Shipboard Trials Research Articles

Shipboard trials of magnesium-based exhaust gas cleaning system

In this paper, the shipboard trials were conducted to investigate the efficacy of a magnesium-based exhaust gas cleaning system (Mg-EGCS) and the life cycle cost analysis method was utilized to evaluate the economic benefit of Mg-EGCS. The shipboard trials results indicated that the measured sulfur dioxide reduction was excellent, well within the IMO’s most stringent limits at any test loads. The discharge water was in compliance with IMO’s guidelines for exhaust gas scrubbers. Furthermore, the pressure drop was less than 400Pa, which was far below a nominal scrubber pressure drop of 1500Pa. The internal rate of return (IRR) value of Mg-EGCS implied that it had obvious economic advantage compared with the conventional closed loop, hybrid and dry system.

Evaluating efficacy of a ballast water filtration system for reducing spread of aquatic species in freshwater ecosystems

Biological invasions by non-indigenous species are considered a leading threat to biodiversity, with prevention being a key management strategy. Consequently, numerous commercial ballast water treatment systems have been, or are being, developed to prevent future aquatic invasions. However, most treatment systems are being designed for the many vessels undertaking long transoceanic voyages in marine waters rather than the relatively few vessels operating on short voyages in freshwater, such as those in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Here we conduct testing of the biological efficacy of a 40 µm ballast water filtration unit through shipboard trials. We test the hypotheses that i) filtration will significantly reduce abundance of zooplankton greater than 50 µm in size but not phytoplankton 10 to 50 µm in size; ii) filtration will reduce zooplankton abundances in ballast water below International Maritime Organization discharge standards, but not those of phytoplankton; and iii) filtration will alter the community composition of zooplankton, non-randomly reducing invasion risk of larger taxa. During the summer of 2012, three shipboard trials were conducted. Ballast water samples were collected using a before-after experimental design. Our study showed that filtration significantly reduced abundance of copepods and cladocerans, but not of juvenile dreissenid veligers and rotifers. Contrary to our expectation, phytoplankton densities were also significantly lower after the treatment. Overall, ballast water treated during our tests would not meet proposed international discharge standards. Filtration altered relative abundance of zooplankton, but did not reduce introduction risk of any taxonomic group due to the small juvenile stages and dormant eggs which passed through the treatment. While we do not rule out filtration as a ballast water treatment option for zooplankton in the future, our tests indicate further development is required for meaningful reduction of invasion risk.

Validation trials of a shipboard filter skid (p3SFS) demonstrate its utility for collecting living zooplankton

Relatively large volumes of water—on the order of cubic meters—must be sampled and analyzed to generate statistically valid estimates of sparsely concentrated organisms, such as in treated ballast water. To this end, a third prototype of a shipboard filter skid (p3SFS) was designed and constructed. It consisted of two housings (each containing a 35μm mesh filter bag) and its own pump and computer controller. Additionally, the skid had a drip sampler, which collected a small volume (∼10L) of whole (unfiltered) water immediately upstream of the housings. Validation of the p3SFS occurred in two segments: (1) land-based trials, in which the collection of organisms ⩾50μm (nominally zooplankton) by the p3SFS was compared to a plankton net, and (2) shipboard trials, in which ballast water was sampled aboard a ship. In both types of trials, the data collected showed the filter skid to be an appropriate flow-through sampling device.

Efficacy of NaCl brine for treatment of ballast water against freshwater invasions

Currently, all transoceanic vessels entering the Great Lakes must perform ballast water exchange or saltwater flushing, procedures designed to reduce the risk of new biological invasions from ballast water. Vessels not in compliance with these regulations presently have limited, often costly, and/or time-consuming alternatives available. Treatment with sodium chloride brine at an initial concentration of 230‰ has been proposed as an emergency ballast water management option and is examined here. Six shipboard trials were conducted under operational conditions to determine the efficacy of brine ballast water treatment. Trials were conducted on three vessels with full ballast tanks and on three vessels with only residual ballast water. Brine distribution in tanks was adequate, noting that vessel movement was essential to ensure mixing into ballast water or ballast residuals. Once mixing has occurred, approximately 25hour exposure to 45‰ brine or 1 hour exposure to 115‰ brine is required to effectively exterminate freshwater zooplankton. Brine appears to be a cost-effective and relatively safe procedure that could be implemented immediately for emergency treatment of non-compliant ballast water to reduce risk of new invasions in the Great Lakes.

