Scientists design a microwave device to halt invasive aquatic critters
Posted 07.11.2008 at 10:28 am
5 Comments
Nuke Away: Paul Wootton
1 As the crew takes on cargo, the ship pumps ballast water, and any marine life in it, from the ballast containers into 20 or so refrigerator-size microwave chambers.
2 A microwave beam produces an electromagnetic field that oscillates 915 million times a second, the optimum frequency for heating water. Water molecules try to align their electric charges with the field, but because it rapidly changes direction, they end up spinning very quickly. Similarly, charged sodium and chloride ions in the water bounce back and forth in an attempt to align with the field. These erratic movements generate friction, which heats the water to 140°F and kills any organisms in two minutes.
3 The hot water flows through a heat exchanger to preheat the cold water coming from the ballast water tank, which also cools the microwaved water to a temperature safe for discharge into the ocean.
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Fascinating indeed. Seems this should have been thought up a long time ago.
JT
www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com
This sounds like a good concept.
Ishan
www.dealguide.blogspot.com
I agree with AmberFox because we should have already thought of this. But then you have to look on the scientist's side because they are the ones who are making these things. We just have to give them more time to improve upon their findings.
$40,000 to clean the water of a ship one time. Not including the money spent putting this equipment in... Before the media picked up on the subject and started talking about the damage done, what was the purpose of these companies to spend that money? It's probably not that it didn't exist, just no reason for them to pay that kind of money to install and use it. As well as not giving us the inspiration to talk about it at all.
PopSci should try for an article about the serious test and development work that's been done in the new field of ballast water treatment, applying land-based systems such as chlorination and UV radiation. The microwave treatment alternative fell by the wayside some years ago due to the enormous energy and cost requirements, and the ancillary matter of the impact of discharging tens of thousands of tons of hot ballast water into port/coastal waters.
The article states that treatment will cost $1/ton (250 gallons). This is exorbitant when you consider that ballast loads on tankers and bulk carriers (ore, coal, etc.) are commonly above 100,000 tons. Technology developers are aiming at treatment costs of pennies per ton, including all system life cycle costs.