UV Biofouling Control
UV Biofouling helps...
Equipment Stay Environmentally-Friendly
Maintain Data Accuracy
Avoid Intrusive Antifouling Technologies
What is UV Biofouling Control?
When instrumentation is deployed underwater in a stationary position for long periods of time, biofouling will occur. This unwanted marine growth causes sensor drift, requiring preventative measures to ensure accurate data. Previously, the two most common methods to manage biofouling were mechanical wipers and chemical dosing. Neither is ideal, with the first being unsuitable for sensitive lenses and complex geometries, and the second being harmful to the environment.
AML’s biofouling control technology uses ultraviolet light to provide a non-toxic, non-contact solution to prevent marine growth.
A biofouling solution unlike any other method currently on the market, Streetlamp UV and Cabled UV prevent biofouling during long-term, in-situ deployments. The LED modules bathe critical surfaces in ultraviolet (UV) light, killing early growth to prevent biofouling, and thus eliminating environmental drift in CTDs and multi-parameter instruments, and keeping critical surfaces of subsea devices clean.
With the incredible results of the AML Oceanographic CTD and UV anti-biofouling system in our technology demonstration program we are very pleased to be deploying these systems across coastal BC as part of the Smart Oceans™ program. High biofouling areas in the coastal zone create a huge challenge in ongoing operations and maintenance costs for any observatory, especially in remote locations. After 15 months and still going, at our worst bio-fouling site, the sensors remain clean and operating fine. We are all absolutely amazed. AML Oceanographic has really made a revolutionary advance in anti-biofouling technology with this new product."
DIRECTOR OF OCEAN NETWORKS CANADA
INNOVATION CENTRE (ONC)
Six weeks into our test, the unprotected oxygen sensor was clearly fouled while the UV protected sensor is still producing reasonable data. We intend to deploy the UV device with all of our upper water column oxygen sensors in the future, and will experiment with the UV light on our other optical instruments."
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
The cost of the UV system is about 25% of one maintenance trip to the Folger Pinnacle site, so this technology will have a significant impact on the operations budget, in addition to improving the data quality.”
SENSOR TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
OCEAN NETWORKS CANADA INNOVATION CENTRE (ONC)
Why choose UV Biofouling Control?
Environmentally Friendly
No harmful environmental impact like many other chemical dosing methods.
Long Lasting
Long lasting with a lifespan of 5000 operational hours for the swappable UV lens.
Adaptable
Suitable for sensitive, fragile optical lenses and complex geometric surfaces.
Operates Silently
Silent operation ensures compatibility with acoustic equipment such as hydrophones.
Contactless
Can protect critical surfaces nearly 30 cm away with no direct contact required.
Reliable
No moving parts that might malfunction.
Suitable for Any Situation
AML’s biofouling control technology uses ultraviolet light to provide a non-toxic, non-contact solution to prevent marine growth on:
- Sensors
- Lights
- ADCPs
- Camera lenses
- Hydrophones
- Sonar heads
How can UV Biofouling Control make a difference?
Published Material
Read about the technology behind UV•Xchange and Cabled UV in the Journal of Ocean Technology.
Read the feature story in Ocean News & Technology.
Read our September 2014 article on UV Biofouling Control in Marine Technology Reporter.
Read our article about UV•Xchange in Marine Technology Reporter.
