while other facilities use a water recirculation system including a tower or reservoir before the water enters the process, equipment, or equipment, which attempts to extract unused or unconsumed water, allowing the unconsumed water to flow back through the process or equipment multiple times. Although recirculating water systems draw less water from an external source than single-pass systems, recirculating systems typically still require large amounts of "make-up" water or replacement water to make up for water lost due to evaporation (for open recirculation systems) and water lost due to "drainage" or discharge of liquids containing concentrated dissolved solids.

[0173] In some cases, a once-through or single-pass system can utilize 20 to 40 times more water to remove waste, heat, or other undesirable parameters as a reservoir system operated with a 5-cycle recirculation. For non-limiting example, a power plant using once-through cooling may consume 20,000 to 50,000 gal / MWh of electricity generated, while a similar power plant using recirculation cooling may consume only 500 to 1,200 gal / MWh of electricity generated. Although the water load of a throughflow power plant is enormous, approximately 3,500,000 to 8,750,000 gallons per hour to power a 175 MWh power plant, even a recirculation plant still requires a significant amount of water, approximately 87,500 to 210,000 gallons per hour, equivalent to 175 MWh.

[0174] Water is a favorable environment for many forms of life. In a single-pass system, the water drawn into the system is typically filled with adult and / or juvenile fouling organisms and / or juveniles, many of which attempt to colonize various underwater surfaces. Even for a recirculating system without or with reduced water intake (compared to a single-pass system), any replacement water or "make-up" water entering the system will typically contain a large amount of living organisms, and the flow characteristics of the recirculating system often promote the colonization of sessile organisms to utilize the circulating supply of food, oxygen, and nutrients, and in some embodiments, the water temperature may become high enough to support thermophilic colonies in various parts of the system. These organisms typically colonize on the wetted surfaces of any surface or material in the water system, including pipes, valves, grilles, filters, pumps, etc., which can significantly reduce the water consumption rate of the system or any required productivity of the system. In many cases, even a thin biofilm formed on the surface of the system can significantly isolate the surface, reduce its efficiency, and greatly increase the overall operating cost of the system. In various embodiments, the disclosed system can significantly improve the efficiency, functionality, and / or durability of any desired process in a small or large water system (a non-limiting example is a cooling water system). For non-limiting example, a cooling water system for a heat exchanger where heat is transferred from a hotter fluid or gas to a cooler fluid or gas, where that heat typically travels through a "heat transfer surface," which is typically the metal wall of a heat transfer conduit that separates the hot mass from the cold mass.

[0175]

[0176] Table 8: Film thickness and surface heat transfer efficiency

[0177]

[0178] Table 9: Increased operating costs due to biofouling

[0179] In various embodiments, the disclosed anti-fouling system can include a method of reducing biofilm formation within any water system, such as heat exchanger and / or heat transfer piping of a cooling tower, wherein the system components include a flexible porous structure component (having an optional biocide coating applied to a first surface of the flexible porous structure), the flexible porous structure having a plurality of pores extending from the first surface to the second surface of the flexible porous structure, and placing the structure in a water stream of the cooling tower at a location upstream of the heat exchange / heat transfer piping, wherein the water stream flows through the plurality of pores from the first surface to the second surface (and in some embodiments, the optional biocide is eluted from the coating into the water stream), wherein the water chemistry is changed and / or the optional biocide contacts a plurality of biofouling organisms in the water stream, thereby forming a biofilm having a reduced thickness on the interior surface of the heat exchanger / heat transfer piping compared to the thickness of an untreated biofilm from the untreated water stream.

[0180] In addition to directly reducing heat transfer efficiency, biofouling often causes and / or contributes to scaling and / or corrosion on wetted metal surfaces because, as the biofilm thickens, the material and / or cells near the pipe wall may have less access to oxygen. Bacteria, such as sulfate-reducing strains, can produce metabolites that attack metals in a process known as microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). Studies conducted in the 1980s and early 1990s estimated the costs of cleaning, fluid handling, replacement parts, and lost production due to heat exchanger fouling to be approximately 0.25% of the GDP of all industrialized countries. For process plants, the estimated cost of repairing heat exchangers and boilers is approximately 15% of the total plant maintenance cost, with approximately half of this cost solely attributable to fouling. In 2016, the World Corrosion Authority (NACE International), the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, estimated the global cost of corrosion at $2.5 trillion.

[0181] In many systems, heat exchanger components are often overdesigned by at least 70% to 80%, an amount that ideally includes compensation for the expected 30% to 50% reduction in efficiency due to fouling of the heat exchange surfaces. In addition to reducing heat transfer, the accumulation of fouling may also reduce the cross-sectional area of the tubes or flow channels, thereby increasing the resistance of the fluid to pass through the heat transfer surfaces. The continued reduction in flow rate can significantly increase the pressure drop across the heat exchanger, further reducing flow rate and exacerbating heat transfer problems (including eventual plugging of the heat exchanger tubes). However, by controlling and / or improving the effects of biofouling in many of these systems, the present system allows operators to reduce this required "overdesign" by a significant level, which can result in substantial savings in capital equipment.

[0182] Similarly, biofouling can occur in various components of any circulating water system, such as cooling towers, where it can significantly alter flow distribution and significantly reduce evaporative cooling rates. Biofouling in these systems can also have adverse effects, such as increasing oxygen concentrations that increase corrosion rates in the system's metal walls and promoting the growth and distribution of potentially deadly organisms such as Legionella, which live in amoebas. In various embodiments, a biofouling protection system embodiment may include an apparatus for reducing the presence of Legionella in water flowing in a water loop of a manufacturing plant or power plant, comprising: a housing unit comprising at least one permeable structure having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a plurality of pores extending therebetween, the permeable structure having a biocide coating on the outer surface, the biocide coating extending at least partially into the plurality of pores; and a deoxygenation system that removes at least a portion of dissolved oxygen from water passing through the housing unit; the housing unit being positioned at a water filtration location in the water loop, wherein at least some portion of the water in the water loop passes through the housing unit, wherein the biocide coating elutes a biocide into the water passing through the housing unit, the biocide contacting a plurality of Legionella organisms in the water and inhibiting the ability of the plurality of Legionella organisms to reproduce or colonize one or more substrate surfaces in the water loop.

[0183] In various embodiments, embodiments of biofouling protection systems are disclosed that can significantly reduce the thickness and / or extent of biofouling films formed on any surface of a water system (a non-limiting example being heat exchanger pipes), thereby reducing the insulating effect of the biofouling and ensuring that optimal heat transfer efficiency levels within the system are maintained. In some embodiments, the biofouling protection systems described herein can provide fouling protection for the entire system and / or multiple portions thereof, while other embodiments can provide "localized" or specific protection for specific areas and / or "modules" of the system, such as, by way of non-limiting example, the wetted heat transfer surfaces of one or more heat exchangers in the system.

[0184] In one exemplary embodiment, the biofouling protection system can include an optional biocide-impregnated housing or "biocidal filter" element through which some or all of the water flow can pass. Ideally, the element can inhibit and / or "filter out" some and / or all of the various "larger" fouling organisms, including adults of many fouling species, and larger settling larvae, such as tunicates, while the biocide in the element will ideally kill, injure, and / or inactivate the various "smaller" and / or immature fouling organisms. Such inhibition can ideally include inhibiting colonization on wetted surfaces for a limited period of time, such as the amount of time required for the target fouling organism to pass through the heat exchange piping and / or the entire water system (e.g., in a single-pass system). In various embodiments, the environmental changes potentially induced by the antifouling system (which may include influences from the optional biocide-impregnated fiber matrix media) can induce the formation of a thin, minimal, and / or thermally conductive biofilm on any system surface, such as, for example, a wetted heat transfer surface, which can desirably improve heat transfer efficiency and / or the useful life of heat transfer components compared to existing heat transfer system heat transfer efficiencies / components that may be negatively affected by biofouling. In various alternative embodiments, the antifouling system can induce the formation of an easily removable or reducible biofilm on any system surface, such as, for example, a wetted heat transfer surface, which can be removed using less expensive and / or less invasive cleaning methods than existing biofilms.

[0185] For non-limiting example, an anti-fouling system positioned upstream of a heat exchanger unit may include a water treatment housing comprising a flexible porous structure having a coating comprising a biocide applied to a first surface of the flexible porous structure, the flexible porous structure having a plurality of pores extending from the first surface to a second surface of the flexible porous structure, wherein the coated structure is placed in a stream of water having a first average temperature, wherein the stream of water flows through the plurality of pores at the first average water temperature from the first surface to the second surface, and the biocide elutes from the coating into the stream of water, the biocide contacting a plurality of biofouling organisms, wherein the stream of water is heated to a second temperature greater than the first average temperature, and the biocide inhibits colonization of the plurality of biofouling organisms on a surface of a substrate in contact with water at the second temperature of the stream of water. In various embodiments, the effectiveness of the biocide in providing scale protection to the water may be equivalent at the first water temperature and the second water temperature, may increase to a certain extent from the first temperature to the second temperature, and / or may decrease to a certain extent from the first temperature to the second temperature. In various other embodiments, the temperature of the water can alter the rate at which the biocide is eluted from the coating, including increasing the elevated temperature at which the biocide is eluted and decreasing the elevated temperature at which one or more biocides are eluted (which can include different changes in the individual biocide elution rates for multiple biocide formulations within a single coating).

[0186] Various embodiments may include components that help reduce microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of a plurality of biofouling organisms in a water stream from a water system, wherein the system may include a flexible porous structure (having an optional coating comprising a biocide applied to a first surface of the flexible porous structure, the flexible porous structure having a plurality of pores extending from the first surface to a second surface of the flexible porous structure), and placing the coated structure in the water stream, wherein the water stream flows through the plurality of pores from the first surface to the second surface and induces a change in water chemistry and / or optionally elutes the biocide from the coating into the water stream, wherein the change in water chemistry and / or the biocide inhibits the plurality of biofouling organisms from colonizing on a substrate surface located downstream from the structure.

[0187] In various embodiments, a shell impregnated with a biocide will desirably inhibit the growth of biofouling on and / or within the shell itself, which will greatly improve the performance, service life, and / or applicability of the shell in the disclosed system. The presence of the biocide will desirably inhibit the attachment, settlement, and / or growth of organisms on the outer and / or inner surfaces of the shell, which can maintain the flexibility of the shell and significantly reduce the chance of tearing, ripping, and / or other failure of the fiber matrix due to the presence and / or increase in total weight of the fouling organisms. In addition, the presence and distribution of the biocide will further desirably prevent and / or inhibit the attachment, settlement, and / or growth of fouling organisms (particularly spores, propagules, larvae, and / or juvenile forms) within the openings and / or "pores" of the shell. In many cases, a biocide may have very different levels of efficacy against adult and juvenile members of the same species, and a significantly higher dose of a given biocide is often required to prevent fouling activity by larger and / or mature organisms than the dose required to protect smaller and / or juvenile organisms. By inhibiting the passage of larger organisms through the enclosure and directly applying a highly effective dose of biocide to smaller organisms as they pass through the biocide-coated pores of the enclosure, the present system provides highly effective fouling protection without requiring highly toxic levels of biocide and / or other system components.

[0188] In various embodiments disclosed herein, inclusion of one or more biocides and / or other chemicals / toxins in a coating applied to and penetrating the surface of a flexible fiber substrate can significantly increase the dosage and effectiveness of a given biocide into an aqueous medium (e.g., ambient water flowing through the substrate of an antifouling housing). In many cases, the large flow of water contacting the substrate will be "broken" or divided into many separate "streams" that pass through openings, holes, and / or gaps in the structure (i.e., in some embodiments, between individual threads of the structure). These separate streams will ideally pass through individual threads of the substrate, many of which have coatings that elute the biocide and / or other chemicals / toxins into the water flowing directly alongside. These streams and the eluted biocide will continue through the fiber substrate, where the tortuous path through the substrate will ideally continue to mix, agitate, and distribute the water with the biocide or other chemicals among the various streams and the fouling organisms contained therein. Once the water leaves the matrix, the water stream will rejoin as a bulk "treated" water stream, wherein the vast majority of fouling organisms will have been exposed to and affected by the biocide or other chemical during and / or after their passage through the fiber matrix. In this manner, the separate fluid dosing enabled by the biocide-impregnated matrix in the disclosed antifouling system represents a significant improvement over existing biocide or other chemical dosing systems currently in use.

[0189] Because a large number of "pores" or other openings may be present in a given area or volume of the shell structure, and the walls of these "pores" may be coated with a biocide eluting coating, the effective elution surface area of the structure within the water flow can be many times greater than the effective elution surface area of an equivalent flat surface. In many cases, the amount of biocide eluted into the water flow through such a porous medium can be 1.1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 100, 1000, or more times the amount eluted from a flat surface of the same size. Moreover, because the biocide can be eluted directly into each of the countless water streams passing through the structure's pores, the distribution and uniformity of the biocide in the water flow is greatly improved compared to bulk or periodic dosing from one or more locations along the water flow. In addition, the flexible shell structure can be manipulated (i.e., compressed and / or expanded) in various ways to further enhance its effectiveness in various environments (i.e., compressing and / or "squeezing" the structured medium to reduce its overall size while maintaining its large effective surface area).

[0190] In various embodiments, most and / or all of the aqueous medium "downstream" of the disclosed antifouling devices will ideally pass through one or more biocide-impregnated housing components, while in other embodiments, some portions of the fluid flow may bypass and / or not pass through the biocide-impregnated housing. For example, a "skirt" or other biofouling protection device may incorporate the peripheral "walls" of the biocide-impregnated housing, while the various openings and / or bottom of the device may be open to the surrounding environment. In such cases, biofouling can still be effective against any protected substrate, as the presence of the housing and its effects can still reduce fouling of the protected substrate to a certain extent compared to an unprotected substrate. In a similar manner, aqueous streams of water or other liquids can benefit from partial "filtration" of the stream through the biofouling protection devices disclosed herein (i.e., which can incorporate one or more antifouling units comprising a housing impregnated with a biocide), as such filtration can desirably remove and / or inactivate larger and / or smaller fouling organisms within the stream, while a certain amount of eluted biocide in the stream will mix with the remaining untreated water, potentially inhibiting the activity of biofouling organisms in areas downstream of the fiber matrix. Such "partial filtration" of similar antifouling systems is particularly useful in circulating water streams such as cooling towers and / or the like.

[0191] Structural design and material properties

[0192] In various embodiments, various structures and / or other structures are described that can be incorporated into some or all of the fouling protection systems described herein. In many of these embodiments, a coating or paint can be incorporated into the structure, wherein the coating or paint includes one or more biocidal and / or biotoxic substances that can be released and / or eluted into a fluid flowing through the structure and / or its pores.

[0193] Figure 10A An exemplary scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrograph of an exemplary spun yarn 1000 is depicted, depicting a central body or yarn bundle 1010 of entangled filaments 1020 with various filament ends 1030 extending transversely relative to the central body 1010. Figure 10B A cross-sectional view of the central body 1010 is depicted, highlighting the very fine size of the individual filaments 1020 within the yarn bundle 1010. Figure 10C As best shown, there is depicted an enlarged view of a knitted structure 1050 comprising PET spun yarn, wherein during the knitting process, a series of gaps or openings 1080 are positioned between the yarn bundles 1070, with one or more extended fibers or fiber ends 1090 extending through each opening (in various embodiments, multiple fiber ends desirably extend through each opening).

[0194] In various embodiments, the structure or housing and the protected substrate therein can be separated and / or spaced apart by a minimum spacing (i.e., between the inner wall of the housing and the outer surface of the substrate) of about 200 inches, or about 150 inches, or about 144 inches, or about 72 inches or less, or about 36 inches or less, or about 24 inches or less, or about 12 inches or less, or about 6 inches or less, or about 1 inch or less, or about 1 inch or more, or about 6 inches or more, or about 1 inch to about 24 inches, or about 2 inches to about 24 inches, or about 4 inches to about 24 inches, or about 6 inches to about 24 inches, or about 12 inches to about 24 inches, or about 1 inch to about 12 inches, or about 2 inches to about 12 inches, or about 4 inches to about 12 inches, or about 6 inches to about 12 inches, or about 1 inch to about 6 inches, or about 2 inches to about 6 inches and / or about 4 inches to about 6 inches. In various alternative embodiments, at least some or all of the housing may be in direct contact with the substrate in one or more areas (including but not limited to enclosed portions of the housing), and thus, in some embodiments, there may be essentially little or no distance between the medium and the substrate.

[0195] Figure 11A An exemplary structural material 1100 in the form of a rolled sheet is depicted that can be used in a variety of ways to form the various antifouling systems and / or elements described herein. In this embodiment, the material desirably comprises a flexible fibrous material, in this case a structural material, which can include woven, knitted, felted, non-woven, and / or other structures of natural fiber cloth as well as polyester or other synthetic fibers, and / or various combinations thereof. In various embodiments, the structure can be used to construct the various embodiments described herein, and / or it may be possible and / or desirable to wrap or otherwise "cover" an elongated substrate with such a rolled sheet, particularly where the unrolled and wrapped sheet can partially overlap other sheets (i.e., along a pile or support beam), which can form a "shell" containing a gradually wrapped substrate or water inlet, wherein the structural material is wrapped around the substrate in an overlapping "barber pole" or maypole-type technique or to line the interior wall of a water tank or irrigation pipe. In this case, it may be desirable to have the structure in direct contact with the protected substrate or water inlet, with a very thin layer of liquid between the structure shell wall and the substrate surface (and optionally, liquid within the structure itself), constituting a "differentiated environment" as described herein.

