Corrosion monitoring of submerged surfaces is a challenging task at best. Besides being underwater, these surfaces are often covered in biofouling, preventing simple visual inspection. The biofouling itself, and the removal of the biofouling can damage the protective coatings, increasing the risk of corrosion. This paper will explore how a small autonomous robot can be used to proactively remove early-stage biofouling from a surface, ensuring the coating system remains intact, while simultaneously providing valuable visual inspection data. The paper will include results from the proactive cleaning of multiple vessels, as well as the long-term cleaning of test fixtures in high fouling pressure environments, as well as discuss the multiple benefits of maintaining a clean surface across different applications. Further, the paper will provide an overview of the technology enabling the autonomous capabilities as well as introduce potential future avenues for expansion of the technology throughout the subsea market.

Subject
Biofouling, Coating removal, Coatings, Materials, Materials performance, Tools, Inspection, Hull, Maritime, Maintenance, Visual assessment, Fouling, Cleaning
Keywords:
Biofouling, Corrosion, Marine Coatings, Robotics, Shipping, Ultrasonic, Ship Husbandry
© 2023 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
2023
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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