· U.S. Patent No. 8, 968, 575 B2 “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TREATING BALLAST WATER”
· Second U.S. patent awarded for IMO Type Approved and USCG AMS accepted ballast water treatment system
WARRENDALE, PA, USA … Evoqua Water Technologies has been awarded a second United States patent on its technical solution for treating ballast water. This latest patent was granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on the 3rd of March, 2015.
The patent describes a technical solution for treating ballast water under a variety of ambient water qualities. The quality of ambient water can vary widely from port to port where the ship is taking on its ballast. The unique features of Evoqua’s system include the use of oxidation reduction potential (“ORP”) devices to control certain SeaCURE™* system operations.
The patented SeaCURE system takes into account variations in demand and delivers biocide at the dose necessary for successful biofouling control, while minimising unwanted side effects such as formation of disinfection by-products and corrosion. The ORP system developed by Evoqua employs low-maintenance, easy to handle probes that measure the oxidising potential of the water in both the sea chest and the ballast tank as, input for controlling the addition or concentration of biocide that is ultimately introduced into the shipboard cooling water system. Controlling the SeaCure system in this way saves energy and reduces operating costs.
The SeaCURE Ballast Water Management System prevents the displacement of organisms in a two-step approach. After a first step of fine filtration to remove large organisms and mineral sediments, the remaining organisms are eliminated by the addition of an active substance – sodium hypochlorite. This is produced in-situ via electrolysis from seawater eliminating the need to purchase biocides and store or replenish them onboard. Electrolysis is carried out using Evoqua’s Chloropac®* self-cleaning concentric tubular electrodes (CTE) which sit at the heart of the SeaCURE system. Chloropac systems are renowned in the industry and have been used for marine growth protection of shipboard cooling systems since the 1970s.
“We are proud of this innovation combining a novel approach with decades of proven technology that will help ship owners to meet IMO and USCG regulations reliably” says Ian Stentiford, Global Vice President for Electrocatalytic Products within Evoqua. ‘The SeaCURE system is currently being extensively tested in the United States Laboratories for US Coast Guard type approval to be able to give our customers further peace-of-mind’.
The SeaCURE system also utilises a patented* process that protects ballast filters against growth of marine organisms that can clog the filters.
“Jo”