[0196] In one embodiment, one or more structures and / or shell wraps can completely or partially enclose the substrate or portion of the substrate. In a non-limiting example, wrapping a wood pile with a shell material in a "barber pole" technique can eliminate or significantly reduce scaling on a wood substrate when the substrate is fully submerged, partially submerged, or positioned at the waterline for at least 18 months, or at least 12 months, or at least 6 months, or at least 3 months.

[0197] In the experiment, piles with loose shell bags covering the entire length (bags), tight shell wraps covering the entire length (wraps), tight shell wraps partially covering the piles at the waterline (waterline), and unprotected piles (open) were randomized and suspended from a line to keep them in the section above the highest tide. The treated shell bags and shell wraps significantly reduced scale buildup on the piles for at least 18 months. The enclosed and wrapped piles contained light scale consisting of tubeworms and barnacles, with no signs of surface drilling. In addition, after 18 months of immersion, the treated shells and wraps contained scale on the fabric. Even after more than 1.5 years, the structures, shell wraps, and bags significantly reduced scale buildup.

[0198] Enclosure wraps have been shown to eliminate or reduce the presence of boring organisms on wood piles for at least 18 months, or at least 12 months, or at least 6 months, or at least 3 months. Treated enclosures completely enclosed around wood piles prevented drilling in the wood piles, while fabric wrapped around wood piles significantly reduced drilling in the wood for at least 18 months; however, drilling occurred in wood not protected by the enclosure or wrap. Drilling was significantly reduced under enclosure, and drilling was prevented by the bags where shipworms could not enter. The amount of biofouling and drilling on wood piles or other wood substrates can be reduced by 100%, or 99%, or 75%, or 50%, or 25%, or 10% when completely or partially enclosed with at least one bag or wrap after being submerged in salt or fresh water for at least 18 months.

[0199] Figure 11B Another exemplary embodiment of a rolled sheet structure 1105 is depicted that incorporates adhesive, hook and loop fastener material 1110 (and / or sewn seams) along various portions of the structure that can be ideally self-adhered to other structural portions and / or other devices and / or components, wherein a majority of the structure includes perforated or permeable portions 1120 as described herein (and in various embodiments, the fastener material itself may also include permeable and / or impermeable portions). If desired, the material flaps covering some other structural portions may be impermeable and protect the underlying structure.

[0200] In use, the structure can be wrapped around the water inlet or support beam or other structure to form an enclosure around the water inlet or some portion of the protected substrate, which can include a progressive wrapping method (i.e., a "barber pole" type wrapping) or a circular wrapping method (i.e., a "loop" type wrapping) to produce enclosures that are functionally similar to the various enclosures described herein to protect the water inlet and / or various portions of the water system from biofouling organisms and / or other degradation. In various embodiments, attachment using hooks and loops or similar fasteners may be particularly desirable because such fastening techniques can make it permeable and allow water to exchange therethrough in a manner similar to the various permeable materials described herein.

[0201] In another embodiment, a structure or housing (fully or partially enclosed) can protect a metal chain or other metal substrate from scaling and corrosion. The treated structure and housing provide effective protection and significantly reduce scaling and corrosion on the metal chain for at least 19 months, or at least 18 months, or at least 12 months, or at least 6 months, or at least 3 months.

[0202] In one experimental test, metal chains were suspended from an 18-foot dock at Cape Pier or a 10-foot barge at the same dock. The chain on the dock was fixed relative to the tide, so it had fully exposed, fully submerged, and intertidal (submerged / unsubmerged) sections. The chain on the barge floated with the changing tide and had fully submerged, fully exposed, and waterline sections. Figure 30 As shown, three replicates were tested for each of four chain treatments and one control: (1) chains with a completely enclosed structure / housing covering the entire length (full), (2) chains with a structure / housing fixed around the waterline (waterline), (3) chains with a structure / housing floating (via booms) at the waterline, i.e., the protective structure moves with the tide (floating), and (4) an unprotected control (open). Chains fixed to the dock were randomized and hung from a line so that they remained at a distance above the highest tide. Chains fixed to the barge were hung from cleats and arranged in a block design due to space constraints. All chains were soaked in mid-February.

[0203] After 19 months, at least one chain with a fully enclosed structure contained very light scale, consisting of tubeworms scattered along the length of the chain. The treated structure / enclosure provided effective protection for at least 19 months to the metal chain at the waterline in the area covered by the enclosure. Light scale began to accumulate on the chain protected by the enclosure. After 19 months, the floating waterline enclosure began to degrade and contained holes with scale in the unprotected chain.

[0204] When immersed in water, corrosion can occur anywhere on the metal where oxygen cells form. Oxygen cells occur in areas where there are oxygen or other chemical gradients in the water. Protective structures or enclosures (bagged or wrapped) can reduce or eliminate the corrosive effects on metals when immersed in water for at least 19 months, or at least 18 months, or at least 12 months, or at least 6 months, or at least 3 months. In experiments, fully enclosed chains and enclosed chains showed minimal corrosion at the waterline, while unprotected chains were completely covered in biofouling and corrosion. Corrosion may be caused by oxygen gradients inside the enclosure and / or by chalk loss from the chain due to the rubbing of the enclosure on the chain. In addition, corrosion was observed in areas where the enclosure was damaged and where the enclosure material was lost.

[0205] If desired, the system can be constructed using individual component segments that can be assembled into three-dimensional (3D) configurations. For example, the individual wall segments of the housing can be arranged to attach to each other in various configurations (including triangles, squares, and / or other polygons). If desired, the wall segments can be supported by a relatively rigid chassis, or the segments can be highly flexible and / or provided on rollers or other carriers that can be unfolded to release each individual segment prior to assembly. In at least one alternative embodiment, an open housing frame or support can be provided, wherein an elongated sheet or housing wall material is provided that can be wrapped around and / or covered over the frame segments (and, for example, applied to the frame in a manner similar to taping or "ship wrap" objects for shipping via a common carrier).

[0206] Fiber structure matrix and filtration

[0207] In various alternative embodiments, the housing, system and / or component materials thereof may comprise a three-dimensional structural matrix and / or fiber matrix formed from interwoven and / or entangled strands arranged in a grid, mesh, mat or perforated structure, which in various embodiments may be combined with one or more non-flat and / or non-smooth structural layers. In a very simplified form, the housing may contain a plurality of horizontally positioned elements (as well as various combinations of other fiber elements arranged in different directions) interwoven with a plurality of vertically positioned elements, and the housing may comprise a plurality of separate and / or interwoven layers. The flexible material may comprise one or more spaced apart layers that may include baffles or various interconnected sections. Ideally, each yarn or other thread element in the housing material will comprise a preselected number of single strands, at least a portion of which extend outwardly from the core element in different positions and / or directions, thereby forming a three-dimensional, tortuous network of interwoven threads and strands in the structure. In various embodiments, the various elements of the fibrous matrix can be arranged in virtually any orientation (including diagonal), or arranged parallel to one another so as to form right angles, or in virtually any other orientation, including three-dimensional orientations and / or random distributions (i.e., mats) and / or patterns. Additionally, while in some embodiments there may be significant spacing between individual elements, in other embodiments the spacing may be reduced to a more compact pattern so as to form a compact pattern with little or no spacing between them. In various preferred embodiments, the elements, such as threads and / or fibers, can be made from natural or synthetic polymers, but can be made from other materials, such as metal, nylon, cotton, or combinations thereof.

[0208] Various aspects of the present invention may include the use of a fibrous matrix and / or highly ciliated flexible material, meaning that the material may include tendrils or hair-like appendages (i.e., fibers) that protrude from its surface or extend into pores or open spaces within a three-dimensional flexible structure, creating a fibrous matrix and / or "filtration" medium. The tendrils or hair-like appendages may be part of or incorporated into the material comprising the three-dimensional flexible material. Alternatively, the tendrils or hair-like appendages may be formed from a separate composition adhered or attached to the flexible material. For example, the tendrils or hair-like appendages may be attached to and protrude from an adhesive layer that is itself attached to the surface of the flexible material. In some aspects of the present invention, the tendrils or hair-like appendages may protrude from the surface of the fibrous matrix material, while in other aspects, the tendrils or hair-like appendages may extend inward from the fibrous material and / or inward toward and / or into other threads and / or fibers within the material matrix and / or structure. In various aspects of the present invention, the tendrils or hair-like appendages may be elastic and / or capable of vibrating and / or swaying due to movement of the shell and / or water. In various embodiments, a combination of movement of the cilia themselves and / or the tendrils or hair-like appendages may also prevent the settlement of biofouling organisms on or in the surface of the enclosure.

[0209] In various embodiments, the presence of a large number of small fibers in the permeable material of the system can significantly increase the complexity of the three-dimensional structure of the material, as these structures can extend into and / or around open voids in the weave pattern. This arrangement of fibers can further provide a more tortuous path for organisms attempting to penetrate the depth of the structure and enter the internal environment protected by the shell, and / or can provide a larger surface area for the structure to which the optional biocide coating can adhere. In various embodiments, it has been determined that spun polyester has highly desirable properties as a shell material because the shape and / or size of the three-dimensional "entry path" into the shell (i.e., when microorganisms pass through the openings and / or pores of the material) will ideally provide a longer path, a larger surface area and / or can prove more effective in preventing fouling organisms from flowing into the shell and / or retaining a larger amount of biocide coating therein.

[0210] In various embodiments, the three-dimensional topography of the housing in the system will ideally contribute to the anti-biofouling effect of the system, as such structural configurations can increase the desired "filtration effect" of the wall and / or can adversely affect the ability of various fouling organisms to "latch onto" the structure and / or protected substrate. However, in other embodiments, the housing wall and / or other components can include "flatter" and / or "smoother" materials, such as textured yarns or other materials (and / or other material construction techniques), and still provide many of the anti-biofouling effects disclosed herein. Although such materials can be significantly flatter, smoother, and / or less fibrillated than materials incorporating spun polyester yarns, these materials can still provide acceptable levels of biofouling protection for various applications.

[0211] In certain embodiments, flexible fiber matrix may be highly desirable for being incorporated into the various assemblies of antifouling shell, especially when matrix can be folded and / or collapsed into different configurations to adapt to required size, shape and / or permeability / density. For example, relatively large flexible fiber matrix can be collapsed and / or folded so that matrix has higher effective surface area / volume so that liquid passes through. This arrangement can comprise pleating and / or folding matrix material in a mode similar to pleated air filter, which can increase the effective filtration of matrix and / or reduce its tendency to block under certain conditions. Alternatively, if desired, fibrous matrix can expand and / or expand to fit larger volume.

[0212] The various materials that may be suitable for constructing system components described herein include various natural and synthetic materials or their combinations to varying degrees. For example, burlap, jute, canvas, wool, cellulose, silk, cotton, hemp and muslin are non-limiting examples of possible useful natural materials. Useful synthetic materials can include but are not limited to the polymer classes of polyolefins (such as polyethylene, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, polypropylene, copolymers, etc.), polyesters, nylon, polyurethane, rayon, polyamide, polyacrylate and epoxy resins. Various types of glass fiber compositions can also be used. The combination of polymers and copolymers can also be available. These three-dimensional flexible materials can be formed into textile structures, permeable sheets or provide other configurations of structures that can provide antifouling properties as described herein. The example of the potential suitable flexible material for constructing system described herein includes but is not limited to burlap, canvas, cotton structures, linen, muslin, permeable polymer sheets, structures constructed by polymer fibers or filaments, and permeable films and membranes. In various aspects of the invention, the flexible material can be selected from natural or synthetic structures such as burlap, knitted polyester or other structures, woven polyester or other structures, spun polyester or other structures, various combinations thereof, or other structures having various properties, including those disclosed herein.

[0213] In various embodiments, the flexible material forming one or more shells can have a structure formed by entangled fibers or fiber bundles (i.e., yarns). As used herein, "entangled" means that the fibers can be non-woven, braided, woven, knitted or otherwise intermixed to produce a fiber matrix that can have various antifouling and / or water permeability and / or water exchange characteristics as described herein. The material in which the fibers are entangled can desirably produce a pattern of open space and closed space in the three-dimensional flexible material, wherein the open space defines a gap. Desirably, the fiber that can constitute the flexible material is, for example, a single filament, a plurality of filament bundles, a filament of a natural or synthetic composition, or a combination of a natural and synthetic composition. In various aspects of the invention, the fibers have an average diameter (or "average filament diameter") of about 50 mils or less, about 25 mils or less, about 10 mils or less, about 6 mils or less, about 5 mils or less, about 4 mils or less, about 3 mils or less, about 2 mils or less, about 1 mil or less, about 0.5 mils or less, about 0.4 mils or less, about 0.3 mils or less, about 0.2 mils or less, or about 0.1 mils or less.

[0214] In some aspects of the present invention, the flexible material can comprise a braided or knitted structure. For example, the braided structure can have a pick count per inch ("ppi" or picks per inch) of about 3 to about 150, about 5 to about 100, about 10 to about 50, about 15 to about 25, about 20 to about 40, and / or about 20 ppi. In other aspects of the present invention, the braided structure has a warp count per inch ("epi" or ends per inch) of about 3 to about 150, about 5 to about 100, about 10 to about 50, about 15 to about 25, about 20 to about 40, and / or about 20 epi or about 24 epi. In other various aspects of the present invention, the knitted structure can have a course count per inch ("cpi") of about 3 to about 120, about 5 to about 100, about 10 to about 50, about 15 to about 25, about 20 to about 40, and / or about 36 cpi or about 37 cpi. In even other aspects of the invention, the knit structure has a wale number per inch ("wpi") of about 3 to about 80, about 5 to about 60, about 10 to about 50, about 15 to about 25, about 20 to about 40 and / or about 36 wpi or about 33.7 wpi.

[0215] Thus, in at least one aspect of the invention, the woven structure has a yarn size density (i.e., weft yarns multiplied by warp yarns per unit area) of about 9 to about 22,500, about 100 to about 20,000, about 500 to about 15,000, about 1,000 to about 10,000, about 2,500 to about 8,000, about 4,000 to about 6,000, about 2,500 to about 4,000, about 5,000 to about 15,000, about 10,000 to about 20,000, about 8,000 to about 25,000, about 20 to about 100, about 30 to about 50, about 45, or about 40 yarns.

[0216] In another aspect of the invention, the yarn of the braided or knitted structure can have a size of about 40 denier to 70 denier, about 40 denier to 100 denier, about 100 denier to about 3000 denier, about 500 denier to about 2500 denier, about 1000 denier to about 2250 denier, about 1100 denier, about 2150 denier, or about 2200 denier.

[0217] In yet another aspect of the invention, the woven or knitted structure can have a basis weight per square yard of about 1 to about 24 ounces (about 34 to about 814 g / m2), about 1 to about 15 ounces per square yard, about 2 to about 20 ounces (about 68 to about 678 g / m2), about 10 to about 16 ounces (about 339 to about 542 g / m2), about 12 ounces (about 407 g / m2) per square yard, or about 7 ounces (about 237 g / m2) per square yard, or about 3 ounces per square yard. In another aspect of the invention, a desired woven structure based on spun polyester fibers can be used as a shell material, wherein the structure has a basis weight of approximately 410 grams per square meter (including the weight of the base structure before any coating or modification) (see Table 5).

[0218] In various exemplary embodiments, suitable shell and / or structural wall thicknesses may range from 0.025 inches to 0.0575 inches or greater, with desirable embodiments being approximately 0.0205 inches thick, approximately 0.0319 inches thick, approximately 0.0482 inches thick, and / or approximately 0.0571 inches thick. Depending on the size of the perforations and / or openings in the shell, and the shape, size, and / or curvature of the various openings in the system, shell walls of greater and / or lesser thickness than specifically described may be used in various system designs with varying degrees of success and different materials. In various alternative embodiments, the flexible base materials, fibers, and / or strands used in the construction of the disclosed fiber matrix may have a wide variation in thickness and / or length, depending on the desired substrate or specific application to be protected. For example, in some aspects of the invention, the thickness of the flexible material can be about 0.001 to about 0.5 inches, about 0.005 to about 0.25 inches, about 0.01 to about 0.1 inches, about 0.02 inches, about 0.03 inches, about 0.04 inches, about 0.05 inches, or about 0.06 inches. Variations in thickness and permeability within a single structure, such as a membrane structure and multiple layers thereof, are contemplated.

[0219] It should be understood that a variety of materials and / or material combinations can be used as system materials to achieve the various objectives described herein. For example, a film or similar material can be used as an alternative to a structural wall material, which can include permeable and / or impermeable films in some or all of the housing walls. Similarly, natural and synthetic materials such as rubber, latex, thin metals, metal films and / or foils, and / or plastics or ceramics can be utilized, with varying results.

[0220] Regardless of the type of material used, the housing can optionally be configured so that the housing can be shaped to expand and / or contract three-dimensionally, radially, longitudinally, and / or various combinations thereof. This type of configuration would ideally allow positioning over and / or around various reservoir and / or water inlet embodiments in a variety of configurations, which may include positioning such that the housing walls can mirror the contours of any underlying surface to which they are attached, if desired. In some embodiments, the housing can be formed to mirror one or more surfaces of the reservoir and / or water inlet, and typically be at least slightly larger in size to accommodate the substrate therein.