Shipboard trials of an ozone-based ballast water treatment system

Legislation introduced by the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) has focused primarily on standards defining successful treatments designed to remove invasive species entrained in ballast water. An earlier shipboard study found that ozone introduced into salt water ballast resulted in the formation of bromine compounds, measured as total residual oxidants (TRO) that were toxic to both bacteria and plankton. However, the diffuser system employed to deliver ozone to the ballast water tanks resulted in patchiness in TRO distribution and toxicity to entrained organisms. In this follow-up study, the shipboard diffuser system was replaced by a single Venturi-type injection system designed to deliver a more homogeneous biocide distribution. Within-tank variability in TRO levels and associated toxicity to zooplankton, phytoplankton and marine bacteria was measured via a matrix of tubes deployed to sample different locations in treated and untreated (control) tanks. Three trials were conducted aboard the oil tanker S/T Prince William Sound in the Strait of Juan de Fuca off Port Angeles, Washington State, USA, between June and December 2007. Mortalities of plankton and bacteria and oxidant concentrations were recorded for treated and untreated ballast water up to 3days following treatment, and residual toxicity beyond this period was measured by bioassay of standard test organisms. Results indicated uniform compliance with current IMO standards, but only partial compliance with other existing and pending ballast water legislation.

Trans-Pacific shipboard trials on planktonic communities as indicators of open ocean ballast water exchange

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 350:41-54 (2007) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07016 Trans-Pacific shipboard trials on planktonic communities as indicators of open ocean ballast water exchange Michael D. Taylor1,*, Lincoln M. MacKenzie1, Timothy J. Dodgshun1, Grant A. Hopkins1, Eykolina J. de Zwart1, Carlton D. Hunt2 1Cawthron Institute, 98 Halifax Street East, Private Bag 2, Nelson 7042, New Zealand 2 Battelle, 397 Washington Street, Duxbury, Massachusetts 02332, USA *Email: mike.taylor@cawthron.org.nz ABSTRACT: A trans-Pacific voyage from Japan to New Zealand via Singapore was used to assess planktonic (and sediment-dwelling) communities as indicators of open ocean ballast water exchange (BWE). The research was part of a larger project to develop methods for verifying whether international shipping has complied with mandatory controls and voluntary BWE guidelines. The dilution efficiency of exchanges was compared with changes in the composition and abundance of ballast tank phyto- and zooplankton taxa. Changes in the planktonic communities were measured by sampling the source port, the ballast water at the source and recipient ports and immediately before and after BWE, and the open ocean water during exchanges. Although exchanges appeared relatively effective at reducing the abundance (90 to 100%) of phyto- and zooplankton indicator taxa (i.e. taxa in the ballast water uploaded from the source port that were not present in open ocean samples or were present at <0.001 the original concentration), such reductions must be considered in the light of variation in survivorship in the control tank. Relatively high rates of mortality were associated with a rapid warming (i.e. 14.0 to 27.8°C) of the exchanged and control ballast tanks as the vessel entered the tropics. The rapid decline in the abundance of indicator taxa after BWE contrasted with a less effective reduction (i.e. 30.3 and 25.0% for the first and second exchanges, respectively) in the total number of phyto- and zooplankton taxa. Management controls and guidelines should place greater emphasis on whether the water uploaded during BWE is sufficiently oceanic to minimise the risk of uploading harmful coastal organisms. KEY WORDS: Ballast water exchange · Tracer dye · Phytoplankton · Zooplankton · Sediment-dwelling species · Biological indicators · Open ocean · Trans-Pacific voyage Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Taylor MD, MacKenzie LM, Dodgshun TJ, Hopkins GA, Zwart EJd, Hunt CD (2007) Trans-Pacific shipboard trials on planktonic communities as indicators of open ocean ballast water exchange. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 350:41-54. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07016 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 350. Online publication date: November 22, 2007 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2007 Inter-Research.

