Bubbling Underwater to Breakup Biofilms and Lift Early Settlers (BUBBLES)
Abstract
The aim of this proposal is to study how rising air bubbles interact with solid surfaces and createa hostile environment for fouling organisms. Pilot data that we have collected suggests that theunderlying interactions will noticeably change based on both the size of the rising bubbles andthe ship~s surface coating. The proposal combines experiments and theory to investigate theshear stresses, capillary forces, and surface properties that are relevant to fouling organisms inthe presence of bubbles.If the objectives in this proposal are reached, the results will provide fundamental insight intohow bubbles break up biofilms and disrupt or dislodge the early settlers that initiate fouling. Afundamental understanding of BUBBLES (Bubbling Underwater to Breakup Biofilms and LiftEarly Settlers) will provide insight into the optimal sizes and flowrates of aerated bubbles, whichis necessary to estimate the cost and feasibility of scaling the approach to fleet levels. Moreover,any optimization will depend both on the local ecosystem and on the chemistry and microtextureof the ship~s surface. Even without direct aeration, microbubbles will nucleate on submergedsurfaces, and the results from this proposal should provide clarity on how bubbles ~ howeverthey are formed ~ will interact with the materials and coatings found on naval platforms. Aparticularly novel aspect of this proposal is the use of microbubbles and hierarchical bubbledistributions. Due to the large surface-to-volume ratio of the microbubbles, we anticipate thedynamics to be fundamentally different from ~traditional~ aeration, with the potential to keepsubmerged surfaces remarkably clean.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Nov 23, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141613000
Entities
People
- James C Bird
Organizations
- Boston University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy