Slime build-up is a costly drag on fuel efficiency for ocean-going cargo ships, leading to more emissions and, eventually, higher consumer prices. A recent study, however, suggests a new approach to managing
Slime build-up is a costly drag on fuel efficiency for ocean-going cargo ships, leading to more emissions and, eventually, higher consumer prices. A recent study, however, suggests a new approach to managing this common problem.
Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology developed a model for estimating the speed and extent of biofilm growth, which could enable ship operators to schedule hull cleaning at optimal intervals to save on fuel consumption.
Cornelius Wittig, a PhD student in fluid mechanics at KTH, says the study offers a first-ever explanation of how shear stress interacts with biofilms over time to foster slime fouling on surfaces such as the hull of a ship.
The fouling process begins with micro-colonies of bacteria attaching to a surface. These bacteria form base structures from which string-shaped streamers begin to grow. Together, the base structures and streamers combine to form surface imperfections that lead to friction between the hull and water. Streamers grow and imperfections build up at different rates depending on the level of stress induced by fluid flow against the surface.
Slime fouling adds significantly to fluid friction at sea – requiring an increase in a vessel’s shaft power by as much as 18 percent,
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