An anti-fouling lighting system is used for protecting a surface (16) against biofouling while the surface (16) is submerged in water. A non-contact water sensor (60) is used for sensing water thereby to detect whether or not a light source arrangement (26), or a portion of the light source arrangement (26), is submerged in water. The light source arrangement (26), or the portion of the light source arrangement (26), is controlled in dependence on the water sensor (60) output.

An anti-sedimentation system can implement a method in which a pump pumps seawater to a discharge nozzle positioned under the seawater and facing an under keel clearance of a marine vessel docked at a dock. Sediments are flowed away from the under keel clearance by the discharge nozzle discharging the seawater toward the under keel clearance.

An underwater cavitation jet cleaning system provided with an automatic metering feeder for cleaning solution organically integrates a cavitation jet technology with the improvement of cleaning solutions, which can not only increase bubbles can be during jet, but also is beneficial for removing hull dirt. An eddy segment of a nozzle is arranged as a spiral passage, and the eddy segment is gradually reduced from a water inlet to a water outlet, so that a speed of fluid becomes further faster. A volume of an in-pipe chamber of a barrel is different, and the fluid is pulsed while flowing through the barrel, so that the fluid is finally ejected from the nozzle of a cleaning gun, which efficiently improves the cavitation rate, and increases the generation of cavitation nucleus.

An underwater cavitation jet cleaning system provided with an automatic metering feeder for cleaning solution organically integrates a cavitation jet technology with the improvement of cleaning solutions, which can not only increase bubbles can be during jet, but also is beneficial for removing hull dirt. An eddy segment of a nozzle is arranged as a spiral passage, and the eddy segment is gradually reduced from a water inlet to a water outlet, so that a speed of fluid becomes further faster. A volume of an in-pipe chamber of a barrel is different, and the fluid is pulsed while flowing through the barrel, so that the fluid is finally ejected from the nozzle of a cleaning gun, which efficiently improves the cavitation rate, and increases the generation of cavitation nucleus.

A hull cleaning system is disclosed that comprises a below-waterline hull cleaning head arranged to clean an underwater portion of a hull in-situ, a location determining system arranged to produce location information indicative of the location of the hull cleaning head relative to the hull, and a hub facility remotely located relative to the hull cleaning head. The hub facility is arranged to store the location information, and the system is arranged to send the location information to the hub facility for storage at the hub facility so as to thereby provide a record at the hub facility of clean portions of the hull that have been cleaned by the hull cleaning head and fouled portions of the hull that have not yet been cleaned by the hull cleaning head. The system is also arranged to provide on-line access to the location information stored at the hub facility so as to thereby enable cleaning to continue at a subsequent time using the stored location information.

A hull cleaning system is disclosed that comprises a below-waterline hull cleaning head arranged to clean an underwater portion of a hull in-situ, a location determining system arranged to produce location information indicative of the location of the hull cleaning head relative to the hull, and a hub facility remotely located relative to the hull cleaning head. The hub facility is arranged to store the location information, and the system is arranged to send the location information to the hub facility for storage at the hub facility so as to thereby provide a record at the hub facility of clean portions of the hull that have been cleaned by the hull cleaning head and fouled portions of the hull that have not yet been cleaned by the hull cleaning head. The system is also arranged to provide on-line access to the location information stored at the hub facility so as to thereby enable cleaning to continue at a subsequent time using the stored location information.

An apparatus and a method for cleaning the hull of a vessel include a washing unit having a plurality of washing modules of the hull, suitable for washing the hull in a submerged configuration. Each washing module is equipped with mobile connectors for the mobile mechanical connection of one washing module to an adjacent washing module, to allow a reciprocal movement between the adjacent washing modules during washing and/or movement. Each washing module has washers of the hull suitable for scraping dirt from the hull. Each washing module is equipped with drivers to allow the positioning and movement of the washing module with respect to the hull and/or with respect to other washing modules during the cleaning of the hull.

An apparatus and a method for cleaning the hull of a vessel include a washing unit having a plurality of washing modules of the hull, suitable for washing the hull in a submerged configuration. Each washing module is equipped with mobile connectors for the mobile mechanical connection of one washing module to an adjacent washing module, to allow a reciprocal movement between the adjacent washing modules during washing and/or movement. Each washing module has washers of the hull suitable for scraping dirt from the hull. Each washing module is equipped with drivers to allow the positioning and movement of the washing module with respect to the hull and/or with respect to other washing modules during the cleaning of the hull.

A rotating grooming brush comprising a brush hub having grooming elements and shroud elements, and method for grooming a surface having an unwanted material thereon. The elements extend from the brush hub and may be positioned near its outer periphery. The elements may be grooming elements forming an array and shroud elements forming a shroud array. A rigid or elastomeric shroud extending from the brush hub surface may optionally be included about the edge of the brush hub, to the outside of the grooming elements. Rotation of the grooming attachment brush causes a low pressure region to build in the central area of the brush. This low pressure region creates a resulting force that forcefully attracts the grooming attachment brush to the surface to be groomed. The resulting force is controlled by the diameter of the brush hub, arrangement, of the elements and the speed of rotation.

A rotating grooming brush comprising a brush hub having grooming elements and shroud elements, and method for grooming a surface having an unwanted material thereon. The elements extend from the brush hub and may be positioned near its outer periphery. The elements may be grooming elements forming an array and shroud elements forming a shroud array. A rigid or elastomeric shroud extending from the brush hub surface may optionally be included about the edge of the brush hub, to the outside of the grooming elements. Rotation of the grooming attachment brush causes a low pressure region to build in the central area of the brush. This low pressure region creates a resulting force that forcefully attracts the grooming attachment brush to the surface to be groomed. The resulting force is controlled by the diameter of the brush hub, arrangement, of the elements and the speed of rotation.