Effects of brush cleaning upon microfouling in an OTEC simulation system. Final report
Biochemical methods to assess the biomass, physiological status and community structure of the microfouling community on titanium and aluminum pipes in OTEC condenser simulators have been developed using the analysis of: (1) the total organic carbon; (2) extractable lipids; and (3) adenosine nucleotides. These assays have been correlated with microfouling morphology by scanning electron microscopy and heat transfer efficiency measures as R/sub f/. The methods were applied to a series of aluminum and titanium pipes that cycled over three periods of fouling and manual cleaning, or were brushed with M.A.N. flow-driven brushes at the Panama City, Florida, Naval Coastal Systems Center Laboratory. Population differences were detected in the free fouling microbial communities between cleaning cycles, on the same or different metal surfaces, and between the residual film left on the surface with manual or M.A.N. brushing. Findings with relevance to OTEC design considerations included: (1) induction of extracellular polymer plaque on aluminum surfaces by M.A.N. brushing; (2) a residual population after cleaning that stimulates the rate of free fouling; (3) morphologic and biochemical evidence for filamentous microorganisms penetrating in and under the aluminum corrosion gel (which apparently makes it very difficult to clean); and (4) a remarkable resilience of the microfouling community to anoxic stress.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Florida State Univ., Tallahassee (USA). Dept. of Biological Science
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 5353925
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/OTEC-BCM-025; ON: DE82008091
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BIOLOGICAL FOULING
BIOASSAY
CONDENSERS
CLEANING
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
ADENOSINE
ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE
ALUMINIUM
ANOXIA
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
CARBON
LIPIDS
MORPHOLOGY
POLYMERS
POLYSACCHARIDES
POPULATION DENSITY
SIMULATION
SPECIES DIVERSITY
TITANIUM
CARBOHYDRATES
ELEMENTS
ENZYMES
ESTERASES
FOULING
HYDROLASES
METALS
NONMETALS
NUCLEOSIDES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHATASES
POWER PLANTS
RIBOSIDES
SACCHARIDES
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
140800* - Solar Energy- Ocean Energy Systems