Page 66: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 2017)

How to Reduce Risk When Selecting a

Ballast Water Management System

By

Gerard Lynch, Vice President of Engineering,

Maritime Solutions, Inc. &

Aaron Strupp, US Sales Manager,

ABB Industrial Automation

It seems like a lifetime coming, but the IMO Interna- tional Convention for the Control and Management of

Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM) has been approved and will enter into force on September 8, 2017. Deemed as an environmental necessity, it cre- ates an enormous operational challenge for the mari- time industry.

As ship owners, system installers and BWM system manufacturers alike prepare for the many challenges associated with implementation, it would be wise to more closely evaluate the real (and sometimes hidden) risks to system operators and manufacturers.

To achieve the IMO and USCG standard, most

BWM systems will use self-cleaning ? lters followed by UV treatment or some other biocidal device. Any- one with experience using ? lter and biocidal systems in natural waters knows that there will always be upset

Image: MSI/ABB conditions due to seasonal water issues, silting, algae blooms, dredging spoils, dissolved minerals, etc. … by calculating UV dose from digital input measur- •Utilize a smart control system with a sensor to

So how do you reduce your risk of operations? ing ? ow rate, light transmittance, turbidity, and lamp monitor light transmission through the ballast water

Experienced raw water ? ltration operators know that life. Smart automation allows them both to use self- with a control means for regulating not only the bio- water quality monitoring and ? ow control are neces- cleaning ? lters even when seasonal issues arise. Being cidal dose but also the system ? ow rate based on water sary tools to help reduce downtime and system fail- prepared, they stay online using temporary alternate quality. This light sensor will monitor water quality in ures due to high solids loading and dissolved minerals process modes. real time and allow the ship to continue ballast water greater than the system can manage. We realize that

During the 1970s and 1980s, ship owners worked operations in heavy solids and/or turbid water at a re- to achieve real world operational freedom, every ship through the implementation and enforcement of the duced system ? owrate. It will help keep the ? lter and will rely on smart system automation and a special Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) which biocidal system from overloading causing a system operational process to manage heavy silting periods. required the Coast Guard to, “establish procedures, fault and automatic shutdown.

This might include a three valve bypass and large methods, and equipment and other requirements for World Class BWM systems will use ballast water manually cleaned ? lters/strainers installed in parallel equipment to prevent discharge of oil from vessels...”. controls and software similar to the patented system with the self-cleaning system, allowing the second Ship engineers forced to use under-developed systems produced by Maritime Solutions, Inc. (MSI), The MSI stage biocidal treatment to do its job during the ? l- were hauled off and arrested while ship owners were Smart Ballast System monitors and adjusts BWM ter upset period. UV systems and biocidal treatment sued. Clearly, a user friendly system designed with system operation based on ? uid intake and ballast will also be challenged when the T10 UV transmission less risk was needed. water quality. This allows ship owners to go port to rate is too low to achieve the minimum dose required

Developing more operator friendly designs with the port without having to manually adjust the system for proper treatment. This too will result in a “system user in mind is the only way for today’s BWM manu- operating parameters. The risk of human error can be down” warning alarm. Smart operators can better pre- facturers and ship owners to approach the challenges reduced signi? cantly. The MSI Smart Ballast System pare for both these situations by using a more sophis- and implementation of new smart BWM equipment. does not rely on manual crew testing of water condi- ticated control system designed speci? cally to monitor

The USCG recognized these risk issues as well and tions to adjust the system ef? ciency. and manage these upset events. it is clearly stated in the 46 CFR Part Standards for Operators need robust system controls to better man-

There are two main approaches to ensure proper Living Organisms in Ships’ Ballast Water Discharged age natural water upset conditions, which are guaran- dosage and organism kill rate: 1. adjustment of bio- in U.S. Waters Speci? cally; §162.060–20 Design and teed to challenge any BWM System. The question for cidal intensity/concentration; 2. adjustment of bio- construction requirements: … (b) Each BWMS must ship owners and manufacturers alike is: “How will cidal contact time by regulating the ballast water ? ow have control and monitoring equipment that— (1) you hedge the risk of non-compliant discharges, port rate. Smart systems do both. Smart systems will sense Automatically monitors and adjusts necessary treat- state control penalties, vessel delays and unnecessary silt, sediment and organism build-up on the ? lter me- ment dosages, intensities, or other aspects required for service calls”? dia and correlate that to a proprietary algorithm which proper operation; (2) Incorporates a continuous self- BWM Systems must be designed to help safeguard controls ? ow based on the monitored, “real-time” ? l- monitoring function during the period in which the the health of the world’s waterways. Smart, effective ter cleaning cycle and effective UV or biocidal treat-

BWMS is in operation…. controls like those used in every MSI system, address ment dose. This “smart ballast” approach ensures the

Having worked with natural water treatment systems these critical environmental issues with the goal of proper ? ow/kill rate at constant dosage control.

for decades, we know what works and what does not. keeping ecosystems intact.

These challenges are not unique to the maritime in-

A robust BWM system will: dustry. In fact, many power plants that use river water •Use a back washable ? lter with a prescreen water NOTE: Maritime Solutions, Inc. (MSI) and ABB have for turbine bearing cooling have utilized these design chamber to collect large debris. teamed up to serve the global Ballast Water Manage- approaches for over 20 years. Municipal water treat- •Have a biocidal (UV or other) means to disable or ment market. Patented Control Systems developed by ment plants also monitor UV treatment effectiveness kill unwanted marine organisms. MSI will be manufactured by ABB.

66 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • MARCH 2017

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