[0221] In some exemplary embodiments, the system or housing may be constructed of a completely natural housing material, such as burlap or hemp, and used to protect substrates in particularly sensitive waters, such as drinking water reservoirs and / or wildlife refuges, where the use of artificial materials and / or biocidal toxins may be prohibited and / or discouraged. In such cases, even though the housing may be separated from the substrate and / or associated support structure (because the additional openings in the separated structure may now prevent the development of a protected aqueous environment and its attendant advantages), the housing will ideally provide protection to the underlying substrate and / or water inlet for a desired period of time without posing a significant potential risk of contaminating the water and / or harming the local aquatic environment. In such cases, once the substrate no longer requires protection, or if the housing becomes dirty and / or damaged for various reasons, the system components can be removed and / or replaced with new housings and / or other components of similar materials to restore fouling protection to the substrate as needed.

[0222] In various embodiments, "permeability" is ideally used as a metric for some aspects of the housing and / or other system components because measuring and / or determining the "effective" porosity of openings throughout a spun polyester and / or hessian material can be somewhat difficult due to "fuzziness" and / or randomness in the architecture of the structure, which can be complicated by changes in the flexibility and / or form of the structure under wet and / or dry conditions, which applicants believe may be optionally important to the effectiveness of various embodiments of the disclosed systems and devices. In various embodiments, the system may include one or more walls comprising a flexible material having openings and / or pores formed therethrough. In some desired embodiments, some or all of the openings through the one or more walls may include a tortuous or "tortuous" flow path, where the tortuosity is defined as the actual length (L) of the flow path. t ) to the straight-line distance between the two ends of the flow path:

[0223]

[0224] In one exemplary embodiment, a woven structure made from textured yarn or spun polyester yarn can be highly desirable for forming an exemplary anti-fouling system, where the spun polyester yarn potentially has a large number of fiber ends extending from the yarn in various locations (i.e., relatively high levels of "hairiness" or cilia) and in multiple directions—ideally resulting in a more complex three-dimensional macrostructure and / or a more tortuous path from the outer surface to the inner surface of the structure. In various preferred embodiments, these fiber ends can extend into natural openings that may exist in the weave of the structure, thereby potentially reducing and / or eliminating some "straight path" openings through the structure and / or increasing the tortuosity of existing paths through the structure (which, in some cases, can extend a considerable distance through the topography of the three-dimensional structure). In various embodiments, it may be desirable for portions of the structure to include openings having a tortuosity greater than 1.25, while in other embodiments, it may be more desirable for various openings in the structure to have a tortuosity greater than 1.5.

[0225] In many embodiments, it is highly desirable to incorporate permeable elements, components, and / or structures into some and / or all system components to allow water to be transported in large quantities through the housing in a controlled manner and / or rate. Ideally, the one or more materials selected for the housing will include one or more wall structures having a permeability level that allows fluid to flow from the surrounding aqueous environment into the water inlet and / or reservoir. This permeability will ideally be optimized and / or adapted to the local environment in which the system will be placed, although typically the housing can be combined with medium to high levels of permeability because materials with very low permeability may be somewhat less effective in providing enough water flow to adapt to desired uses. In many cases, local environmental conditions (i.e., water flow, temperature, bio-flora type, growing season, salinity, available nutrients and / or oxygen, pollutants, etc.) and / or local water conditions / velocity (i.e., due to water flow and / or tides) may affect desired permeability and / or other design considerations-for example, for a given material permeability, a higher velocity liquid impact on the housing may produce an increased water exchange rate, which in such cases may require or suggest the use of a lower permeability material.

[0226] In various embodiments, system components can be ideal for inhibiting biofouling on a substrate or portion of a substrate that is at least partially submerged in an aquatic environment, wherein the housing comprises a material that is or becomes water permeable during use, the housing being adapted to house the substrate and, in some embodiments, to form a differentiated aquatic environment extending from an interior / exterior surface of the housing to a water inlet or water system or other protected substrate, wherein the housing or portion thereof is water permeable upon or after positioning the structure around the substrate, at a rate of at least 100 ml of water per second or less per square centimeter of substrate. In various embodiments, the water permeability of the structure can be achieved by forming the structure to allow water to permeate through the structure (e.g., by manufacturing a textile with a desired permeability). In some embodiments, the structure can be designed to become water permeable over time during use. For example, other water permeable structures can include a coating that initially renders them substantially impermeable, but as the coating ablates, erodes, or dissolves, the permeability of the underlying layer increases and / or becomes useful.

[0227] In various embodiments, the optimal and / or desired permeability level for the housing may approach any of the structural permeabilities identified in Table 10 (below), and in some embodiments may include a permeability level below 100 ml / s / cm 2 to 0.01ml / s / sm 2 In various alternative embodiments, structural or other permeable materials may be used in or on one or more walls of the housing, including those having a permeability of 0.06 ml / s / cm 2 to 46.71ml / s / cm 2 , or 0.07 ml / s / cm 2 to 46.22ml / s / cm 2 , or 0.08ml / s / cm 2 to 43.08ml / s / cm 2 , or 0.11 ml / s / cm 2 to 42.54 ml / s / cm 2 , or 0.13 ml / s / cm 2 to 42.04 ml / s / cm 2 , or 0.18 ml / s / cm 2 Up to 40.55ml / s / cm 2 , or 0.19 ml / s / cm 2 to 29.08ml / s / cm 2 , or 0.32 ml / s / cm 2 to 28.16ml / s / cm 2 , or 0.48 ml / s / cm 2 to 25.41ml / s / cm 2, or 0.50ml / s / cm 2 to 22.30ml / s / cm 2 , or 0.77 ml / s / cm 2 to 21.97 ml / s / cm 2 , or 0.79 ml / s / cm 2 to 20.46ml / s / cm 2 , or 0.83 ml / s / cm 2 to 15.79ml / s / cm 2 , or 0.90ml / s / cm 2 to 14.72ml / s / cm 2 , or 1.05 ml / s / cm 2 to 14.19 ml / s / cm 2 , or 1.08 ml / s / cm 2 to 14.04 ml / s / cm 2 , or 1.11 ml / s / cm 2 to 13.91 ml / s / cm 2 , or 1.65 ml / s / cm 2 to 11.27ml / s / cm 2 , or 2.09 ml / s / cm 2 to 11.10ml / s / cm 2 , or 2.25ml / s / cm 2 to 10.17 ml / s / cm 2 , or 2.29 ml / s / cm 2 to 9.43ml / s / cm 2 , or 2.36 ml / s / cm 2 to 9.20ml / s / cm 2 , or 2.43 ml / s / cm 2 to 9.02ml / s / cm 2 , or 2.47 ml / s / cm 2 to 8.24ml / s / cm 2 , or 2.57 ml / s / cm 2 to 8.16ml / s / cm 2 , or 2.77 ml / s / cm 2 to 8.11 ml / s / cm 2 , or 3.68 ml / s / cm 2 to 6.04ml / s / cm 2 , or 3.84 ml / s / cm 2 Up to 5.99 ml / s / cm 2 , or 4.43 ml / s / cm2 Up to 5.40ml / s / cm 2 , and / or 4.70ml / s / cm 2 to 4.77ml / s / cm 2 Materials with a range of permeabilities.

[0228]

[0229] Table 10 - Exemplary Wall Structure Permeabilities

[0230] The water permeability of a material can be a function of many factors, including the composition of the material, the method and type of construction of the material, whether the material has a coating, whether the material is dry, wet, or saturated, whether the material itself is scaled in some manner, and / or whether the structure has been "pre-wetted" prior to testing and / or use in an aqueous environment. Furthermore, because the permeability of a given material can change over time, there may be a range of acceptable and / or optimal water permeabilities even for a single material. In various aspects of the present invention, the water permeability of a given enclosure can be an initial minimum permeability sufficient to ideally avoid creating a persistent anoxic state in a localized (i.e., protected) aquatic environment, while in other embodiments, the permeability can be greater. In various aspects of the invention, the material can have a water permeability (ml of water per square centimeter of substrate per second) as measured by the above test method achieved before use or during use of about 100 or less, about 90 or less, about 80 or less, about 70 or less, about 60 or less, about 50 or less, about 40 or less, about 30 or less, about 25 or less, about 20 or less, about 10 or less, about 5 or less, about 4 or less, about 3 or less, about 2 or less, about 1 or less, about 0.5 or less, about 0.1 or less, about 1 or more, about 0.5 or more, about 0.1 or more, about 0.1 to about 100, about 0.1 to about 90, about 0.1 to about 80, about 0.1 to about 70, about 0.1 to about 60, about 10 or less, about 0.5 or less, about 0.1 or less, about 10 or less, about 0.5 or less ... From about 0.1 to about 50, from about 0.1 to about 40, from about 0.1 to about 30, from about 0.1 to about 25, from about 0.1 to about 20, from about 0.1 to about 10, from about 0.1 to about 5, from about 0.5 to about 100, from about 0.5 to about 90, from about 0.5 to about 80, from about 0.5 to about 70, from about 0.5 to about 60, from about 0.5 to about 50, from about 0.5 to about 40, from about 0.5 to about 30, from about 0.5 to about 25, from about 0.5 to about 20, from about 0.5 to about 10, from about 0.5 to about 5, from about 1 to about 100, from about 1 to about 90, from about 1 to about 80, from about 1 to about 70, from about 1 to about 60, from about 1 to about 50, from about 1 to about 40, from about 1 to about 30, from about 1 to about 25, from about 1 to about 20, from about 1 to about 10, or from about 1 to about 5.

[0231] Experimental Results - Test 1

[0232] In one group of exemplary experiments carried out in southern climate (that is, Melbourne, Florida, USA) winter months, four water channels have been constructed to guide the filtration of various amounts, pretreated and / or quantitative environmental water. These water channels are attached to pumps by flexible pipes. Each water channel contains PVC " Christmas tree " sedimentation substrate, and selecting this substrate is because this configuration is very attractive for sedimentation larvae. Three pumps are placed in the bag consisting of flexible structural material, which is combined with biocidal coating as described herein, and the 4th pump is kept open to carry out scaling (it is ideally as a contrast). Allow a pump to flow with maximum flow (748 gallons per hour), a pump is set to about 1 / 2 flow (about 367 gallons per hour), and the 3rd pump is set to about 1 / 4 flow (about 160 gallons per hour). The control pump is set to about 1 / 2 flow (about 373 gallons per hour). Four water channels are set in water, and begin pumping at the beginning of October. The depth of each channel is set to have approximately 6" of water in the channel above the water level at the sprue, with a one-way outlet at the rear of each channel. Figure 16 Various views of the experimental setup are depicted.

[0233] After seven (7) days of soaking, the scale formation in the waterway was different between the bagged and unbagged pumps (see Figure 18 ). Open pump ( Figure 17D ) had more and thicker biofilm after 7 days. After 10 days, visible macroscale fouling appeared in the open pump channel, consisting of hydroids and shellfish (probably barnacles and tubeworms). The bagged pump channel had only a small amount of biofilm and sediment at the inlet, and there was no significant difference in pumping rate. Fouling on the Christmas tree substrate in the bagged channel (full speed - Figure 17A , 1 / 2 flow - Figure 17B and 1 / 4 flow - Figure 17C ) consisted only of a light, fluffy, silty biofilm, while fouling on the Christmas tree substrate in the open pump raceway consisted of a heavier biofilm, hydroids, tubeworms, tunicates, and shellfish (possibly small barnacles). Water quality was similar in all raceways and resembled harbor conditions outside the raceways. The largest differences were between full-strength pumping and static open water, but for the measured properties, the difference in water quality appeared to be less than 4%. The open pumps also appeared to accumulate light macrofouling over 10 days, while the bagged pumps had only visible biofilm. Biofilm was lighter and less covered on the raceways and Christmas tree substrates, where the pumps were protected by the housing bags.

[0234] Experimental Results - Test 2

[0235] In another set of demonstration experiments, four additional waterways were constructed to direct varying amounts of treated and / or protected ambient water through three of the waterways, while untreated water flowed through the fourth waterway ("control"). The waterways were attached to pumps via flexible tubing. Each waterway contained a PVC "Christmas tree" sedimentation substrate, which was chosen because this configuration is very attractive to sediment larvae. Three of the waterways (control and two pumping speeds) contained 40 gallons of water, and the fourth contained 190 gallons of water.

[0236] In this experiment, three of the four water channels (two regular size and one large size) were preceded by boxes with the coating structure on all sides. These boxes were completely submerged in water. Pumps were installed using flexible tubing downstream of the boxes so that water was pulled through the boxes and then pushed into the water channels (see Figure 19 The control pumps are the same size as the standard pumps and have a pull of approximately 200 gph. The fast and large waterways have larger pumps and a pull of approximately 600 gph (see Figure 22A ). Place the waterway under water and begin pumping in early March.

[0237] Figure 26A and 26B Additional descriptions of the various water channels of the test setup are provided. For these experiments, the actual pumping rates for the various experimental test groups were determined, as well as the volumes of the individual water channels and the surface area and volume of the permeable structural boxes that formed the water inlets. The number of water exchanges completed per hour in each inlet box and the number of water exchanges per hour in the water channels for each test setup were calculated. Additionally, Figure 26A The amount of water drawn through each square foot of fiber structure media in each housing box is depicted, as well as the water exchange within the housing, within each box, and over the entire length of each test setup. Also shown are exemplary residence times for the waterways in each antifouling system and the overall average residence time of water. Figure 26B Included is additional disclosure of the amount of biocide that can be released in each exemplary housing over 30 days of water immersion and water flow (assuming complete release of the biocide during the 30 day period), as well as the total amount of biocide released per gallon of water.

[0238] In at least one alternative embodiment, a similar amount of biocide can be suspended in a "slow release" coating resin that releases the biocide over a 60 day period (or other desired period) to provide approximately 1 / 2 the final concentration of biocide for twice the total water flow rate over a 60 day period (i.e., for Figure 26B The comparable 60-day antifouling system Examples 4 and 2 were 846,720 gallons and / or 262,080 gallons).

[0239] After 30 days of immersion, the protected waterway had visible fouling consisting of tubeworms on the Christmas tree substrate, while the control had significantly more fouling after several days of immersion (see Figure 22E and 22G ).like Figure 20A 、 21A as well as Figure 22E and 22G As best shown, fouling in the control waterway was heavier and consisted of dendritic bryozoans, barnacles, and tubeworms in the waterway and on the Christmas trees, as well as hydrozoans and tunicates in the Christmas trees. The protected (i.e., treated water) standard (Figures 20 and 21B) and protected large waterway ( Figure 20A and 21C ) was similar and consisted of half the coverage on substrates exposed to unprotected or untreated water. This reduction in biofouling coverage was attributed to tubeworms. Figure 20A and 21D The scale in the waterways (including treated water) was heavy and primarily composed of tubeworms, with a single tree-like bryozoan on the edge of a panel in the Christmas tree array. Thick sediment accumulated on the top panels of all waterways. In some cases, this caused tubeworms to grow vertically from the surface, with their heads emerging from the mud.

[0240] After 2 months of immersion, visual evaluation showed that the water Figure 24A ) in the treated water (i.e., standard pump Figure 24B , fast pump Figure 24C and large waterways Figure 24D ) on metal substrates (cf. Figure 22F and 22H ) and less biofouling buildup. In-water evaluation of the treated bags after 2 months showed different biofilm structure and thickness compared to the unprotected control pumps (control Figure 25A ) compared to micro-fouling, macro-fouling, and biofilm growth on a standard pump with no micro- or macro-biofouling (i.e., Figure 25B , fast pump Figure 25C and large waterways Figure 25D Tubeworms are the most prominent organisms on metal substrates in treated water. The shell can contain a biocide or component to reduce tubeworm health or reproduction. The substrate can be pretreated or conditioned with a hydrogel system containing a biocide or other composition to prevent tubeworm settlement. The treated water can be conditioned to reduce dissolved oxygen, water chemistry, pH, and / or temperature to "toxic" levels for tubeworm survival and reproduction.

[0241] In addition to the differences in biofouling on the substrate (unprotected or protected), visual differences were also noted between the protected and unprotected back walls of the raceways. After 30 days, the control raceway wall containing the spillway at the back of the raceway showed extensive fouling, while the raceway with treated water flow had no visible fouling buildup on the spillway (see Figure 2). Figure 20B The water quality seems to be different between treatments (see Figures 22B to 22D ). Temperatures were similar across all treatments at all sampling times. Salinity was very stable in the pumped treatments, while salinity varied more in the static open water. Dissolved oxygen was similar between treatments until week 4, when it began to drop from the static open in all waterways, likely due to scale buildup in the pumps causing the water to slow down and / or a lack of photosynthesis in the covered waterways. Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were lower in the treated water after 2 months compared to the open / untreated water. It is believed that DO differences take longer to develop in high velocity water than in static water, with various DO differences depending on residence time (in some embodiments, longer residence times are preferred), velocity of the water, and / or volume of water.

