The Use of a UVC Lamp Incorporated With an ROV to Prevent Biofouling: A Proof-of-Concept Study

Abstract

AbstractA proof-of-concept study was designed to investigate using an Ultraviolet C (UVC) lamp mounted on a hull-crawling remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to prevent biofouling on a ship hull. A wheeled cart with a UVC lamp was built to expose two large test panels to UVC. The test panels were coated with an ablative copper antifouling and a silicone fouling release coating, and these were immersed in seawater at Port Canaveral, Florida. Three exposure frequencies (once a week, twice a week, and three times a week) and two dosages (8 and 16 s of UVC exposure) were tested. UVC was effective at preventing biofilm growth during the first 2 weeks of UVC treatment but was unable to prevent increased fouling growth as time progressed. It appears that an increase in UVC intensity and duration of exposure would be needed to prevent fouling growth especially during high-fouling seasons or that UVC exposure would need to be combined with another fouling prevention practice, such as mechanical wiping, to be more effective.