Efficacy of three commercially available ballast water biocides against vegetative microalgae, dinoflagellate cysts and bacteria

One proposed solution to the problem of ballast-mediated aquatic invasions involves chemically treating ballast water to kill key target organisms. Here, we examine the efficacy of three commercially available ballast water biocides using vegetative microalgae, dinoflagellate resting cysts and bacteria as test organisms. Chemicals tested were the ballast water biocides SeaKleen ® and Peraclean ® Ocean, and the chlorine dioxide biocide Vibrex ®. Results demonstrate that the applicability of each of the three chemical biocides as a routine ballast water treatment is limited by factors such as cost, biological effectiveness and possible residual toxicity of the discharged ballast water (assessed on the basis of impact on motility of vegetative marine microalgae). Of the three biocides tested, Peraclean ® Ocean appears to hold the most potential; however its effectiveness in shipboard trials is yet to be proven. Peraclean ® Ocean was biodegradable within 2–6 weeks (initial concentration of 200 ppm), could effectively inactivate resting cysts of the marine dinoflagellates Gymnodinium catenatum, Alexandrium catenella and Protoceratium reticulatum at 400 ppm, could control bacterial growth of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria innocua and Vibrio alginolyticus at 125–250 ppm, and could eliminate vegetative dinoflagellate cells at a concentration of 100 ppm. SeaKleen ® eliminated vegetative microalgae at 2 ppm and could control resting cysts of the dinoflagellates G. catenatum and P. reticulatum at a concentration of 6 and 10 ppm, respectively, when exposed for a period of 2 weeks. SeaKleen ® did not inactivate resting cysts of A. catenella at a concentration of 10 ppm and was found to degrade at a rate that could result in the discharge of residual toxic water into the marine environment. Together with the poor bactericidal properties of SeaKleen ® (100–200 ppm required), this may limit the use of this biocide as a routine treatment option. Vibrex ® is not a suitable ballast water treatment option due to the need for hydrochloric acid as an activator, however it was found to be the most effective against bacteria (complete inhibition at 15 ppm) indicating that onboard chlorine dioxide generators may provide an effective bacterial treatment option. The performance of these biocides was adversely influenced by a variety of factors including low water temperatures (6 °C compared to 17 °C), light versus dark conditions, and the presence of humus-rich seawater and ballast water sediments.

Shipboard Trials of Menadione as a Ballast Water Treatment

Shipboard trials of a chemical ballast water treatment, menadione (methyl 1,4-naphthoquinone), were conducted in Baltimore Harbor, Maryland, under normal ballasting conditions at a flow rate of 340 tonne h002D1. Several different concentrations and formulations of menadione were tested. Most proved effective at controlling zooplankton to international standards at approximately 2 mgL002D1 and completely inhibited the growth of phytoplankton at this, or lower, concentrations.

Aspects of UK air defence from 1914 to 1935: some unpublished Admiralty contributions

From September 1914, the Admiralty accepted responsibility for the air defence of the United Kingdom and, from September 1915, it was also in charge (on a temporary basis) of the gunnery defence of London. The inadequacies of the country&apos;s air defences against the marauding attacks of Zeppelins was much exposed during the early months of the war. In October 1915 the Admiralty&apos;s Board of Invention and Research considered a scheme, submitted by F.W. Lanchester, for illuminating the lower strata of the atmosphere, from the south to the east coasts of England, so that Zeppelins would be located in silhouette by aircraft flying at a higher altitude. Tests showed the limitation of the method. After the war, the Admiralty initiated some shipboard trials on acoustic methods of detecting aircraft. Later, in the 1920s, the Admiralty commenced work on the ‘Hornet’ project. It was hoped that a pilot-less aircraft/missile could be guided by W/T means to the vicinity of an enemy plane, so that ‘homing’ equipment would then cause the aircraft/missile to impact against the attacking target. Numerous methods of detecting aircraft were tested but none were felt to be suitable for a practical system. The paper highlights the soundness of Watson-Watt&apos;s suggestion that the most attractive scheme for detecting aircraft was that ‘in which zones of short-wave radio illumination were set up through which an approaching aeroplane had to fly’.