[0242] like Figure 22D As best shown, differences in water chemistry were determined for treated water compared to open / untreated water after one month. Compared to untreated water, ammonium, total dissolved nitrogen, and phosphate were higher in the treated water. It is believed that nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate may be nutrients for biofouling organisms, and that too high a concentration of one or more of these may be "toxic," or undesirable, to the organisms and negatively impact them. Similarly, in waters with elevated pH, increased ammonium levels may be more "toxic" to organisms. Test results showed higher levels of "toxic" ammonium in treated water compared to open water. Test results may also indicate that increased phosphate may be causing overstimulation of organisms. Many of these water chemistry differences may depend on residence time (i.e., longer residence times are preferred in some embodiments), volume of water, and / or the rate at which the water flows through the substrate.

[0243] Experimental Results - Test 3

[0244] In another set of exemplary experiments, water pretreatment was investigated using a multilayer enclosure (including one, two, and three layers). This setup represents an enclosure bag within an ab enclosure bag. Using this experimental setup, any number of enclosure layers can be used.

[0245] In this experiment, four raceways were constructed to direct varying amounts of treated and / or protected ambient water through three of the raceways, while untreated water flowed through the fourth raceway (the "control"). The water in the control raceway was not pretreated with a housing. The water in Test Setup 2 was pretreated before flowing through the raceway with one housing. The water in Test Setup 3 was pretreated with two layers of housing, and the water in Test Setup 4 was pretreated with three layers of housing before being pumped into the raceways. The raceways were attached to pumps via flexible tubing (Setup 1 had no housing, and Setups 2 through 4 had housings to protect the pumps). Each raceway contained a PVC "Christmas tree" sedimentation substrate, which was chosen because this configuration is very attractive to sedimentation larvae. All four raceways contained 50 gallons of water, and the pumping rate was approximately 240 gallons per hour, with an initial residence time of the water in the raceway of 12.3 to 12.6 minutes.

[0246] In this experiment, three of the four water channels were preceded by enclosure boxes having a coated fabric shell structure on all sides. These boxes were completely submerged in water. A pump was mounted inside each box using flexible tubing, thereby pulling water through the box and then pushing it into the water channel (see Figure 29 ). Place the waterway under water and begin pumping in early October.

[0247] Below, Table 11 provides additional descriptions of the various waterways of the test setup.

[0248]

[0249] Table 11. Experimental pumping calculations for 1-shell, 2-shell, and 3-shell design setups.

[0250] For these experiments, the actual pumping rate of various experimental test groups was determined, as well as the volume of each water channel and the surface area and volume of the permeable structural box forming the water inlet. The number of water exchanges completed per hour in each water inlet box was calculated, as well as the number of water exchanges in the water channel per hour in each test setting. In addition, Table 7 describes the amount of water drawn by each square foot of the fiber structure medium of each shell box, as well as the water exchange in the shell, in each box and in the full length of each test setting. The exemplary residence time of the water channel in each antifouling system and the full average residence time of water are also shown. Table 7 includes additional disclosure of the amount of biocide that can be released in each exemplary shell after 30 days of water soaking and water flow (assuming that the biocide is completely released during the 30-day period), as well as the total amount of biocide released per gallon of water.

[0251] After 3 weeks of immersion, the protected waterways had visible scale consisting of tubeworms on the Christmas tree substrate, while the controls had significantly more scale, tubeworms and hydroids, which became visible after several days of immersion. After 1 week, the unprotected waterways (no shells) began to show signs of scale. The waterways that had water pretreated with one shell began to show signs of scale after 2 weeks. The waterways that had water pretreated with multiple layers of shells (two and three shells) began to show signs of scale after 2.5 weeks. After 3 weeks, the unprotected waterways and the waterways that had water pretreated with one, two, and three shells, all contained tubeworms on the substrate and in the waterways. The unprotected waterways contained hydroids on the substrate and in the waterways. The scale in the control waterways was heavier, consisting of tree-like bryozoans, barnacles, and tubeworms on the waterways and Christmas trees, as well as hydroids and tunicates on the Christmas trees. Fouling in protected (i.e., treated) water was similar and comprised more than half the coverage observed on substrates exposed to unprotected or untreated water. This reduction in biofouling coverage was attributed to tubeworms. After two weeks, all treatments (unprotected, one shell, two shells, three shells) had similar water quality, water chemistry, and flow characteristics. After one week, the water in all treatments (unprotected, one shell, two shells, three shells) contained plankton, including copepods and other holoplankton.

[0252] In addition to the differences in biofouling on the substrate (unprotected or protected), visual differences were also noted between the protected and unprotected back walls of the raceways. After 3 weeks, the control raceway wall containing the spillway at the back of the raceway showed extensive fouling, while the raceway with treated water flow had no visible fouling buildup on the spillway (similar to the Figure 20B ).

[0253] Desired biofilm formation

[0254] In the case where the system is used to protect a water system, as disclosed herein, the biological colonization sequence on the water system components may be significantly different from the open water sequence typically expected. For example, when using a system as described herein, the biological colonization sequence on the substrate can be interrupted (destroyed, changed, etc.) to reduce and / or minimize the sedimentation, recruitment and final macroscopic fouling of the substrate. Once positioned upstream of the water system inlet, the permeable protective structural wall of the antifouling medium and / or other system components can ideally prevent various microorganisms and / or large organisms from entering the system, and if they are already located in the system and / or if they eventually pass through the shell, the different water conditions produced can prevent some and / or all organisms from settling and / or colonizing on the substrate. For example, when tiny plankton and other traditional non-settling organisms and other settling organisms pass through a permeable structural membrane, the different water conditions in the system may damage or injure some plankton, while other plankton that remain alive and active will avoid settling and / or colonizing on the substrate surface.

[0255] In various embodiments, initial placement of the system upstream of the substrate may cause and / or induce the formation of a "protective" biofilm layer on the substrate surface having various desirable properties, such as (1) forming a biofilm layer that minimizes interference with heat transfer through the underlying surface and / or (2) forming a biofilm layer that subsequently protects the substrate from significant additional fouling, which may even include providing biofouling protection after the integrity of the enclosure may be compromised and the substrate may be directly exposed to the external environment. In various embodiments, an active or non-settling biofilm may contain one or more of the following compared to a "natural" biofilm: (1) a different amount of life and / or organisms, (2) a different variation in the composition of the organisms, (3) a different thickness of the biofilm, and / or (4) a different structural integrity of the biofilm.

[0256] In various aspects of the present invention, proper design and use of the protective system as described herein can create a "different environment" within the water system that influences and / or induces the formation of biocoatings, layers, and / or biofilms on the surface of the substrate, thereby effectively reducing and / or preventing the settlement of biofouling organisms on the substrate. In some aspects of the present invention, this reduction and / or prevention can be due to one or more localized settlement cues that prevent (e.g., reduce, minimize, or prevent) the larvae of the biofouling organisms from settling, which can include preventing settlement on the substrate, while in other aspects of the present invention, the reduction and / or prevention can be due to the absence of one or more positive settlement cues that promote the larvae of the biofouling organisms from settling, which can similarly reduce settlement on the substrate (and / or various combinations of the presence and / or absence of settlement cues can relate to various embodiments). In another aspect of the present invention, the system components can promote the growth of microorganisms that produce one or more localized settlement cues that prevent the larvae of the biofouling organisms from settling in the differentiated aquatic environment created by the system. In another aspect of the present invention, the system can promote the growth of microorganisms that produce one or more localized settlement cues that prevent the larvae of the biofouling organisms from settling on and / or within the fibrous matrix material itself. Thus, in these aspects of the invention, larvae of biofouling organisms may be unable or less likely to settle or attach to the submerged substrate or one or more substrate portions protected by the enclosure.

[0257] In various embodiments, the biofilm can be formed on the protected substrate, on the outside of the shell and / or on the inside of the shell itself. The biofilm at each location can be different based on the variable number and / or distribution of bacteria, cyanobacteria, diatoms, different bacterial phyla, diversity, thickness, insulating ability and / or integrity, as well as by other measurements. In some embodiments, the higher velocity of the treated water flow can "supercharge" the protective or artificial biofilm, and in some embodiments, the protective or artificial biofilm can "grow" faster as a larger amount of "protective" biofilm is added to the substrate. In various embodiments, the shell ideally creates an artificial aquatic environment to "grow" one or more "protective" biofilms on the substrate, which can inhibit and / or delay the ability of the organisms to attach to the surface of the substrate. In various alternative embodiments, the "artificial" biofilm thus created can smooth the surface of the substrate, resulting in fewer rough or sharp areas for fouling organisms to settle or become trapped therein.

[0258] In various embodiments, an antifouling biofilm can be formed on substrate surfaces within a water circuit at a manufacturing or power plant, wherein water flowing within the water circuit periodically passes through a housing unit comprising at least one permeable structure having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a plurality of pores extending therebetween, wherein the housing produces one or more water chemistry changes that inhibit colonization of a plurality of organisms on one or more substrate surfaces located within or downstream of the housing unit, wherein the antifouling biofilm comprises a reduced diversity of at least one cyanobacteria, diatoms, or bacteria compared to biofilms naturally forming in water outside the water circuit. In various alternative embodiments, the permeable structure can have a biocide coating on the outer surface that extends at least partially into the plurality of pores of the media, wherein the biocide elutes into the water and inhibits colonization of a plurality of organisms on one or more substrate surfaces located within or downstream of the housing unit, wherein the antifouling biofilm comprises a reduced diversity of at least one cyanobacteria, diatoms, or bacteria compared to biofilms naturally forming in water outside the water circuit.

[0259] There are a number of generally accepted "standard" processes or colonization sequences that typically lead to the establishment of fouling communities on substrates immersed in aqueous media such as seawater, brackish water, and / or freshwater. In a typical sequence, immersion of the substrate in the aqueous medium immediately initiates the physical process of macromolecular adsorption, followed by the rapid landing, attachment, and colonization of prokaryotic cells and bacteria on any surface in the marine environment. In some cases, the subsequent formation of a microbial biofilm may then promote the attachment of algal spores, protozoa, barnacles, and marine fungi, followed by the settlement of other marine invertebrate larvae and macroalgae, while in other cases, macrofouling species may settle in the absence of a biofilm, while some other macrofouling species may prefer clean surfaces.

[0260] Marine fouling is often described as four stages of ecosystem development. The chemistry of biofilm formation describes the initial steps before colonization. Within the first minute, van der Waals interactions cover the submerged surface with a conditioning film of organic polymers. Over the next 24 hours, this layer allows bacterial attachment processes to occur, where both diatoms and bacteria (e.g., Vibrio alginolyticus, Pseudomonas putrefaciens) attach, thereby beginning to form a biofilm. By the end of the first week, the accumulation of nutrients and the ease with which they attach to the biofilm allow secondary colonizers of macroalgae spores (e.g., Enteromorpha enterica, filamentous algae) and protozoa (e.g., bell worms, polycystis) to attach. Within 2 to 3 weeks, tertiary colonizers - macroscopic fouling objects - attach. These include tunicates, molluscs, and sessile coelenterates.

[0261] However, using the system described herein, the biological colonization sequence on the substrate can be varied. For example, the biological colonization sequence on the substrate can be interrupted (destroyed, altered, etc.) to reduce and / or minimize the sedimentation, recruitment, and ultimately macrofouling of the protected substrate. Once positioned around the substrate, the permeable protective structural wall of the enclosure can ideally prevent various microorganisms and / or macroorganisms from entering the enclosure and potentially altering various aspects of the water chemistry within the enclosure.

[0262] In one exemplary water system protected by the system, the bacterial biofilm formed on the substrate or other article is significantly different from any natural biofilm formed on the substrate or other object in the open ocean or other aqueous environment adjacent to the protected article. In various embodiments, appropriate system design and operation will ideally induce and / or promote the growth and replication of certain combinations of microorganisms, many of which are typically found at varying (i.e., typically relatively low) levels in natural environments, and these combinations of microorganisms may have the ability to promote certain "recruitment and settlement" behaviors of other organisms, thereby identifying the surface of the substrate as inhospitable and / or "less than ideal" (and signaling this fact by various means).

[0263] DNA analysis confirmed that the surface biofilms formed on PVC and bronze substrates downstream of various system embodiments differed significantly from those formed on similar substrates in open water. This was also true for the biofilm-forming communities present within the system and the biofilms formed on / on the interior wall surfaces of system components. For example, the biofilms formed on PVC and bronze article samples in open water were thicker and more diverse than those formed on PVC and bronze article samples protected by embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, macrofouling was observed on the articles in open water, while virtually absent on the protected substrates. In some embodiments, the biofilms on the protected substrates were less diverse than those in the open biofilms, with varying numbers of diatoms, bacteria, cyanobacteria, and distributions of different bacterial phyla. Furthermore, the dominant bacterial phyla and bacterial distribution on each protected substrate varied significantly for each system design. For example, the PVC substrates in the spun polyester structural system (the three rightmost bars) were dominated by Proteobacteria (the largest group at the top of the bar) and Bacteroidetes (the second largest group at the bottom of the bar). In contrast, the bronze substrates in the spun polyester structural system (bars 6 to 9) were dominated by Proteobacteria, with the much smaller remainder dominated by Bacteroidetes. The distribution of dominant bacteria in the biofilm is plotted for open bronze (columns 1-3), open PVC (columns 4-6), protected bronze (columns 7-9), and protected PVC (columns 10-12). Additionally, the "integrity" of the biofilm on the protected substrates differed from the open samples, as some biofilms on the protected substrates appeared easier to remove and / or clean from the substrate surface than on the open substrates. In various embodiments, the bacterial phyla and their distribution shown below can be similar for higher water velocity and / or other antifouling system designs.

[0264]

[0265] Table 12 - Distribution of bacterial phyla in biofilms

[0266] Conditioning and modifying compounds for aqueous environments

[0267] In some embodiments, it may be desirable to perform additional modifications to the aqueous environment proximate to the substrate / object to be protected, including such modifications before, during, and / or after the antifouling system is placed upstream of the object as described above. In some embodiments, such modifications may include the use of natural and / or artificial mechanisms and / or compounds to alter various components of the water chemistry, such as by introducing one or more aerobic microorganisms, chemicals, and / or compounds (including oxygen-consuming compounds) into the aqueous environment proximate to the substrate to cause accelerated consumption and / or displacement of dissolved oxygen in the aqueous environment or other changes in the water chemistry. For example, in one embodiment, the object to be protected from biofouling may include a water inlet pipe of a water system, wherein a system as described herein is located upstream of the water inlet, and then a supplemental oxygen-consuming compound or substance comprising one or more aerobic bacteria (such as aerobic Bacteroides) may be artificially introduced into the aqueous environment of the reservoir in large quantities and / or in large quantities, ideally accelerating the reduction of dissolved oxygen levels. Such introduction can be carried out by dropping or deploying a liquid, powdered, solid and / or atomized supplement into the seawater and / or closed / bounded aqueous environment, or alternatively, oxygen-depleting bacteria or other components can be incorporated into a layer or biofilm formed in or on the inner surface of the shell wall prior to deployment. Desirably, the aerobic bacteria can include bacterial species already present in the aqueous environment, wherein the eventual release of such bacteria through the bottom and / or wall / openings in the side of the shell will not be harmful to the surrounding environment and / or cause adverse consequences. In other embodiments, chemical compounds such as iron powder (i.e., zero-valent iron Fe0 or partially oxidized ferrous iron Fe2+), nitrogen gas or liquid nitrogen can be introduced into the reservoir to ideally absorb dissolved oxygen from the water, or additives such as salt can be added to the aqueous environment to reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen that the water can hold in a limited time.

[0268] In various embodiments, the modifying compound can comprise a solid, powder, liquid, gas or gaseous compound and / or an aerosol compound that is introduced into a closed or confined aqueous environment prior to and / or concurrently with the water contacting the substrate. In some embodiments, the modifying compound can be placed in a confined aqueous environment for a limited or desired time and then removed from the environment after the desired modification and / or conditioning of the water (i.e., creating a "differentiated" aqueous environment) occurs. In other embodiments, the modifying compound can be distributed into a confined aqueous environment where some embodiments of the compound may dissolve and / or be distributed into the water, while other compounds may remain in a solid and / or particulate state. If desired, the modifying compound can include buoyancy features that ideally maintain some or all of the compound at a desired level within the housing and / or within the water column, while other embodiments can allow the compound to be discharged from the bottom and / or sides of the system assembly and / or to reside on the bottom of a harbor or other seafloor feature within and / or near the housing. In other embodiments, the modifying compound may alter the density and / or salinity of water or other liquids within the differentiated environment, which may reduce and / or eliminate the natural tendency of liquids within and / or outside the differentiated environment to mix together and / or otherwise flow.

[0269] In at least one alternative embodiment, one or more modifying compounds can be released into an external, non-enclosed body of water adjacent to or proximate the anti-fouling system, which can flow into and / or through the enclosure, if desired. In other embodiments, the modifying compounds and / or their components can be used in conjunction with components placed outside the differentiated environment, which other components can be placed within the enclosed or differentiated environment.

