Systems and methods for subsea biofouling reduction

Abstract

A system including a subsea treatment system configured to inhibit biological growth along one or more surfaces of a subsea equipment, wherein the subsea treatment system includes a light treatment system including one or more light sources configured to output light to inhibit biological growth; or an acoustic treatment system including one or more acoustic devices configured to output acoustics to inhibit biological growth, or a combination thereof.

1 . A system, comprising:
 a subsea treatment system configured to inhibit biological growth along one or more surfaces of a subsea equipment, wherein the subsea treatment system comprises:
 a light treatment system comprising one or more light sources configured to output light to inhibit biological growth; or 
 an acoustic treatment system comprising one or more acoustic devices configured to output acoustics to inhibit biological growth; 
 or a combination thereof. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the subsea treatment system comprises the light treatment system. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more light sources comprise one or more ultraviolet light sources, blue light sources, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the subsea treatment system comprises the acoustic treatment system. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more acoustic devices comprise ultrasonic devices. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the subsea treatment system comprises the light treatment system, the acoustic treatment system, a chemical treatment system, and a thermal treatment system. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the subsea treatment system comprises an enclosure configured to at least partially surround the subsea equipment. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein a seawater flow path extends through the enclosure around the subsea equipment, wherein the subsea treatment system comprises the one or more light sources, the one or more acoustic devices, or a combination thereof, along the seawater flow path. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the subsea equipment comprises a heat exchanger having a process flow path, and the heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat between a seawater along the seawater flow path and a process fluid along the process flow path. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising the subsea equipment configured to mount on or within 50 feet of a sea floor. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the subsea equipment comprises a heat exchanger, a pump, a compressor, a valve, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the subsea treatment system is mounted directly on the subsea equipment, on a structure separate from the subsea treatment system, within an enclosure at least partially surrounding the subsea equipment, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising:
 the light treatment system having the one or more light sources configured to output the light to inhibit biological growth in a first treatment area; and   the acoustic treatment system having the one or more acoustic devices configured to output the acoustics to inhibit biological growth in a second treatment area at least partially not reachable by the light treatment system.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a sensor system having one or more sensors configured to monitor one or more parameters related to biological growth; and   a controller coupled to the sensor system, wherein the controller has a processor, a memory, and instructions stored on the memory and executable by the processor to control the subsea treatment system based on sensor feedback from the one or more sensors, wherein the controller is configured to operate the subsea treatment system selectively in a continuous mode, a schedule mode, a sensor feedback mode, a computer model based mode, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 operating a subsea treatment system to inhibit biological growth along one or more surfaces of a subsea equipment, wherein operating the subsea treatment system comprises:
 operating a light treatment system comprising one or more light sources to output light to inhibit biological growth; or 
 operating an acoustic treatment system comprising one or more acoustic devices to output acoustics to inhibit biological growth; 
 or a combination thereof. 
   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising controlling the light treatment system having the one or more light sources to output the light to inhibit biological growth in a first treatment area, wherein the one or more light sources comprise one or more ultraviolet light sources, blue light sources, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising controlling the acoustic treatment system having the one or more acoustic devices to output the acoustics to inhibit biological growth in a second treatment area at least partially not reachable by the light treatment system. 
     
     
         18 . A system, comprising:
 a controller having a processor, a memory, and instructions stored on the memory and executable by the processor to operate a subsea treatment system to inhibit biological growth along one or more surfaces of a subsea equipment, wherein the instructions to operate the subsea treatment system comprise instructions to:
 operate a light treatment system comprising one or more light sources to output light to inhibit biological growth; or 
 operate an acoustic treatment system comprising one or more acoustic devices to output acoustics to inhibit biological growth; 
 or a combination thereof. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions to operate the subsea treatment system comprise instructions to control the light treatment system having the one or more light sources to output the light to inhibit biological growth in a first treatment area, wherein the one or more light sources comprise one or more ultraviolet light sources, blue light sources, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the instructions to operate the subsea treatment system comprise instructions to control the acoustic treatment system having the one or more acoustic devices to output the acoustics to inhibit biological growth in a second treatment area at least partially not reachable by the light treatment system.