Skip to main content

Fouling

The growth or accumulation of material which impedes device function.

Fouling is the unintended accumulation of organic or inorganic material on or within a marine energy device. If left unaddressed, fouling can negatively impact device hydrodynamics, performance, and survivability, as well as instrumentation. Examples of fouling include the growth of biological communities on wave energy or current energy devices and related infrastructure, mineral build up on the heat exchangers used for ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), increased concentrations of compounds that inhibit chemical reactions in salinity gradient applications, and sediment accumulation that can cause damage or limit the performance of internal mechanics. Fouling is not considered corrosion, which is the removal, weakening, or corruption of material (e.g., by seawater). 

Photo: European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC)

Marine Energy Documents Related to Fouling

Tethys Engineering is a knowledge hub that contains documents and resources about the technical aspects of marine energy development. The table below contains all of the documents in the Tethys Engineering Knowledge Base associated with Fouling.

Total: 90

Title Author Date Sort ascending Type of Content Technology Collection Method Engineering
Long-run operation of a reverse electrodialysis system fed with wastewaters Di Salvo, J., Cosenza, A., Tamburini, A. Journal Article Salinity Gradient Lab Data Performance
Reverse Electrodialysis for Salinity Gradient Power Generation: Challenges and Future Perspectives Guler, E., Nijmeijer, K. Journal Article Salinity Gradient, Reverse Electrodialysis
Dynamic loading and stall of clean and fouled tidal turbine blade sections Walker, J. Thesis Current, Tidal Lab Data Performance
CO2 saturated water as two-phase flow for fouling control in reverse electrodialysis Moreno, J., de Hart, N., Saakes, M. Journal Article Salinity Gradient Lab Data
Setting an agenda for biofouling research for the marine renewable energy industry Loxton, J., Macleod, A., Nall, C. Journal Article Current, Wave
Mass transport of various membrane configurations in pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) Cheng, Z., Chung, T. Journal Article Salinity Gradient, Pressure-Retarded Osmosis Modeling Performance
Wave and Tidal Range Energy Devices Offer Environmental Opportunities as Artificial Reefs Callaway, R., Bertelli, C., Unsworth, R. Conference Paper Tidal, Wave
Creating value in oceanography with wave energy converters: User needs Portillo, J., Ferreira, D., Henriques, J. Conference Paper Wave Substructure
Biodiversity characterisation and hydrodynamic consequences of marine fouling communities on marine renewable energy infrastructure in the Orkney Islands Archipelago, Scotland, UK Want, A., Crawford, R. , Kakkonen, J. Journal Article Lab Data, Test Center Materials, Performance
Salinity Gradients for Sustainable Energy: Primer, Progress, and Prospects Yip, N., Brogioli, D., Hamelers, H. Journal Article Salinity Gradient Performance
Fouling resistant nanocomposite cation exchange membrane with enhanced power generation for reverse electrodialysis Tong, X., Zhang, B., Chen, Y. Journal Article Salinity Gradient Lab Data Materials, Structural
Role of two different pretreatment methods in osmotic power (salinity gradient energy) generation Abbasi-Garravand, E., Mulligan, C., Laflamme, C. Journal Article Salinity Gradient, Pressure-Retarded Osmosis Lab Data Performance
Evaluation of fouling potential and power density in pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) by fouling index Choi, Y., Vigneswaran, S., Lee, S. Journal Article Salinity Gradient, Pressure-Retarded Osmosis Lab Data
Fabrication and characterization of nanocomposite pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) membranes with excellent anti-biofouling property and enhanced water permeability Liu, X., Foo, L. Journal Article Salinity Gradient, Pressure-Retarded Osmosis Materials
Concentration polarization effect and preferable membrane configuration at pressure-retarded osmosis operation Nguyen, T., Jun, B., Park, H. Journal Article Salinity Gradient, Pressure-Retarded Osmosis Lab Data Performance