[0270] In some embodiments, the modifying compound can be attached to and / or integrated into the walls of the system, including any coatings within and / or thereon the material construction. If desired, the compound can comprise a water and / or salt activated and / or ablative material that reacts with the aqueous medium, the reaction having a limited duration, such as 10 minutes, 1 hour, 12 hours, and / or 2 days, during which the compound affects the dissolved oxygen level and / or one or more other water chemistry levels within the housing, or may be effective for a longer period of time, such as 1 week, 1 month, or 1 year. If desired, the modifying compound or other material can be placed in a replaceable bag that can be placed inside and / or outside the system, the material in the bag becoming "depleted" over time and may need to be replaced as needed.

[0271] In one exemplary embodiment, the modifying compound can include a crystalline material that absorbs oxygen from the aqueous environment within the housing, such as a crystalline salt of a cationic multimetallic cobalt complex (as described in "Oxygen chemisorption / desorption in a reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation," published in Chemical Science, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2014). This material has the ability to absorb dissolved oxygen (O2) from air and / or water and release the absorbed oxygen when heated (i.e., such as left in ambient sunlight) and / or when subjected to low oxygen pressure. If desired, such oxygen-absorbing material can be incorporated into the wall material of the system so that when the housing is placed in water near the protected substrate, oxygen is immediately absorbed, but such oxygen absorption will gradually decrease after a period of time. Subsequently, the housing can be removed from the water (e.g., after protection is no longer needed) and left in sunlight to release the absorbed oxygen and "recharge" for the next use.

[0272] In another exemplary embodiment, the modifying compound may comprise a gas or gaseous compound, such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide (or some other gas or compound), which may be introduced into the system in gaseous form or released from pellets or other liquid or solid compounds (possibly including CO2 in the form of "dry ice"). This introduction or "sparging" may involve injecting nitrogen and / or N2 bubbles into the water within the system, or into / along the walls of the system. In some embodiments, the system described herein may be combined with an installed nitrogen dosing system and an oxygen level monitoring probe that controls the periodic renewal of nitrogen flushes when needed. In various embodiments, nitrogen injection may be accomplished using a small nitrogen tank with a multi-hole weighted dispenser (i.e., an aquarium air stone), while other embodiments may utilize an on-site nitrogen generator to purify nitrogen from air and then distribute this nitrogen through a pumping system. If desired, the nitrogen distribution system may include a bubble distribution system that releases bubbles of a single size range or a range of different sizes, if desired. In at least one embodiment, a nitrogen nanobubble injection system may be utilized.

[0273] Ideally, the biocide coating can provide some desired level of scale protection for substrates and / or water treatment system components, which can include protection of surfaces, pores, and / or other openings in filtration and / or dosing media through which water can flow. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, an antifouling system can include a water treatment unit comprising at least one layer of permeable structural media having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a plurality of pores extending therebetween, the permeable structural media having a biocide coating on the outer surface, the biocide coating extending at least partially into the plurality of pores, the water treatment unit further having a deoxygenation system that removes at least a portion of dissolved oxygen from water that has passed through the treatment unit, the water treatment unit being positioned at an inlet of a water circuit, wherein all water entering the water circuit passes through the water treatment unit, the water requiring an average residence time to pass through the water circuit and exit the water circuit at a drain outlet, wherein the biocide coating elutes a biocide into the water passing through the water treatment unit, the biocide contacting a plurality of scaling organisms in the water and inhibiting the ability of the plurality of scaling organisms to colonize one or more substrate surfaces within the water circuit for at least the average residence time. In another exemplary embodiment, an anti-fouling system may include a water treatment unit and a deoxygenation system, the water treatment unit comprising at least one permeable structure having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a plurality of pores extending therebetween, the permeable structure having a biocide coating on the outer surface, the deoxygenation system removing at least a portion of dissolved oxygen from water passing through the water treatment unit; the water treatment unit being positioned at an inlet location of a water circuit, wherein all water entering the water circuit passes through the water treatment unit, wherein the biocide coating elutes a biocide into the water proximate the outer surface of the permeable structure, the biocide contacting a plurality of fouling organisms in the water and inhibiting the ability of the plurality of fouling organisms to colonize the outer surface of the permeable structure. In yet another embodiment, an anti-fouling system may include a water treatment unit comprising at least one permeable structure having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a plurality of pores extending therebetween, the permeable structure having a biocide coating on the outer surface, the biocide coating at least partially extending into the plurality of pores; the water treatment unit being positioned at an inlet location of a water circuit, wherein all water entering the water circuit passes through the water treatment unit, wherein the biocide coating elutes a biocide into the water proximate the pores of the permeable structure, wherein the biocide contacts a plurality of fouling organisms in the water and inhibits the ability of the plurality of fouling organisms to colonize the plurality of pores of the permeable structure. If desired, the system may similarly include a deoxygenation component that removes at least a portion of the dissolved oxygen in water passing through the system.

[0274] In at least one alternative embodiment, the injection of gaseous compounds suitable for use in the various systems described herein may include an ozone injection system, such as commercially available from Ecosphere Technologies, Inc. of Stuart, Florida, USA. system.

[0275] In various embodiments, the modifying compounds described herein will ideally induce a reduction in dissolved oxygen levels in a closed or confined aqueous environment of at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 50%, at least 70%, and / or at least 90% or more within seconds / after application and / or within minutes / after application (i.e., nitrogen bubbling for 1 minute to 5 minutes to 10 minutes to 20 minutes to 40 minutes to 60 minutes) and / or within hours / after application.

[0276] Differences in water chemistry

[0277] In some embodiments, the disclosed antifouling systems and / or associated reservoir systems will ideally provide (1) a barrier to the delivery of significant amounts of oxygen into the water supply, and / or (2) a potential reduction in the supply of available energy and / or nutrients for biological and / or chemical reactions within the reservoir, which can reduce and / or prevent natural photosynthesis or other metabolic processes of microorganisms and / or undesirable chemical reactions from occurring within the reservoir. Ideally, once the disclosed antifouling system is in the desired position, the natural biological processes within the reservoir will ideally utilize most of the dissolved oxygen contained in the liquid within the reservoir, thereby significantly reducing the dissolved oxygen level within the reservoir to a level that may approach anoxic levels, but ideally does not exceed anoxic levels for an extended period of time (with some level of dissolved oxygen replenished by the antifouling system).

[0278] In various embodiments, the systems described herein will ideally cause a difference in dissolved oxygen levels and / or other water chemistry levels of the closed aqueous environment (i.e., dissolved oxygen levels—or other water chemistry—within the enclosure compared to outside the enclosure) of at least 10%, at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 25%, at least 50%, at least 70%, at least 90% or greater after a period of at least 1 or 2 hours.

[0279] In various embodiments, the devices of the present invention are intended to provide a method for reducing, stopping, and / or reversing biofouling and / or creating a desired closed environment that inhibits the settlement of biofouling organisms and / or facilitates the formation of a desired antifouling layer and / or biofilm on a substrate. When deployed to influence the formation of a favorable biofilm, a desired local aquatic environment (i.e., a "differentiated environment") is initially created, which results in reduced biofouling on the protected substrate or article. In various embodiments, this "differentiated environment" can be created within seconds, minutes, and / or hours of the system being deployed upstream of the substrate, while in other embodiments, creating the desired "differentiated environment" may require days, weeks, or even months. If desired, the system can be deployed long before the substrate to be protected is placed therein, while in other embodiments, system components can be deployed simultaneously with the substrate or water supply inlet, or the system can be deployed long after the substrate has been immersed in and / or maintained in the aqueous environment. In various embodiments, the generation of significant water chemistry differences and / or other unique aspects of the differentiated environment can begin immediately upon deployment, or can be generated within 1 hour of placing the system in the aqueous environment (which can include placing the system alone in the environment and / or in the vicinity of the substrate to be protected), while in other embodiments, the initiation and / or generation of the desired differentiated environment (which can include the generation of a fully differentiated environment as well as the generation of various scale-inhibiting conditions that can be altered and / or supplemented as other aspects of the differentiated environment are induced) may require the system to operate upstream of the substrate for at least 2 hours, at least 3 hours, at least 6 hours, at least 12 hours, at least 18 hours, at least 1 day, at least 2 days, at least 3 days, at least 4 days, at least 5 days, at least 6 days, at least 1 week, at least 2 weeks, at least 3 weeks, at least 4 weeks, at least 1 month, at least 2 months, at least 3 months and / or at least 6 months or more. In various embodiments, the various water chemistry differences that may occur during these different time periods may include dissolved oxygen, pH, total dissolved nitrogen, ammonium, ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate, total dissolved phosphate, silica, salinity, temperature, turbidity, chlorophyll, etc., and the concentrations of various of the water chemistry differences may increase and / or decrease at different times, including at different shell immersion durations, and the concentrations of individual components may also vary.

[0280] In some cases, after a certain period of time, the device of the present invention and / or its components may degrade and / or no longer provide the desired level of antifouling and / or environmental effects. In various embodiments, the amount of time until the antifouling system loses its antifouling effect can vary based on many factors, including the specific aquatic environment, season, temperature, composition of marine life present, temperature, light, salinity, wind, water speed, etc. It should be noted that based on the conditions of the aquatic environment, the system may temporarily lose its antifouling and / or environmental effects, only to regain its antifouling / environmental effects when the conditions return to normal or to a certain desired level. As used herein, "service life" may refer to the amount of time from the deployment of the system to the time when macrofouling on the substrate becomes a problem, while "system life" may refer to the amount of time that the system itself or its various components (which may include the service life of individual housing components and the estimated overall system life of the housing and / or its various components with regular cleaning, maintenance and / or replacement) remain physically intact and effective upstream of the substrate itself (in some embodiments, this may exceed the "service life" of the biofouling protection provided by the system). In various aspects of the present invention, one or both of the useful life of the system and / or individual housing components and / or the housing life can be: not less than 3 days, not less than 7 days, not less than 15 days, not less than 30 days, not less than 60 days, not less than 90 days, not less than 120 days, not less than 150 days, not less than 180 days, not less than 270 days, not less than 1 year, not less than 1.5 years, not less than 2 years, not less than 3 years, not less than 4 years or not less than 5 years.

[0281] Changes in colonization sequences

[0282] In various embodiments, when using a system as described herein, the biological colonization sequence on the downstream substrate can be interrupted (destroyed, altered, etc.) to reduce and / or minimize the sedimentation, recruitment, and eventual macrofouling of the substrate. Ideally, the permeable protective structural wall of the shell can ideally prevent various microorganisms and / or macroorganisms from entering the water system, and the biocide coating will prevent the shell from fouling and / or potentially harming and / or damaging some and / or all organisms when contacting and / or passing through the structure. If desired, the biocidal coating can undergo a significant biocidal washout when initially placed around the substrate to establish an initial higher "kill level" that affects fouling organisms, with the biocidal washout level significantly decreasing over time.

[0283] In many of the embodiments described herein, the disclosed biofouling protection systems can provide a significant level of protection to a substrate once the housing has treated the ambient water, which can then be held in a reservoir or can be directed to the water inlet of a water system. Ideally, the design and positioning of the system upstream of the substrate can optionally alter various water chemistries and / or compositions of the liquid in contact with the substrate to a meaningful degree compared to the open aqueous environment. In various cases, the system can cause some water chemistries to be "different" compared to the surrounding aqueous environment, while other water chemistries can remain the same as the surrounding aqueous environment. For example, while dissolved oxygen levels are often "different" between a differentiated environment and an open environment, the temperature, salinity, and / or pH levels within the differentiated environment and the open environment can be similar or the same. Ideally, the system can affect some water chemistries in a desired manner while leaving other water chemistries minimally affected and / or "unaffected" compared to the surrounding open aqueous environment. Some exemplary water chemistry characteristics that may potentially "vary" and / or may remain constant (i.e., depending on housing design and / or other environmental factors such as location and / or season) may include dissolved oxygen, pH, total dissolved nitrogen, ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate, total dissolved phosphate, silica, salinity, temperature, turbidity, chlorophyll, etc.

[0284] In some exemplary embodiments, measurements of one or more water chemistry characteristics inside a water system may be "different" compared to equivalent measurements outside the system (which may include measurements at some distance away from the system). Such "differences" may include differences of 0.1% or greater between internal / external measurements, or 2% or greater between internal / external measurements, or 5% or greater between internal / external measurements, or 8% or greater between internal / external measurements, or 10% or greater between internal / external measurements, or 15% or greater, or 25% or greater, or 50% or greater, or 100% or greater. Additionally, such differences may be for multiple chemistries with unequal differences or may include an increase in one factor and a decrease in another. Combinations of all such described water chemistry factors are contemplated, including situations where some water chemistry factors remain substantially the same for some factors while other factors may have various differences.

[0285] In various embodiments of the present invention, the system can generate a "differentiated aqueous environment" downstream of the system components. Ideally, the artificial environmental conditions generated by the system will thereby inhibit and / or prevent the settlement, recruitment, growth, and / or colonization of fouling organisms on the substrate. In various embodiments, the artificial environmental conditions generated by the system can include reduced dissolved oxygen levels, which can significantly help reduce biofouling of the substrate because reduced oxygen availability can make it difficult for some fouling organisms to colonize and / or thrive within the enclosure and / or on the substrate. In addition, reduced dissolved oxygen levels can increase the generation of waste materials such as hydrogen sulfide and / or ammoniacal nitrogen (i.e., free ammonium nitrogen, nitrogen-ammonia, or NH3-N), and / or greatly reduce the opportunity for other biological treatment and / or elimination of these waste materials, which are harmful and / or even toxic to various aquatic organisms and / or microorganisms. For example, the biologically driven nitrogen cycle occurring in various water bodies can greatly reduce free oxygen within the enclosure, where NH3-N levels depend at least in part on the available dissolved oxygen level. Additionally, in some embodiments, anaerobic ammonium oxidation reactions may be initiated and / or sustained by bacteria within the enclosure, which may produce hydrazine and / or other byproducts that similarly inhibit marine growth. Typically, the concentrations of these byproducts within the water system will be greater than those outside the enclosure, and in some embodiments, the individual concentrations and / or relative proportions of these byproducts within the enclosure may fluctuate for various reasons.

[0286] For example, in various embodiments, the systems described herein can induce the production of metabolic waste products, toxins, or other inhibitory compounds in water systems, such as NH3-N, at concentrations ranging from 0.53 mg / L to 22.8 mg / L, which can be toxic to various freshwater organisms (typically depending on pH and / or temperature). In other embodiments, the concentration of NH3-N produced in differentiated environments can range from 0.053 to 2.28 mg / L, which can inhibit biofouling formation within water systems. Additionally, at NH3-N levels as low as 0.002 mg / L or higher, the ability of various aquatic flora and / or fauna to colonize and / or reproduce can be significantly degraded.

[0287] It is further proposed that, in some exemplary embodiments, fluctuations and / or changes in the individual levels of water chemical components, such as dissolved oxygen, ammonium, total dissolved nitrogen, nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate, total dissolved phosphate, and / or silica (as well as various other chemical components described herein), form an important aspect of some embodiments of the present invention, as the artificial environment generated downstream of the system components will ideally "promote" and / or "inhibit" the proliferation of different macro-fouling and microbial flora and / or macro-fouling and microbial flora at different times. Ideally, such continuous changes in the differentiated environment may force the various organisms present within and / or near the water system to continuously adapt and / or change to accommodate the new environmental conditions, which may tend to inhibit the dominance of a single species or group of species within and / or near the enclosure. This may have the effect of increasing competition between the various flora and / or fauna within the system, which may inhibit and / or prevent the dominance of a single species, species, and / or distribution of flora and / or fauna, thereby reducing the likelihood that a dominant bacterial species or other microscopic or macroscopic entities will have the opportunity to thrive and / or invest energy in scaling the substrate or forming a base for other scaling organisms to attach to.

[0288] In various embodiments, the system can induce the formation of water chemistry factors that inhibit scaling, such as ammoniacal nitrogen, at higher concentrations within the system than in the external aqueous environment. If desired, ammoniacal nitrogen concentrations of 0.1 parts per billion (ppb) or greater, 1 part per billion (ppb) or greater, 10 parts per billion (ppb) or greater, and / or 100 parts per billion (ppb) or greater can be achieved. In various embodiments, the system can induce the formation of water chemistry factors that inhibit scaling, such as nitrite, at higher concentrations than outside the system. If desired, a nitrite concentration within the water system can be achieved that is 0.1 parts per billion (ppb) or greater, 0.1 parts per million (ppm) or greater, 0.5 parts per million (ppm) or greater, and / or 1 part per million (ppm) or greater.

[0289] In various embodiments, placing the system upstream of the substrate will ideally "regulate" dissolved oxygen and create a dissolved oxygen differential between the water inside and outside the water system, which ideally provides significant improvements in preventing fouling of protected system components. In many cases, the dissolved oxygen regulation of the differentiated environment can include generating a significantly lower dissolved oxygen level within the water system than the external environment, wherein the dissolved oxygen level fluctuates to varying degrees in response to internal oxygen consumption and external dissolved oxygen levels. In addition, due at least in part to the lower energy environment within the enclosure compared to the external environment and / or the absence of significant turbulence and / or eddies that can "mix" the water within the enclosure, a secondary gradient may also exist between the dissolved oxygen in the "bulk water" within the differentiated environment and the dissolved oxygen in the water within the "boundary layer" at the surface of the protected substrate or article. These locally differential conditions can be caused by the consumption of oxygen and / or nutrients by organisms and / or other factors on the surface of the substrate or article and / or in the water column, which can lead to further depletion of the "boundary layer," resulting in a lack of biofouling and / or the formation of antifouling biofilms on the protected article.

