Electronics

Sonic Vibration: What’s the frequency, Kenneth?

- Brian K. Lind

Keeping growth off our boats is a constant, unsatisfying battle. Growth rates of barnacles, mussels, and plant life change with water temperatures and seasons, bottom paint recipes change with environmental regulation, and the frequency at which we use our boats all impact how quickly ugly beards grow below the waterline. We employ a variety of methods to deal with growth, from having divers clean the hull, to costly haul-outs to remove growth and apply new bottom paint. In this never ending battle there is a tool that is often under-utilized: ultrasonic antifouling systems.

Ultrasonic antifouling is not a new concept. The United States Navy first discovered it in the 1950s during sonar testing with submarines. It was found that hull growth was far less substantial around the sonar tubes than on the rest of the hull. Further scientific and technological research has developed a number of products that utilize ultrasonic waves to control algae blooms in ponds and cleaning swimming pools.