Organic fouling and reverse solute selectivity in forward osmosis: Role of working temperature and inorganic draw solutions Heo, J., Chu, K., Her, N. Journal Article Salinity Gradient, Pressure-Retarded Osmosis Lab Data Performance
Unique roles of aminosilane in developing anti-fouling thin film composite (TFC) membranes for pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) Zhang, L., She, Q., Wang, R. Journal Article Salinity Gradient, Pressure-Retarded Osmosis Materials
Performance of the first reverse electrodialysis pilot plant for power production from saline waters and concentrated brines Tedesco, M., Scalici, C., Vaccari, D. Journal Article Salinity Gradient Field Data, Full Scale Performance
2D fluorescence spectroscopy for monitoring ion-exchange membrane based technologies – Reverse electrodialysis (RED) Pawlowski, S., Galinha, C., Crespo, J. Journal Article Salinity Gradient Lab Data
The Dynamics Effects of Marine Growth on a Point Absorbing Wave Energy Converter Wright, C., Pakrashi, V., Murphy, J. Conference Paper Wave Performance
The Dynamic Effects of Marine Growth On A Point Absorbing Wave Energy Converter Wright, C., Pakrashi, V., Murphy, J. Conference Paper Wave, Point Absorber Modeling Performance
Marine Renewable Energy Converters and Biofouling: A Review on Impacts and Prevention Titah-Benbouzid, H. , Benbouzid, M. Conference Paper Current, Wave
Polysulfone and Polyacrylate-based Zwitterionic Coatings for the Prevention and Easy Removal of Marine Biofouling Hibbs, M., Hernandez-Sanchez, A. B., Daniels, J. Journal Article Materials
Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Reliability: Performance Analysis of Antifouling Coatings Bonheyo, G., Park, J., Jeters, R. Report Materials, Performance
Advancing Marine Renewable Energy Monitoring Capabilities Joslin, J. Thesis Ocean Current, Wave Scale Device Materials, Structural
A review of survivability and remedial actions of tidal current turbines Chen, L., Lam, W. Journal Article Current, Tidal
Demonstration of Biofouling Mitigation Methods for Long-Term Deployments of Optical Cameras Joslin, J., Polagye, B. Journal Article
Experimental and numerical studies of blade roughness and fouling on marine current turbine performance Walker, J., Flack, K., Lust, E. Journal Article Current, Axial Flow Turbine Lab Data, Scale Device Performance
Early detection of preferential channeling in reverse electrodialysis Vermaas, D., Saakes, M., Nijmeijer, K. Journal Article Salinity Gradient Lab Data
A review on potential applications of carbon nanotubes in marine current turbines Ng, K. , Lam, W., Pichiah, S. Journal Article Current Materials, Structural
Influence of Natural Organic Matter Fouling and Osmotic Backwash on Pressure Retarded Osmosis Energy Production from Natural Salinity Gradients Yip, N., Elimelech, M. Journal Article Salinity Gradient Lab Data Performance
Fouling in reverse electrodialysis under natural conditions Vermaas, D., Kunteng, D., Saakes, M. Journal Article Salinity Gradient Structural
Environmentally Benign and Permanent Modifications to Prevent Biofouling on Marine and Hydrokinetic Devices Zhang, Z. Report Current, Wave Materials
Monitoring Ocean Turbines: a Reliability Assessment Beaujean, P., Khoshgoftaar, T., Sloan, J. Conference Paper Current
Screening for Biofouling and Corrosion of Tidal Energy Device Materials: In-situ results for Admiralty Inlet, Puget Sound, Washington Polagye, B., Thomson, J. Report Current, Tidal Field Data Materials
Output power characteristic of WEC for a buoy Oh, J., Kwak, J., Bae, S. Journal Article Wave, Oscillating Water Column, Attenuator Modeling Hydrodynamics, Performance, Structural
Blue energy: electricity production from salinity gradients by reverse electrodialysis Post, J. Thesis Salinity Gradient
OTEC biofouling, corrosion, and materials study from a moored platform at Punta Tuna, Puerto Rico Sasscer, D., Tosteson, T., Morgan, T. Report OTEC Field Data
Assessment of Microbial Fouling in an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Experiment Aftring, R., Taylor, B. Journal Article OTEC Field Data
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) biofouling and corrosion experiment (1977), St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands: Biofouling and site characterization studies Aftring, R., Capone, D., Duguay, L. Report OTEC Field Data
Displaying 51 - 90 of 90 results