[0290] Instead of and / or in addition to reducing the level of dissolved oxygen in the water contained in the water system, a variety of other water chemistry factors can be influenced by the design and arrangement of the system embodiments described herein, including water chemistry factors that can significantly delay and / or prevent scaling of the protected substrate. For example, when oxygen in the water system is depleted, certain species of naturally occurring bacteria within the enclosure will typically first turn to the second best electron acceptor, which in seawater is nitrate. Denitrification will occur, and the nitrate will be rapidly consumed. After reducing some other trace elements, these bacteria ultimately turn to reducing sulfate, which produces hydrogen sulfide (HS) as a byproduct (which is chemically toxic to most biota and has a characteristic "rotten egg" odor). This elevated level of hydrogen sulfide within the enclosure, along with other chemicals, can then inhibit scaling of the substrate in the desired manner described herein. In addition, hydrogen sulfide within the enclosure can also elute through the walls of the enclosure (i.e., where a large amount of water flows out of the enclosure) and potentially inhibit scale growth in the pores of the enclosure and / or on the outer surface of the enclosure.

[0291] In addition to creating local conditions that inhibit scaling of the protected substrate, the various embodiments described herein are also extremely environmentally friendly because any toxic and / or inhospitable conditions created within the system are quickly neutralized outside the system. For example, when fluid is discharged from the system, this displaced fluid may contain components that are toxic to marine life and / or unsuitable for marine life (which ideally reduce and / or prevent scale from adhering to the substrate within the system). However, once outside the system, these components are rapidly degraded, oxidized, neutralized, metabolized, and / or diluted in the external aqueous environment through various naturally occurring mechanisms that generally do not cause lasting effects on the aquatic environment, even near the system discharge itself. This is highly preferred over existing antifouling devices and / or coatings that incorporate high levels of biocides and / or other agents, some of which are highly toxic to many life forms (including fish and humans and / or other mammals) and can persist in the marine environment for decades.

[0292] Antifouling structures with optional biocide

[0293] In various embodiments, a highly efficient apparatus and / or system for applying and / or "dosing" a biocide into a fluid stream (fluid flow) to desirably inhibit the attachment, settlement, and / or growth of biofouling organisms in the fluid stream is disclosed. In various embodiments, a housing or structure is disclosed having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of holes extending through the structure from the top surface to the bottom surface, to which a coating or "paint" containing at least one biocide or poison is applied. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the coating can be applied to the top surface of the structure with some portion of the coating entering and / or passing through the holes. If desired, the coating application process can include applying suction or a vacuum to the bottom surface of the structure, which can desirably draw some portion of the coating into the holes while desirably maintaining the openness (i.e., an "open" state) of the hole openings through the structure (i.e., the coating desirably does not "block" most of the holes through the structure after being applied thereto). Once the coating is dried or otherwise cured to a desired state, the coated structure can be formed into a desired shape and / or configuration and then placed in a stream of water, wherein the fluid passes through the pores of the structure, wherein a certain amount of the biocide and / or toxicant is eluted or otherwise distributed into the separate fluid streams passing through the pores. Since the fouling organisms in the form of spores, propagules, larvae, and / or juveniles also pass through these separate pores, these organisms are exposed to a relatively high dose of the biocide and / or toxicant, which ideally inactivates and / or inhibits their ability to attach, settle, and / or grow within the pores of the housing and / or on wetted surfaces further downstream in the fluid stream.

[0294] In various exemplary embodiments, the disclosed housings may optionally include the application of supplemental biocides and / or antifoulants to the media to provide adequate biofouling protection to the housing material, water inlet, and / or protected substrate. This may also include periodic use of uncoated structural housing components during certain soaking periods, where fouling pressure may prevent macrofouling of the unprotected structure and / or where the uncoated housing may be sufficient to provide protection to the contained substrate for a desired period of time. In many embodiments, at least a portion of the surface of the housing wall structure may be impregnated, injected, and / or coated with a biocidal coating, coating, and / or additive. In some further embodiments, the biocide and / or antifouling agent may be integrated into the housing and / or other system components and / or other portions thereof to ideally protect the system itself from undesirable fouling. In some exemplary embodiments, the structure or material may serve as a carrier for the biocide. Typically, a biocide or some other chemical, compound, and / or microorganism that has the ability to destroy, deter, render harmless, and / or exert a control over any unwanted or undesirable organisms by chemical or biological means can optionally be incorporated into and / or onto some portion or portions of the material, such as during manufacture of the material or material components, or the biocide or the like can be introduced into the material after manufacture. Ideally, the one or more biocides in / on the material will inhibit and / or prevent aquatic organisms from colonizing the exterior surfaces and / or openings of the housing or other system components, as well as repel, disable, damage, and / or weaken biofouling organisms that are small enough to attempt or successfully penetrate the openings in the housing, making them less able to thrive in the artificial or synthetic local aquatic environment downstream of the housing. In various embodiments, the housing is desirably combined with a material that maintains sufficient strength and / or integrity to allow protection and / or inhibition of biofouling (and / or enable creation of a desired artificial local aquatic environment or synthetic local aqueous environment) for a useful life of not less than about 3 to 7 days, 7 to 15 days, 3 to 15 days, at least 1 month, at least 2 months, at least 3 months, at least 6 months, at least 12 months, at least 2 years, at least 3 years, at least 4 years, and / or at least 5 years or longer. In some embodiments, a coating containing a water-soluble and / or degradable resin or other degradable material that encapsulates one or more biocides can be used. In such a coating, the resin or degradable material (i.e., PLA or the like) can encapsulate the biocide, and once the resin or material comes into contact with water, the water can penetrate and destroy the resin structure, thereby allowing the biocide to be released into the environment. In another preferred embodiment, a degradable material, such as a film or sheet, can be impregnated with at least one biocide, thereby releasing the biocide as the material degrades. Such an arrangement would ideally provide an efficient substrate or structure for controlled biocide dosing of water through the matrix which would then improve mixing of the biocide with the water within the pores and / or other areas of the fibrous matrix and / or other areas of the protected environment.

[0295] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the housing system comprises at least one coating or paint having at least one active ingredient or biocide, wherein the coating elutes at a certain rate over the useful life of the housing. In some exemplary embodiments, biocide elution may occur initially on the front face or surface of the structure and / or within the pores of the structure, wherein in some embodiments, the decomposition of the water-soluble resin allows the pore size to increase, which may allow the structure to continue to allow water to pass through these pores without rapid clogging due to biofilm or biofouling growth. In some embodiments, as the pore size increases, the effective surface area of the resin in each pore may increase, which may increase the elution of the biocide and the effectiveness of the biocide treatment. The desired biocide content in a given fluid stream may depend on a variety of factors, including the level and / or concentration of the biocide in the resin, the rate of resin degradation and biocide release, the biocide contact ratio (which may be the ratio of the surface area of the coating in the pores to the pore volume), the rate and / or volume of water flowing through the matrix, and / or the temperature of the flowing water, etc.

[0296] In another exemplary embodiment, the level of biocide or active ingredient can be adjusted or optimized according to environmental parameters, water chemistry and / or the type and quantity of organisms. Biocide concentration, elution rate and release curve can change based on water flow rate, water residence time, water exchange, water mixing, water turbulence etc. The total biocide released or eluted can be calculated based on the total active ingredient or biocide of each total water consumption or water flow in the set time in the water system, on the structure or around the structure. In a preferred embodiment, the total biocide released in flowing water after 30 days can be at least 500 parts per million (ppm), at least 100 ppm, at least 80 ppm, at least 50 ppm, at least 40 ppm, at least 30 ppm, at least 25 ppm, at least 20 ppm, at least 15 ppm, at least 10 ppm, at least 5 ppm, at least 1 ppm, at least 75 parts per billion (ppb), at least 50 ppb, at least 10 ppb, at least 5 ppb, at least 1 ppb or at least 0.1 ppb. In some embodiments, the total biocide released in flowing water after 60 days can be at least 500 ppm, at least 100 ppm, at least 50 ppm, at least 50 ppm, at least 40 ppm, at least 30 ppm, at least 25 ppm, at least 20 ppm, at least 15 ppm, at least 10 ppm, at least 5 ppm, at least 1 ppm, at least 75 ppb, at least 50 ppb, at least 30 ppb, at least 10 ppb, at least 5 ppb, at least 1 ppb, or at least 0.01 ppb.

[0297] The coating containing the biocide and / or other chemicals can be applied to the fibrous media in a variety of ways, including by adding the coating to one or both sides of the structure, injecting the coating into the structure, extruding the coating onto the structure, immersing the structure in a coating bath, or other coating techniques known in the art.

[0298] In at least one exemplary embodiment of the system, the housing can include a material coated, sprayed, and / or impregnated with a biocide coating that ideally adheres to and / or penetrates the material to a desired depth (this can include a surface coating of the material on only one side of the structure, as well as coatings that penetrate 1% to 99%, or 25%, or 50%, or 75% through the structure, as well as coatings that completely penetrate the structure and coat some or all of the opposite side of the structure), coating one side of the structure, coating both sides, or coating all sides. In at least one embodiment, the coating can be on or embedded in the surface facing the substrate or article to be protected, or on the surface opposite the substrate or article. In some embodiments, the biocide coating or coating will contain at least one (i.e., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more) biocide and / or active ingredient to reduce biofouling and biofilm accumulation. Ideally, the biocide will reduce and / or prevent the type, rate, and / or extent of biofouling on the fibrous matrix material itself, and / or will also have some deleterious effect on microorganisms attempting to pass through openings in the material into the downstream aqueous environment (and possibly also have some effect on microorganisms already present in the reservoir and / or downstream water system). In various embodiments, a biocide coating or coating present along a three-dimensional "entry path" through the shell (i.e., as microorganisms pass through openings and / or pores in the material) will ideally provide a greater surface area and prove more effective than standard two-dimensional "flat" coating biocide coverage (i.e., hard flat coatings) used on rigid submerged surfaces in current marine applications. In various aspects, particularly where the structural matrix material is highly fibrillated and / or ciliated, coatings of such materials can ideally provide a higher structural "functional surface area" for the biocide coating to adhere to, which ideally increases the potential for anti-biofouling efficacy because as organisms pass through the structure, they are more likely to be located near and / or in contact with these small fibers (and the biocide coating, coating, or additive residing thereon or therein).

[0299] In various alternative embodiments, the housing may incorporate a material coated, sprayed, and / or impregnated with a biocide coating (which may include a surface coating of the material on only one side of the structure, as well as a surface coating that may extend from the front and / or back of the structure an amount into the pores of the structure), which may include a coating on one surface of the structure that penetrates 5% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 10% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 15% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 20% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 25% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 30% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 35% into the pores of the structure , penetrates 40% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 45% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 50% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 55% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 60% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 65% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 70% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 75% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 80% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 85% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 90% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 95% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 99% into the pores of the structure, penetrates 100% into the pores of the structure and / or extends from the pores to the opposite surface of the structure.

[0300] In various embodiments, the incorporation of a biocide coating or other coating / additive in some embodiments also desirably improves the durability and functional life of the housing, system, and / or its components, since biofouling organisms and / or other harmful substances should be inhibited and / or prevented from colonizing the flexible structure and / or the perforations therein for a period of time after immersion, thereby desirably maintaining the flexible, porous nature of the system walls and their attendant advantages. When the biocide is primarily retained near the structural matrix (i.e., when there may be very low or no biocide elution levels outside the structure or housing), the biocide will desirably significantly inhibit biofouling of the housing and / or system walls, while the presence of the system and the "differentiated aqueous environment" created downstream thereof will reduce and / or inhibit biofouling of the protected water system or other substrate. In various exemplary embodiments, the biocide is present at very low and / or undetectable levels (i.e., less than 30 ng / L) in the water downstream of the housing and / or in the water released from the water system, and still remains highly effective in protecting the water system and / or system components from biofouling. In one example, the biocide release rate from the coated fibrous matrix material is detected in artificial seawater at 0.2 to 2 ppm and / or less over 7 days, and the low local concentration (i.e., biocide release rate) is detected in artificial seawater at 0.2 to 2 ppm and / or less over 7 days, and these release rates effectively protect the fibrous matrix material from biofouling.

[0301] Various supplemental coatings incorporating various biocides and / or other dispensing and / or eluting materials can be incorporated into a given system design to provide various antifouling advantages. For example, coatings that release econea and / or pyrithione in varying amounts and / or durations can be used to combat biofouling (where Econea primarily targets "hard-shelled" organisms and zinc or copper pyrithione primarily targets "soft-shelled or shellless" organisms), including embodiments having an initial high release rate that decreases significantly after only hours, days, and / or weeks of immersion, and other embodiments having an initial low release rate that increases with immersion time. Exemplary coatings can incorporate a single biocide or formulation that targets one or more fouling species, or the coatings can incorporate two or more biocides in varying ratios, each targeting one or more different fouling species and / or different life stages of similar fouling organisms. The biocide selected and its concentration can vary based on a given application and the type of biofouling, which may depend on a variety of factors, including the geographic location of the fouling protection, the season of the year, various local fouling pressures, the specific water application for the antifouling shell, the design and characteristics of the antifouling system, the desired duration of fouling protection, and / or the structure and / or type of substrate desired to be protected. In some exemplary embodiments, the ratio of the first biocide to the second biocide in the coating formulation can be about 1:1, about 1:2, about 1:3, about 1:4, about 1:5, about 1:10, about 1:15, about 1:20, about 1:255, about 1:50, about 1:100, or greater. In one particularly useful embodiment, in an exemplary coating formulation targeting hard-shelled and soft-shelled organisms, the ratio of Econea to zinc pyrithione (or copper pyrithione) can be about 3:1 (i.e., 75% Econea to 25% zinc pyrithione or copper pyrithione).

[0302] In at least one exemplary embodiment, the housing can comprise a spun polyester structure having a surface and / or subsurface coating of a commercially available biocide coating, including water-based and / or solvent-based coatings containing registered biocides, wherein the coating is applied to the structure by virtually any means known in the art, including by brushing, roller coating, painting, dipping, spraying, production printing, encapsulation, and / or screen coating (with and / or without vacuum assistance). The coating of the material can be completed on one or both sides of the material, as well as a single-sided coating on the inward-facing side of the material, although a single-sided coating on the outward-facing side of the material (i.e., away from the substrate and toward the open aqueous environment) has demonstrated significant levels of effectiveness while minimizing biocide content, cost, and maintaining favorable flexibility. Although water-based ("WB") biocidal coatings are primarily discussed in various embodiments herein, solvent-based ("SB") biocidal coatings can alternatively be used in a variety of applications (and / or in combination with water-based coatings) if desired.

[0303] In various embodiments, the use of various printing methods for the coating can have the additional benefit of allowing visible patterns and / or logos to be incorporated into and / or onto system components, which can include marketing and / or advertising materials to identify the source of the system (i.e., the system manufacturer) and to identify one or more users (i.e., a specific marina and / or ship owner / vessel name) and / or to identify the intended area of use and / or conditions (i.e., "saltwater only" or "Port of Jacksonville use only" or "summer use only"). If desired, various indicators can be incorporated to identify the age and / or condition of system components, including, for example, printing a "replace by" date on the exterior of a replaceable modular filter unit. If desired, the biocide coating itself can be used to print visible patterns, the biocide coating can incorporate supplemental inks and / or dyes into the coating mixture, or a separate additive can be used to print additional logos, etc.

[0304] In various embodiments, the biocide coating or paint may be applied to the material in an amount ranging from 220 to 235 grams per square meter, although less than 220 grams per square meter (including 100 grams per square meter or less) and more than 235 grams per square meter (including 300 grams per square meter and more) have shown significant potential. In various alternative embodiments, the coating mixture may include one or more biocides in various percentages by weight of the mixture, including 10% or less of the biocide by weight, such as 2%, 5%, and / or 7% of the mixture, or in larger amounts, including 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and / or more of the biocide by weight of the coating mixture, as well as ranges encompassing combinations thereof (i.e., 2% to 10% and / or 5% to 50%, etc.). In cases where the housing design may be particularly large, it may be desirable to significantly increase the percentage of biocide in the coating mixture, which would desirably reduce the total amount of coating required to protect the housing and / or substrate.

[0305] Figure 12 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary permeable structure 1200 is depicted having various pore openings 21210 and simplified channels 1220 extending from a front face 1230 to a back face 1240 of the structure 1200. Also shown is a coating substance 1250, optionally containing a biocide or other debilitating substance, with portions of the coating substance extending at least a distance "D" from the front face 1230 into the pore openings 1210 and / or channels 1220 of the structure 1200. In various embodiments, the coating substance will desirably penetrate a certain average distance "D" into the material structure and / or structure wall openings / pores (i.e., a depth of 3%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 50%, 75%, or more through the structure—see Figure 12Ideally, the coating material (which in the dry configuration is typically "harder" than the structure to which it is applied) will be applied in a manner that allows the structure to bend and / or mold to a certain extent (i.e., the coating will ideally not significantly or severely "harden" the structure to an undesirable degree), thereby allowing the structure to be formed into the desired shell shape and / or wrapped around the structure and / or formed into a flexible bag and / or container (if desired). In the case of providing a bag or similar shell (i.e., a closable shape), it may be desirable to apply the coating to / in the article after the article is manufactured, which may include coating and / or encapsulation of any seams and / or stitched / adhesive areas beneath one or more coatings. In various embodiments, the coating penetration depth will, on average, not exceed half the depth through the material.