Development of the F/A-18A automatic carrier landing system

The F/A-18A Automatic Carrier Landing System integrates the aircraft flight control system, throttle control system, inertial navigation sensors, and shipboard SPN-42 tracking radar and computer system to achieve fully automatic approach control to the carrier deck in all weather conditions. Accurate touchdown position and sink rate must be achieved under varying conditions of visibility, deck motion, air turbulence, and ship air wake downdraft. Design analysis of this integrated digital control system is described, including digital synthesis methods used and projected performance under wind and deck motion conditions, two shipboard trials have verified the high touchdown accuracy potential of the system, resulting in along-deck touchdown dispersion of only 19 ft for 91 automatic landings.

Toxicity studies on MCPA and MCPP: Verschuuren H.G., Kroes R. & den Tonkelaar, Engelina M. (1975). Short-term oral and dermal toxicity of MCPA and MCPP. Toxicology3, 349

One proposed solution to the problem of ballast-mediated aquatic invasions involves chemically treating ballast water to kill key target organisms. Here, we examine the efficacy of three commercially available ballast water biocides using vegetative microalgae, dinoflagellate resting cysts and bacteria as test organisms. Chemicals tested were the ballast water biocides SeaKleen® and Peraclean® Ocean, and the chlorine dioxide biocide Vibrex®. Results demonstrate that the applicability of each of the three chemical biocides as a routine ballast water treatment is limited by factors such as cost, biological effectiveness and possible residual toxicity of the discharged ballast water (assessed on the basis of impact on motility of vegetative marine microalgae). Of the three biocides tested, Peraclean® Ocean appears to hold the most potential; however its effectiveness in shipboard trials is yet to be proven. Peraclean® Ocean was biodegradable within 2–6 weeks (initial concentration of 200 ppm), could effectively inactivate resting cysts of the marine dinoflagellates Gymnodinium catenatum, Alexandrium catenella and Protoceratium reticulatum at 400 ppm, could control bacterial growth of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria innocua and Vibrio alginolyticus at 125–250 ppm, and could eliminate vegetative dinoflagellate cells at a concentration of 100 ppm. SeaKleen® eliminated vegetative microalgae at 2 ppm and could control resting cysts of the dinoflagellates G. catenatum and P. reticulatum at a concentration of 6 and 10 ppm, respectively, when exposed for a period of 2 weeks. SeaKleen® did not inactivate resting cysts of A. catenella at a concentration of 10 ppm and was found to degrade at a rate that could result in the discharge of residual toxic water into the marine environment. Together with the poor bactericidal properties of SeaKleen® (100–200 ppm required), this may limit the use of this biocide as a routine treatment option. Vibrex® is not a suitable ballast water treatment option due to the need for hydrochloric acid as an activator, however it was found to be the most effective against bacteria (complete inhibition at 15 ppm) indicating that onboard chlorine dioxide generators may provide an effective bacterial treatment option. The performance of these biocides was adversely influenced by a variety of factors including low water temperatures (6 °C compared to 17 °C), light versus dark conditions, and the presence of humus-rich seawater and ballast water sediments.

Navy Shipboard Trials of Helicopters and V/STOL Aircraft

Navy Shipboard Trials of Helicopters and V/STOL Aircraft

Sea Water Immersion Trials Of Protective Coatings

Abstract Sea water immersion trials of a variety of types of underwater compositions have shown the superior performance of vinyl finishes, both as protective and antifouling paints. Panel tests have shown that vinyl finishes can be used on cathodically protected hulls and shipboard trials have substantiated this, provided that a controlled cathodic protection system is used.