Underwater shear-based grooming of marine biofouling using a non-contact Bernoulli pad device. Issue 8 (13th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kamensky, Kristina M.; Hellum, Aren M.; Mukherjee, Ranjan; Naik, Abhishek; Moisander, Pia H.
• Is Part Of: Biofouling. Volume 36:Issue 8(2020)
• Page Start: 951
• Page End: 964
• Publication Date: 2020-09-13
• Subjects: Bernoulli pad -- grooming -- shear stress fouling release image processing -- chlorophyll a; Marine fouling organisms -- Periodicals; Materials -- Biodeterioration -- Periodicals; Fouling -- Periodicals; Biodegradation -- Periodicals; Environmental Microbiology -- Periodicals; Water Microbiology -- Periodicals; 576.165
• DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2020.1834539
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0892-7014

Abstract

Abstract: The biofouling removal ability of a shear-based device was tested on two submerged surface types, Garolite G-10 and Intersleek 1100SR. Each surface was groomed at four frequencies along with a control group. The seven-week grooming study was conducted in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The Bernoulli pad device uses confined radial outflow to generate both surface-normal forces to grip the submerged surface and shear stress to groom the surface without contact. An image-processing algorithm was developed and used to assess the effectiveness of the various grooming protocols, along with direct measurements of chlorophyll a per surface area. The image-processing data showed that the grooming resulted in ∼50% cleanliness on the Garolite at the end of the study whereas the Intersleek was continuously restored to nearly its initial clean state. Chlorophyll a data supported these overall conclusions. These results indicate that surface cleanliness can be maintained effectively on Intersleek using frequent shear-based grooming.