[0306] Another significant advantage provided by the various features of the present invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the individual fibers of the disclosed permeable structure, which imparts to the structure the ability to "mix" and / or otherwise agitate the ambient water within the pores, interstices, voids and / or various openings in the woven or knitted structure. This mixing effect can greatly improve the uniformity and / or homogeneity of the water as it passes through the housing and / or after it passes through the housing. In some embodiments where a biocide coating is provided, this mixing effect can greatly improve the effectiveness of eluting the biocide because the concentration of the biocide may be greatest in the water near the pore walls, but can be effectively mixed into the water stream even before the water leaves the housing walls. This arrangement can ensure that a high dose of biocide acts on the fouling organisms near the pore walls, and also ensures that the biocide is in sufficient contact with other fouling organisms in the water stream, even at very low total biocide dosage levels.

[0307] Once coated or painted, the material and / or housing can be allowed to cure and / or air dry for a desired period of time (which may take less than two minutes for some commercial applications, or up to an hour or more in other embodiments) or can be force dried using gas, oil, or electric heating elements. The material and / or housing can then be used as described herein.

[0308] In at least one exemplary embodiment, an antifouling housing may include a flexible fibrous material and / or a structure having a coating comprising a biocide applied to a first surface of the flexible fibrous material, the flexible fibrous material having a plurality of pores, gaps, and / or other openings extending from the first surface to a second surface of the flexible fibrous material, wherein the coating extends into the pores such that the plurality of pores has an average pre-coating minimum pore opening of at least 25 microns and an average post-coating minimum pore opening of between 75 and 25 microns. When such a material is placed in a stream of water or other liquid, the water flows through the plurality of pores from the first surface to the second surface, and the biocide is eluted from the coating into the stream of water, whereupon the biocide contacts a plurality of biofouling organisms and inhibits colonization of one or more species of the plurality of biofouling organisms on a substrate surface located downstream of the coated structure.

[0309] In various embodiments, the housing may include an optional biocide attached to, coated on, encapsulated, integrated into, and / or "woven into" the strands of material. For example, the biocide may be incorporated into strips containing various concentrations of one or more biocides to desirably prevent various animal and plant species from attaching to or residing on and / or in the housing. In various embodiments, the use of one or more biocides may provide one or more of the following: (1) a biocide for protecting the housing from fouling, (2) a biocide for protecting the substrate from fouling, (3) a biocide for inducing environmental conditions that result in the formation of "artificial" biofilms on the substrate and / or within the protected environment, (4) a biocide for metering water within the protected environment, and / or (5) a biocide for reducing "build-up" fouling on the surface and / or within the pores of the fibrous structural matrix and / or "filter" element.

[0310] Other methods of inserting and / or applying the coating or antifouling agent are contemplated, such as spray application known to those skilled in the art of coatings. Additionally, the housing need not contain separate fiber elements, but may be made from a perforated and / or flexible sheet material containing the agent embedded therein and / or coated onto the material. To provide a securing mechanism, the housing may include fastening elements such as, but not limited to, loop and hook type fasteners, such as Snaps, buttons, hooks, clips, buttons, adhesive strips or zippers. If desired, the system can ideally include multiple wall structures, each wall structure attached to one or more adjacent wall structures (if any) by sewing, weaving, etc., which may include coating and / or encapsulation of any seams and / or stitching / adhesion areas below one or more coatings to form a modular shell. If desired, shell material can be added to expand beyond and / or onto the shell fastening elements to protect the fastening elements from fouling.

[0311] In alternative embodiments, the housing may include closable and / or openable features such as Velcro or hook and loop fastener assemblies, zippers, magnetic closures, and / or cross-stitch features. Similar connection types may be used to connect the side edges of individual sheets together, or to allow removal and replacement of fiber matrix media from a support frame or other structure.

[0312] In various embodiments, the housing desirably includes anti-biofouling properties attached to the wires and / or fibers (i.e., various elements of the fiber matrix) and / or embedded within the wires and / or fibers to inhibit and / or prevent biofouling of the system. In preferred embodiments, the anti-biofouling agent is a biocide coating comprising Econea TM (tralopyril - commercially available from Janssen Pharmaceutical NV, Belgium) and / or zinc omadine (i.e., pyrithione), but other currently available and / or future developed anti-biofouling agents known to those skilled in the art, such as zinc, copper, or their derivatives, may be used. In addition, antifouling compounds derived from microorganisms and their synthetic analogs may be utilized, with these various sources generally categorized into ten types, including fatty acids, lactones, terpenes, steroids, benzyl compounds, phenyl ethers, polyketides, alkaloids, nucleosides, and peptides. These compounds may be isolated from seaweed, algae, fungi, bacteria, and marine invertebrates (including larvae, sponges, worms, snails, mussels, etc.). One or more of any of the previously described compounds and / or their equivalents (and / or any future developed compounds and / or their equivalents) (or various combinations thereof) can be used to create anti-biofouling structures that prevent both microfouling (such as biofilm formation and bacterial attachment) and macrofouling (attachment of large organisms (including barnacles or mussels)) against one or more target species, or, if desired, can be used as a "broad spectrum" antifouling agent for a variety of biofouling organisms.

[0313] In one exemplary embodiment, a desired woven structure based on spun polyester fibers may be used as the shell material, wherein the structure has a basis weight (including the weight of the base structure before any coating or modification) of about 410 grams per square meter (see Table 13).

[0314]

[0315] Table 13: Example structural specifications

[0316] Table 14 describes some alternative structural specifications that can be used as housing materials with different levels of effectiveness.

[0317]

[0318] Table 14: Additional Example Structural Specifications

[0319] For various structural or housing embodiments, the target add-on weight on the paint / coating can be set at approximately 5 g / m2 to 500 g / m2, approximately 50 g / m2 to 480 g / m2, approximately 100 g / m2 to 300 g / m2, approximately 120 g / m2 to 280 g / m2, approximately 224 g / m2 (or up to ±10% thereof).

[0320] In various embodiments where the addition of a biocide or other coating is desired, it will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the coating may be applied to the housing after the system is fully assembled and / or constructed, while in other embodiments, the coating may be applied to some or all of the components of the system prior to assembly and / or construction. In still other embodiments, some portions of the housing may be pre-coated and / or pretreated, while other portions may be coated after assembly. Furthermore, where processing and / or handling steps during manufacture and / or assembly may involve techniques that may negatively impact the quality and / or performance of the biocide or other coating characteristics, it may be desirable to perform those processing and / or handling steps on the housing and / or housing components prior to applying their coating. For example, where heat-sensitive biocides and / or coatings may be desired, material processing techniques involving high temperatures may be employed to create and / or treat the structure and / or housing walls prior to applying their biocide coatings (i.e., to reduce the chance of heat-related degradation of the biocide and / or coating).

[0321] In various embodiments, coating materials or other additives (including biocide coatings or other materials) can be applied to and / or incorporated into the structure of the enclosure, potentially resulting in a change in permeability level, which can convert a material that may be less suitable for protecting a substrate from biofouling into a material that is more suitable for protecting a substrate from biofouling once in a coated state. For example, an uncoated polyester structure, which has been experimentally demonstrated to have a relatively high permeability to liquids (i.e., 150 mL of liquid passed through the test structure in less than 50 seconds), may not be ideal for forming an enclosure to protect a substrate from biofouling, as described herein. However, when properly coated with a biocide coating to a desired level, the permeability of the coated structure can be significantly reduced to a more desirable level, such as a moderate permeability level (i.e., 100 mL of liquid passed through the test structure in between 50 and 80 seconds) and / or a very low permeability level (i.e., little or no liquid passed through the test structure). In this way, a desired permeability level can be optionally "dialed in" or adjusted for each selected structure, if desired.

[0322] During extended immersion testing in an aqueous environment, one embodiment of the housing incorporating a polyester coating structure exhibited no macrofouling and / or minimal macrofouling. Furthermore, one embodiment of the polyester structure became more permeable during immersion, while another embodiment became less permeable during immersion.

[0323] Fibrous matrix material and / or dosing medium

[0324] Figure 13A Depicted is an exemplary embodiment of an uncoated 23x23 polyester braided structure that has been experimentally demonstrated to have a relatively low permeability to liquids (i.e., 100 mL of liquid passed through the test structure in approximately 396 seconds), which may be at the low end of the ideal permeability range for forming some enclosure designs to protect substrates from biofouling, as described herein, depending on local conditions. When coated (see Figure 13B ), these materials become substantially impermeable before soaking but become more permeable after soaking. As previously mentioned, the desired level of permeability can be "dialed in" or tuned for each selected structure, if desired. In various embodiments, the permeability of a given structure and / or housing component can be altered or different in wet or dry conditions, if desired.

[0325] During extended immersion testing in an aqueous environment, both the uncoated 23x23 polyester and the coated polyester structures showed no macroscopic fouling on the shell and / or substrate. Furthermore, each of these materials exhibited a significant increase in permeability during immersion, with the 23x23 uncoated polyester structure allowing 150 mL of liquid to pass through in 120 seconds, while the first 23x23 coated polyester structure allowed 150 mL of liquid to pass through in 160 seconds, and the second 23x23 coated polyester allowed 150 mL of liquid to pass through in 180 seconds.

[0326] In other alternative embodiments, Figures 14A to 14C Depicts natural material burlap, uncoated ( Figure 14A ), coated with a solvent-based biocidal coating ( Figure 14B ) and coated with a water-based biocidal coating ( Figure 14C During permeability testing, the uncoated hessian structure exhibited 50.99 ml / s / cm 2 The permeability of the coated burlap structure was 52.32 ml / s / cm for the solvent-based biocidal coating and the water-based biocidal coating, respectively. 2 and 38.23 ml / s / cm 2 After immersion in salt water for 32 days, the permeability of both coated structures increased significantly to 85.23 ml / s / cm 2 and 87.28 ml / s / cm 2, while the permeability of the uncoated hessian structure decreased to 20.42 ml / s / cm 2 For fouling observation, the uncoated hessian structure showed very little fouling, while the coated hessian structure showed almost no macroscopic fouling.

[0327] Additionally, in another alternative embodiment, the 1 / 64 polyester uncoated structure was coated with a solvent-based biocidal coating, and alternatively, with a water-based biocidal coating. During the permeability test, the uncoated 1 / 64 polyester structure exhibited 26.82 ml / s / cm 2 The permeability of the coated 1 / 64 polyester structure was 44.49 ml / s / cm for the solvent-based biocidal coating and the water-based biocidal coating, respectively. 2 and 29.25ml / s / cm 2 After immersion in salt water for 32 days, the permeability of all 1 / 64 polyester structures was significantly reduced to 10.99 ml / s / cm 2 、13.78ml / s / cm 2 and 13.31 ml / s / cm 2 For fouling observation, the uncoated 1 / 16 polyester structure had some fouling, while the coated 1 / 64 polyester structure had almost no macroscopic fouling.

[0328] In the construction and testing of the anti-biofouling enclosure, different types of structural fabrics were manufactured, coated, and used. Figure 15A , scale bar 1000 μm), a textured polyester cloth coated on a first surface with a biocide coating, wherein a substantial amount of this coating completely penetrates through the cloth to an opposing second surface (wherein some areas of the coating on the second surface are thinner than others). Figure 15B The coated cloth is depicted at a scale of 1000 μm. On average, the coated cloth had 523.54 (±2.33) pores per square inch, with approximately less than 5% of the pores being blocked (on average).

[0329] Figure 15C Another preferred embodiment of a 100% spun polyester structure is described, Figure 15D Such structures coated with a biocidal coating are described. During testing, the uncoated 100% polyester structure exhibited 10.17 ml / s / cm 2 The structure permeability of the coated polyester structure is 0.32ml / s / cm 2 and 1.08 ml / s / cm 2After 23 days of immersion, there was no significant change in the permeability of the two coated structures, with very little fouling on the uncoated polyester structure and almost no macroscopic fouling on the coated polyester structure. However, in various other embodiments, it is expected that the method for preparing spun polyester yarn (such as core-spun staple fiber around a continuous core, open-end spinning, ring spinning, and / or air-jet spinning) will also produce favorable results.

[0330] In another embodiment ( Figure 15E , scale bar is 500 μm), followed by applying a biocide coating to a first surface of a spun polyester cloth, wherein a substantial amount of this coating partially penetrates through the fibers and / or pores of the cloth (in some embodiments, up to or greater than 50% penetration through the cloth). Figure 15F The relatively uncoated side of the structure is shown at 1000 μm, which also demonstrates the significant pore size reduction that can be achieved using this coating technique if desired. On average, the coated cloth had 493 (±3.53) pores per square inch, of which approximately 7% to 10% were completely blocked by the coating material (on average).

[0331] Experimentally, all of these structural embodiments exhibited desirable levels of permeability, likely due to the high number of pores, small fiber size, and / or various combinations thereof. The various coating methods were highly effective in coating and permeating the structures to the desired levels and produced highly effective materials for incorporation into protective housings.

[0332] Various structures that may be suitable for use with various embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein, with exemplary permeabilities in both uncoated and coated states. For example, in Port Canaveral (Port Canaveral, Florida, USA), the permeability range was experimentally determined to be 0.5 ml / s / cm 2 Up to 25ml / s / cm 2 Up to 50ml / s / cm 2 Up to 75ml / s / cm 2 Up to 100ml / s / cm 2 , or about 0.1 ml / s / cm 2 to about 100ml / s / cm 2 , cm 2 or about 1ml / s / cm 2 to about 75ml / s / cm 2 , or about 1 ml / s / cm 2 to about 10ml / s / cm 2 , or about 1 ml / s / cm 2 to about 5ml / s / cm 2 , or about 5ml / s / cm 2 to about 10ml / s / cm2 , or about 10ml / s / cm 2 to about 20ml / s / cm 2 , or about 10ml / s / cm 2 to about 25ml / s / cm 2 , or about 10ml / s / cm 2 to about 50ml / s / cm 2 , or about 20ml / s / cm 2 to about 70ml / s / cm 2 , or about 10ml / s / cm 2 to about 40ml / s / cm 2 , or about 20ml / s / cm 2 to about 60ml / s / cm 2 , or about 75ml / s / cm 2 to about 100ml / s / cm 2 , or about 60ml / s / cm 2 to about 100ml / s / cm 2 , or about 10ml / s / cm 2 to about 30ml / s / cm 2 , may be sufficient (depending on local conditions) to prevent substantial scaling on and / or within the housing and / or on the protected substrate while still allowing adequate water flow. In another exemplary embodiment, a permeability range of at least 0.32 ml / s / cm2 and up to 10.17 ml / s / cm2 is identified as the optimal range for desired permeability characteristics and / or the desired range for expected permeability changes over the useful life of the housing. In other embodiments, a range of at least 1.5 ml / s / cm2 and up to 8.0 ml / s / cm2 (and any combination of the various ranges disclosed herein) may be desirable. In many cases, because the incidence of scale intrusion and / or the rate of scale growth in a given area and / or body of water for a particular scaling organism may be highly dependent on a variety of relevant factors, as well as local and / or seasonal conditions in the intended area of use (and the intended substrate to be protected, etc.), the acceptable range of permeability for a given structure in a given enclosure design may vary widely - thus, a structural permeability that may be optimal and / or appropriate for one enclosure design and / or location may not be optimal and / or appropriate for another enclosure design and / or location. Therefore, the required permeability values and ranges thereof should be interpreted as general trends in the ability of a given structure and / or permeability to provide scale protection in a given body of water while avoiding prolonged anoxic conditions and anaerobic corrosion, but should not be interpreted as excluding the use of a given structure in other enclosure designs and / or water conditions.

[0333] In various embodiments, the permeability of the fiber matrix media and / or shell material can be ideally maintained in situ within a desired permeability range over its useful life (or, if desired, until a desired biofilm layer has been established), such that any potential increase in the material's permeability due to changes in the shell's structure and / or material (as an example) will ideally be balanced by any anticipated decreases in the material's permeability due to pore clogging by organic and / or inorganic debris (including any biofouling of the material and / or its pores that may occur). This balance will desirably maintain the integrity and / or functionality of the shell and the characteristics of the differentiated environment over an extended period of time, thereby providing significant protection for the shell and / or protected substrate.

[0334] In various embodiments, the enclosure wall can incorporate a variety of materials that experience permeability changes during immersion testing in an aqueous environment over extended periods of time. For example, the permeability of uncoated synthetic materials generally decreases over time (this may be due to gradual fouling of the structure once positioned around the substrate; however, regardless of initial swelling and biofouling of the structure and biocide, permeability should remain or increase as the coating sloughs off or dissolves), while some materials coated with biocidal coatings experience a variety of permeability changes, including some embodiments becoming less permeable over time. Additionally, the permeability of an uncoated natural test fiber (burlap) becomes higher, while the permeability of biocide-coated burlap becomes lower over time. In various embodiments, varying coating parameters (i.e., coating addition / thickness, application method, vacuum application to maintain and / or increase pore size, drying parameters, etc.) and varying textile parameters (i.e., structure, material, initial permeability, whether or not the coating is restrained during drying, whether or not it is heat-set, etc.) can produce a wide range of desired permeability characteristics and expected permeability changes over a given enclosure design life. When deployed in an aqueous environment, it is therefore possible to influence (and / or control) whether the permeability increases or decreases over time over one or more extended time periods, and the relevance to the product life cycle.

