Pilot plant
After completing the laboratory investigations, detailed planning has been carried out for installation of a pilot plant on board a vessel for validation of the technology in sea environment. A supply boat that sails between the west coast of Norway and oil installations in the North Sea has been selected for trials of the BioFoulControl system.
Components of the pilot plant have been designed to fit a defined flow rate of seawater in the cooling system. In this connection, it was important that the performance of the BioFoulControl components, especially the process control unit and the integrated system, were tested before installation on board the vessel. As a result, the treatment system that also includes a Primozone O3 generator, was integrated at TI. The system was then run with tap water in order to verify that all components were performing as required and to undertake necessary modifications. Apart from minor faults that were rectified on site, the system has worked smoothly. This phase of trials and rectification of faults will spare ample time during installation on board the vessel considering the working space in the sea chest.
The pilot plant is now under installation on board the vessel "Far Seeker" operated by Farstad and will be ready for trials before the end of April. Validation trials are anticipated to begin early in May when the blue mussel larvae that are selected as target species are available in the sea.
