Anti-fouling system using energy harvested from salt water

Abstract

The invention provides an anti-fouling lighting system ( 1 ) configured for preventing or reducing biofouling on a fouling surface ( 1201 ) of an object ( 1200 ) that during use is at least temporarily exposed to a liquid, by providing an anti-fouling light ( 211 ) to said fouling surface ( 1201 ), the anti-fouling lighting system ( 1 ) comprising: a lighting module ( 200 ) comprising a light source ( 210 ) configured to generate an anti-fouling light ( 211 ); and an energy system ( 500 ) configured to locally harvest energy and configured to provide electrical power to said light lighting module ( 200 ), wherein the energy system ( 500 ) comprises (i) a sacrificial electrode ( 510 ), and (ii) a second energy system electrode ( 520 ), wherein the energy system ( 500 ) is configured to provide electrical power to the lighting module ( 200 ) when the sacrificial electrode ( 510 ) and the second energy system electrode ( 520 ) are in electrical contact with the liquid.

1 . An anti-fouling lighting system configured for preventing or reducing biofouling on a fouling surface of an object that during use is at least temporarily exposed to an electrically conductive aqueous liquid, by providing an anti-fouling light to said fouling surface, the anti-fouling lighting system comprising:
 a lighting module comprising a light source configured to generate the anti-fouling light; and   an energy system configured to locally harvest energy and configured to provide the electrical power to said light lighting module.   
     
     
         2 . The anti-fouling lighting system according to  claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a UV LED configured to provide one or more of UV-A and UV-C light. 
     
     
         3 . The anti-fouling lighting system according to  claim 1 , wherein the energy system includes embedded solar cells, small turbines operating in water, or piezoelectric elements operating on pressure waves. 
     
     
         4 . The anti-fouling lighting system according to  claim 1 , wherein anti-fouling lighting system comprises an optical medium, wherein the optical medium comprises one or more of a waveguide and an optical fiber configured to provide said anti-fouling light to the fouling surface. 
     
     
         5 . The anti-fouling lighting system according to  claim 1 , wherein the lighting module further comprises an optical medium configured to receive at least part of the anti-fouling light and configured to distribute at least part of the anti-fouling light through the optical medium, the optical medium comprising an emission surface configured to emit at least part of the distributed anti-fouling light in a direction away from the optical medium, wherein the fouling surface comprises said emission surface. 
     
     
         6 . The anti-fouling lighting system according to  claim 5 , wherein the light source is embedded in the optical medium, and wherein the optical medium comprises a transit for electrical connections with the light source. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . An object comprising a fouling surface that during use is at least temporarily exposed to the electrically conductive aqueous liquid, the object further comprising the anti-fouling lighting system as defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . The object according to  claim 10 , comprising a plurality of lighting modules arranged over at least part of a height of the object, wherein a control system is configured to control an intensity of the anti-fouling light from a lighting module as a function of a position of the lighting module relative to a liquid level of the electrically conductive aqueous liquid at a side of the fouling surface. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A method of anti-fouling a fouling surface of an object that is during use at least temporarily exposed to an electrically conductive aqueous liquid, the method comprising:
 providing an anti-fouling lighting system as defined in  claim 1 ;   locally harvesting energy by said energy system to provide electrical power to said light lighting module;   generating the anti-fouling light by said lighting module; and   providing said anti-fouling light to said fouling surface.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the electrically conductive aqueous liquid is seawater. 
     
     
         15 . A method of providing an anti-fouling lighting system to an object, that during use is at least temporarily exposed to an electrically conductive aqueous liquid, the method comprising providing a lighting module and an energy system as defined in  claim 1  to the object, with the lighting module configured to provide said anti-fouling light to a fouling surface of one or more of the object and the lighting module attached to the object.