[0335] In various embodiments, an enclosure can desirably inhibit biofouling on a substrate at least partially submerged in an aquatic environment, wherein the enclosure comprises a material that is or becomes permeable to water during use, the enclosure being adapted to house the substrate and form a differentiated aquatic environment extending from a surface of the substrate to at least an interior / exterior surface of the structure, wherein the structure or portion thereof, upon or after positioning the structure around the substrate, has a water permeability of about 100 milliliters of water per second per square centimeter of substrate, about 100 milliliters of water per minute per square centimeter of substrate, or values therebetween, or greater / lesser permeabilities.

[0336] In various embodiments, water permeability of a structure can be achieved by forming the structure to allow water to penetrate through the structure, for example, by knitting a textile to have a desired permeability and / or optionally coating the textile with a biocide coating that provides the textile with the desired permeability (or a coating that does not contain a biocide). In some embodiments, a structure can be designed to become water permeable over time during use. For example, an otherwise water-permeable structure can have a coating that initially makes it substantially impermeable, but as the coating ablates, erodes, or dissolves, the underlying permeability increases and / or becomes useful.

[0337] System component assembly

[0338] In various embodiments, the system may comprise a single housing or may comprise multiple modular components that can be assembled in a variety of system shapes, sizes, and / or capacities. For example, a system design may ideally comprise multiple anti-fouling wall structures, each of which is attached and / or assembled to one or more adjacent wall structures (if any) by stitching, weaving, hook-and-loop fasteners, Velcro, etc., which may include coating and / or encapsulation of any seams and / or stitching / adhesion areas. Alternatively, other connection techniques may be utilized as needed, such as thermal bonding, ultrasonic welding, and / or other energy-based bonding techniques, gluing or adhesives, and other stitching and / or two-dimensional weaving / knitting techniques. In other alternative embodiments, three-dimensional structure forming techniques may be used to create a "tube" or material bag for the housing that has no outward-facing seams on the sides and / or has one or more seams and / or openings only at the top and / or bottom. In some particularly desirable embodiments, the attachment and / or adhesion of the various wall sections of the housing will preferably be achieved so that a certain level of flexibility is maintained in the attachment area.

[0339] In a similar manner, various embodiments of the housing will desirably incorporate permeable and / or flexible attachment mechanisms and / or closures such that a relatively hard, unbroken and / or impermeable surface will undesirably be presented by the housing to the exterior of the surrounding aqueous environment. In many cases, biofouling entities may prefer a hard, unbroken surface for settling and / or colonization, which can provide such entities with a "foothold" for subsequent colonization on an adjacent flexible structural portion (such as the flexible structural portion of the housing described herein). By reducing the likelihood of such "foothold" locations, many of the disclosed housing designs can significantly improve the biofouling resistance of the various disclosed embodiments and / or the substrate protection they provide. In at least one embodiment, the housing can be specifically specified for a substrate that is a single construction without seams and / or without impermeable wall sections.

[0340] In the case of hook-and-loop or "Velcro" fasteners, the use of such connecting means may be particularly suitable for various housing embodiments because such fasteners may be permeable to aqueous media in a manner similar to the permeable housing wall. Such design features may allow liquid within the housing to elute through the fastener assembly and / or the housing wall in a similar manner, thereby inhibiting fouling of the fastener surface as described herein. Alternatively, the connecting "flaps" of the flexible hook-and-loop fasteners may be placed on the corresponding flexible or non-flexible attachment surface to provide additional protection to the attachment surface.

[0341] In various embodiments, the permeability of a structure can be affected and / or altered by various techniques, including mechanical processing, such as through the use of a piercing device (i.e., a needle, laser cutting, stretching to create micropores, etc.), abrasive materials and / or the influence of pressure and / or vacuum (i.e., water and / or air jets), or chemical means (i.e., etching chemistry). In a similar manner, a low permeability structure can be treated to ideally increase the permeability of the structure to a desired range, while in other embodiments, a higher permeability structure can be modified (e.g., through the use of a coating, a clotting or coagulant) to reduce the permeability by a desired amount.

[0342] In many embodiments, the type and / or level of permeability of one or more selected shell wall materials will be an important consideration in the design and placement of the shell and / or various shell components. When the shell is initially placed in an aqueous medium, the permeable material will ideally allow sufficient water exchange to occur between the open environment and the closed and / or confined environment to allow for differentiated environments that prevent biofouling. However, because various fouling pressures and / or other factors may potentially alter and / or affect the permeability and / or porosity of a given shell wall material in an aqueous medium over time, it is often important that the permeable material continue to allow for the desired level of water exchange that maintains the differentiated environments—and it is also desirable to avoid the long-term hypoxia that can occur in some shell embodiments. Based on these considerations, it may be desirable to select a higher level of permeability for the shell wall material so that the blockage and / or closure of some pores in the material does not significantly affect the antifouling properties of the shell, even though the water exchange rate may decrease, increase, and / or remain constant at different times during the shell's useful life.

[0343] System placement and spacing

[0344] In use, a system as described herein will ideally be positioned upstream and / or within a fluid flow path, in contact with and / or surrounding a substrate immersed in an aqueous medium. This can include protecting an object prior to its initial first immersion in an aqueous medium (i.e., the object's "initial" immersion in an aqueous environment), as well as protecting previously immersed objects that have been removed from an aqueous medium and cleaned and / or descaled. In other embodiments, the system can be installed to protect objects that have already been immersed in an aqueous environment, including objects that may have been previously immersed for an extended period of time and / or already have a significant amount of biofouling thereon.

[0345] Non-limiting examples of substrates include any substrate or material used or combined with any water consumption (such as large water consumption using an intake system). Non-limiting examples of substrates used with water consumption include any water intake system for commercial or industrial applications or any material or substrate downstream of the intake, such as filtration system equipment, such as seawater or freshwater filtration systems, membrane filters, water inlet filters, pipes and / or water storage tanks; elevators and boat storage structures; irrigation water storage tanks and irrigation pipes and / or equipment; and / or any part thereof, including water management systems and / or system components, such as locks, dams, valves, flood gates and seawalls; wastewater systems; reserve permeate water systems; commercial water plants; water systems for structural heating, injection, treatment, washing, dilution, cooling and / or transportation; smelting facility systems, petroleum refineries and industries producing chemical products, food and paper products. Other mechanisms affected by biofouling that can be addressed using the present disclosure include micro-electrochemical drug delivery devices, paper and pulp industry machinery, underwater instruments, fire protection system pipes and sprinkler system nozzles. In addition to interfering structures, biofouling also occurs on the surface of living marine organisms, which are called epiphytes. Biofouling is also found in almost all situations where water-based liquids come into contact with other materials. Important industrial impacts are in agriculture, membrane systems (e.g., membrane bioreactors and reverse osmosis spiral wound membranes), and the maintenance of water circuits in large equipment and power stations. Biofouling can also occur in oil pipelines that carry oil entrained with water, especially those carrying waste oil, cutting oil, oil made water-soluble by emulsification, and hydraulic oil.

[0346] In various embodiments, the substrate to be protected can be a surface or subsurface portion made of any material, including but not limited to metal surfaces, fiberglass surfaces, PVC surfaces, plastic surfaces, rubber surfaces, wood surfaces, concrete surfaces, glass surfaces, ceramic surfaces, natural structure surfaces, synthetic structure surfaces and / or any combination thereof.

[0347] Thus, although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it should be understood that all terms used herein are descriptive and not limiting, and that many changes, modifications, and substitutions can be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0348] All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.

[0349] The various headings and subjects used herein are for the convenience of the reader and should not be construed as limiting or restricting any features or disclosures thereunder to one or more specific embodiments. It should be understood that various exemplary embodiments may incorporate various combinations of the various advantages and / or features described, all of which are contemplated and expressly incorporated below.

[0350] Unless otherwise indicated herein or obviously contradictory to the context, the terms "a / an" and "the" and similar pronouns used in the context of describing the present invention should be interpreted as covering both the singular and the plural. Unless otherwise indicated, the terms "include", "have", "include" and "contain" should be interpreted as open terms (i.e., meaning "including but not limited to"). Unless otherwise indicated herein, the value ranges recited herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method for individually referring to each individual value falling within the range, and each individual value is incorporated into this specification as if it were individually narrated herein. Unless otherwise indicated herein or obviously contradictory to the context, all methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order. Unless otherwise stated, the use of any and all examples or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein is only intended to better illustrate the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any language in the specification should not be interpreted as indicating that any unclaimed element is necessary for practicing the present invention.

[0351] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described herein, including the best mode for implementing the present invention known to the inventor. After reading the foregoing description, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent. The inventors anticipate that the skilled artisan will adopt these variations when appropriate, and the inventors intend that the present invention be put into practice in a manner different from that specifically described herein. Therefore, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the present invention includes all modifications and equivalents to the subject matter recited in the appended claims. In addition, the present invention encompasses any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof, unless otherwise noted herein or otherwise explicitly contradicted by context.

Claims

1. A device for reducing biofouling in a water system, the device comprising: A processing unit comprising: a housing defining a containment volume for retaining water prior to its flow downstream to a water system; at least one layer of a permeable fabric structure positioned within or defining a portion of a wall of the enclosure, wherein the at least one layer of the permeable fabric structure comprises a three-dimensional flexible material selected from the group consisting of natural and synthetic fabrics, natural and synthetic membranes, and natural and synthetic sheets, wherein the permeable fabric structure comprises an outer surface, an inner surface, and a plurality of pores extending therebetween, the permeable fabric structure having a biocide on or in the outer surface and / or the inner surface and extending within at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of pores to maintain flexibility of the enclosure; wherein the treatment unit provides conditioned water from the housing to the water system, wherein at least a portion of the water passing through the water system passes through the treatment unit and flows downstream in the water system, wherein the biocide contacts at least some of the water entering or present within the housing of the treatment unit to thereby aid in the formation of the conditioned water before it enters the water system, thereby reducing biofouling in the water system downstream of the treatment unit, The conditioned water requires an average residence time to reside in the containment volume of the housing before entering the water system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the permeable fabric structure within the treatment unit has a permeability in the range of 0.1 milliliters of water per square centimeter per second to 100 milliliters of water per square centimeter per second.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dissolved oxygen content of the water entering the housing of the treatment unit is higher than the dissolved oxygen content of the conditioned water entering the water system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water system comprises a once-through system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water system comprises a recirculation system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water system comprises a make-up water loop of a recirculating system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the average residence time is the average amount of time molecules of the water spend within the housing between entering the housing and entering the water system.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the average residence time is in the range of 1 minute to 6 hours.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the average residence time is 1 minute or less.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the average residence time is greater than 6 hours.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the conditioned water does not have to pass through any of the plurality of pores of the permeable fabric structure.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing is positioned within a body of water and the water inlet of the water system is configured to draw conditioned water from the housing such that water from the body of water is drawn into the housing to fill the housing, thereby replacing the conditioned water drawn through the water inlet.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing is positioned within a body of water, wherein the housing defines an inlet for the water from the body of water, wherein the inlet comprises the at least one layer of the permeable fabric structure such that the water from the body of water flows through the at least one layer of the permeable fabric structure into the housing.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the at least one layer of the permeable fabric structure forms the inlet to the housing and is replaceable.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the treatment unit further comprises one or more pre-treatment features, modifying compounds configured to adjust the water chemistry of the water within the housing.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one layer of the permeable fabric structure comprises a plurality of shell walls positioned in a tortuous path leading to an outlet, wherein the conditioned water is provided to the water system.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed within a body of water, wherein the permeable fabric structure is attached to a buoyant member such that the permeable fabric structure extends downwardly from the buoyant member into the body of water.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is a housing that is fully submersible in the body of water.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the treatment unit is arranged to the bottom of the water column of the body of water.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the water inlet of the water system comprises a pump configured to draw conditioned water from within the housing to be provided to the water system through one or more tubes.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed within a body of water, wherein a first chemical property of the conditioned water is different from a second chemical property of water within the body of water.

22. The device of claim 1, wherein the biocide is within a coating applied to at least one layer of the permeable fabric structure.

23. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing is formed within a body of water, wherein the permeable fabric structure enables water to flow freely from the body of water without significant accumulation on an exterior surface or an interior surface of the permeable fabric structure for at least one month.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising one or more strips or plates positioned in the housing, wherein each of the one or more strips or plates is flexible and includes a biocide thereon or therein that contacts water in the housing to assist in forming the conditioned water.

25. The device of claim 24, further comprising an inner housing positioned within the outer housing, wherein the inner housing includes one or more strips or plates positioned therein.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an inner housing positioned within the housing, wherein the inner housing includes one or more strips or plates positioned therein, wherein each of the one or more strips or plates is flexible and includes a biocide thereon or therein that contacts water in the housing to assist in forming the conditioned water.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the one or more strips or plates are replaceable.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dissolved oxygen content of water entering the housing of the treatment unit is similar to the dissolved oxygen content of conditioned water entering the water system.

29. A method of reducing biofouling in an aqueous system, the method comprising: Set up a processing unit, which contains: a housing defining a containment volume for holding water provided to the water system through the water inlet; and at least one layer of a permeable fabric structure positioned within or defining a portion of a wall of the enclosure, the at least one layer of the permeable fabric structure comprising a three-dimensional flexible material selected from the group consisting of natural and synthetic fabrics, natural and synthetic membranes, and natural and synthetic sheets, wherein the permeable fabric structure comprises an outer surface, an inner surface, and a plurality of pores extending therebetween, the permeable fabric structure having a biocide on or in the outer surface and / or the inner surface and extending within at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of pores to maintain flexibility of the enclosure; wherein the biocide contacts at least a portion of the water entering or present in the holding volume of the housing to thereby aid in forming conditioned water prior to the conditioned water entering the water system, thereby reducing biofouling in the water system downstream of the treatment unit; and causing the conditioned water to enter the water inlet of the water system from the treatment unit, wherein at least a portion of the water passing through the water system passes through the treatment unit and flows downstream of the water system.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein passing conditioned water into the water inlet comprises withdrawing conditioned water from the treatment unit.

31. A system comprising: A processing unit comprising: a housing defining a containment volume for retaining water prior to its flow downstream to a water system; at least one layer of a permeable fabric structure positioned within or defining a portion of a wall of the enclosure, the at least one layer of the permeable fabric structure comprising a three-dimensional flexible material selected from the group consisting of natural and synthetic fabrics, natural and synthetic membranes, and natural and synthetic sheets, wherein the permeable fabric structure comprises an outer surface, an inner surface, and a plurality of pores extending therebetween, the permeable fabric structure having a biocide on or in the outer surface and / or the inner surface and extending within at least a portion of at least one of the plurality of pores to maintain flexibility of the enclosure; and an outlet for providing conditioned water from the housing to a water inlet of the water system, wherein at least a portion of the water passing through the water system passes through the treatment unit and flows downstream in the water system, wherein the biocide contacts at least a portion of the water entering or present within the housing of the treatment unit to thereby aid in the formation of conditioned water prior to its entry into the water system through the outlet, thereby reducing biofouling in the water system downstream of the treatment unit, The conditioned water requires an average residence time to reside in the containment volume of the housing before entering the water system through the outlet.

32. The system of claim 31 , wherein the housing is formed within a body of water, wherein the permeable fabric structure is attached to a buoyant member such that the permeable fabric structure extends downwardly from the buoyant member into the body of water.

33. The system of claim 31 , wherein the processing unit is a housing that is fully submerged in the body of water.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the treatment unit is arranged to the bottom of the water column of the body of water.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the water inlet of the water system comprises a pump configured to draw conditioned water from within the housing to be provided to the water system through one or more tubes.

36. The system of claim 31 , wherein the housing is formed within a body of water, wherein a first chemical property of the conditioned water is different from a second chemical property of water within the body of water.

37. The system of claim 31 , wherein the biocide is within a coating applied to at least one layer of the permeable fabric structure.

38. The system of claim 31 , wherein the housing is formed within a body of water, wherein the permeable fabric structure enables water to flow freely from the body of water without accumulation on an exterior surface or an interior surface of the permeable fabric structure for at least one month.

39. The system of claim 31 further comprising one or more strips or plates positioned in the housing, wherein each of the one or more strips or plates is flexible and includes a biocide thereon or therein that contacts water in the housing to assist in forming the conditioned water.

40. The system of claim 31 further comprising an inner housing positioned within the housing, wherein the inner housing includes one or more strips or plates positioned therein, wherein each of the one or more strips or plates is flexible and includes a biocide thereon or therein that contacts water in the housing to assist in forming the conditioned water.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the one or more strips or plates are replaceable.

42. The system of claim 31 , wherein a first water chemistry of water within the housing is different than a second water chemistry of water entering the housing from an aqueous environment.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the first water chemistry differs from the second water chemistry by having a difference in at least one water chemistry characteristic, wherein the water chemistry characteristic is one of dissolved oxygen, pH, total dissolved nitrogen, ammonium, nitrate, orthophosphate, total dissolved phosphate, silica, salinity, alkalinity, or chlorophyll.

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