Hull cleaning
The following 3 stages show the different depict the process of deterioration caused by Marine growth on ships and other vessels:
Phase 1: Various anti-fouling layers on the ship’s hull over time dissolve their toxins;
Phase 2: Soft marine growth consisting of algae, slime and immature barnacles start to adhere to the plating and penetrate the protective anti-fouling coatings;
Phase 3: Barnacles and tubeworms develop and attach themselves to the steel plating, causing permanent hull damage.
Prevention
In order to prevent this damage an overall clean should be carried out at phase 2. The required cleaning tools consist of a rotary cleaning system using soft nylon bristles. Triton Diving Services with its specialized divers use a twin brush hull cleaning machine which can clean up to 800m²/hour.
Propeller polishing
The propeller is particularly vulnerable to marine fouling since it is an unpainted surface that must remain clean and shiny for proper operation.
By standards, we are aware that propeller fouling, despite its small surface area, can generate energy losses amounting to half that of the hull itself so maintaining a clean propeller is critical. Triton Diving Services insist that propellers are also polished routinely to reduce friction and ensure that the propeller operates at optimum efficiency. Even with routine maintenance, surface roughness can occur as a result of erosion, corrosion, or from tubeworm tracings. This roughness alone can increase fuel consumption up to 10 %. Triton Diving Services use an underwater specialized rotary tool for the cleaning of propellers. The polisher is designed purposely for the cleaning and polishing of the propeller. Various flexible abrasive heads adapt to the structure of the propeller. Whilst the rotary motion creates a downward suction force, the diver monitors and steers the tool all over the blade, boss cone, blade edges, applying a number of discs to reach the required scale.
