In the first place, the invention relates to an anti-fouling unit configured to be arranged on a surface, wherein the anti-fouling unit comprises at least one electric circuit including a light-emitting arrangement configured to emit anti-fouling light, and a plate-shaped carrier slab carrying the at least one electric circuit, and wherein the carrier slab has an emission surface configured to allow light from the light-emitting arrangement of the at least one electric circuit to pass to outside of the anti-fouling unit and to thereby subject an exterior side of the emission surface and surroundings thereof to an anti-fouling action.
In the second place, the invention relates to an assembly of an object and a plurality of anti-fouling units as mentioned arranged on a surface of the object.
In the third place, the invention relates to a method of preparing an anti-fouling unit as mentioned for at least partial arrangement thereof on a surface.
In the fourth place, the invention relates to a method of applying a plurality of anti-fouling units as mentioned to a surface.
In general, the invention is in the field of anti-fouling of surfaces. Fouling of surfaces that are exposed to water, during at least a part of their lifetime, is a well-known phenomenon that causes substantial problems in many fields. For example, in the field of shipping, biofouling on the hull of ships is known to cause a severe increase in drag of the ships, and thus increased fuel consumption of the ships. In this respect, it is estimated that an increase of up to 40% in fuel consumption can be attributed to biofouling.
In general, biofouling is the accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, small animals and the like on surfaces. According to some estimates, over 1,800 species comprising over 4,000 organisms are responsible for biofouling Hence, biofouling is caused by a wide variety of organisms, and involves much more than an attachment of barnacles and seaweeds to surfaces. Biofouling is divided into micro fouling which includes biofilm formation and bacterial adhesion, and macro fouling which includes the attachment of larger organisms. Due to the distinct chemistry and biology that determine what prevents them from settling, organisms are also classified as being hard or soft. Hard fouling organisms include calcareous organisms such as barnacles, encrusting bryozoans, mollusks, polychaetes and other tube worms, and zebra mussels. Soft fouling organisms include non-calcareous organisms such as seaweed, hydroids, algae and biofilm “slime”. Together, these organisms form a fouling community.
Biofouling can cause machinery to stop working and water inlets to get clogged, to mention only two other negative consequences than the above-mentioned increase of drag of ships. In any case, the topic of anti-biofouling, i.e. the process of removing and/or preventing biofouling, is well-known.
WO 2020/058333 A1 is in the field of anti-biofouling of marine objects and discloses a light emitting unit that is configured to be applied to a surface area of a marine object and that comprises at least one light source configured to emit anti-fouling light.
US 2020/148318 A1 discloses an anti-fouling lighting system configured for preventing or reducing biofouling on a fouling surface of an object, by providing an anti-fouling light via an optical medium to said fouling surface, the anti-fouling lighting system comprising a lighting module comprising a light source configured to generate an anti-fouling light.
EP 3 438 520 A1 discloses a light emitting device that can be used in various contexts, including the context of realizing an anti-fouling action on surfaces. The light emitting device comprises light emitting units being arranged in a plane filling pattern for covering at least a substantial portion of a surface.
WO 2014/188347 A1 discloses a method of anti-fouling of a surface while said surface is at least partially submersed in a liquid environment, in particular an aqueous or oily environment. The method involves providing an anti-fouling light and providing an optical medium in close proximity to such a protected surface, the optical medium having a substantially flat emission surface. At least part of the light is distributed through the optical medium in a direction substantially parallel to the protected surface, and the anti-fouling light is emitted from the emission surface of the optical medium, in a direction away from the protected surface. The anti-fouling light may be ultraviolet light, and the optical medium may comprise ultraviolet transparent silicone, i.e. silicone that is substantially transparent to ultraviolet light, and/or ultraviolet grade fused silica, in particular quartz.
By applying the method known from WO 2014/188347 A1, it is possible to cover a protected surface to be kept clean from biofouling, at least to a significant extent, with a layer that emits germicidal light. The protected surface can be the hull of a ship, as mentioned earlier, but the method is equally applicable to other types of surface.
WO 2014/188347 A1 further discloses a lighting module that is suitable to be used for putting the above-mentioned method to practice. Thus, the lighting module comprises at least one light source for generating anti-fouling light and an optical medium for distributing the anti-fouling light from the light source. The at least one light source and/or the optical medium may be at least partially arranged in, on and/or near the protected surface so as to emit the anti-fouling light in a direction away from the protected surface.
The lighting module known from WO 2014/188347 A1 may be provided as a foil that is suitable for application to the protected surface. The foil may be substantially size-limited in two orthogonal directions perpendicular to a thickness direction of the foil, so as to provide a tile-shaped anti-fouling unit; in another embodiment, the foil is substantially size-limited in only one direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the foil, so as to provide an elongated strip of anti-fouling foil.
The concept of having tile-shaped anti-fouling units is particularly interesting when it comes to subjecting large surfaces to an anti-fouling action, which may be surfaces being as large as up to more than 10,000 m2. It may especially be envisaged to arrange the anti-fouling units in a plane filling pattern for covering at least a substantial part of a surface. Anti-fouling units can be of any suitable shape and size. For example, square units may be used and arranged in a regular pattern on a ship's hull for forming an anti-fouling light emitting device on the hull, wherein each unit may be dimensioned so as to cover about 1 m2 of the hull. In any case, the anti-fouling units are configured to be arranged on a surface, which surface may be referred to as a/the protected surface.
As indicated in the foregoing, the invention relates to an anti-fouling unit comprising i) at least one electric circuit including a light-emitting arrangement configured to emit anti-fouling light, and ii) a plate-shaped carrier slab carrying the at least one electric circuit, wherein the carrier slab has an emission surface configured to allow light from the light-emitting arrangement of the at least one electric circuit to pass to outside of the anti-fouling unit and to thereby subject an exterior side of the emission surface and surroundings thereof to an anti-fouling action. It is not so much of an issue to cover flat surface portions with a number of such anti-fouling units, but covering non-flat curved surface portions and surface portions where irregularities such as welding seams, markings and interruptions of the surface are present constitutes quite a challenge.
It is an object of the invention to provide a way of reliably covering any portion of a surface with at least one anti-fouling unit, even if the surface portion is curved and/or is a surface portion where an irregularity is present. In view thereof, the invention provides an anti-fouling unit configured to be arranged on a surface, wherein the anti-fouling unit comprises at least one electric circuit including a light-emitting arrangement configured to emit anti-fouling light, and a plate-shaped carrier slab carrying the at least one electric circuit, wherein the carrier slab has an emission surface configured to allow light from the light-emitting arrangement of the at least one electric circuit to pass to outside of the anti-fouling unit and to thereby subject an exterior side of the emission surface and surroundings thereof to an anti-fouling action, wherein the carrier slab includes at least one active slab zone where the at least one electric circuit is located and at least one passive slab zone outside the active slab zone, which at least one passive slab zone is configured to allow a division of the anti-fouling unit in separate pieces in order to fit on a predetermined surface portion while keeping the functionality of the at least one electric circuit intact, and wherein the light-emitting arrangement of the at least one electric circuit is configured to subject the exterior side of the emission surface and surroundings thereof to an anti-fouling action both at a position of the at least one active slab zone and at a position of the at least one passive slab zone.
The invention also relates to an assembly of an object and a plurality of anti-fouling units as defined in the preceding paragraph arranged on a surface of the object. The object may be a marine object, in which case the term “marine object” should be understood such as to refer to an object comprising at least one surface that is intended to be at least partially submersed in a fouling liquid containing biofouling organisms during at least a part of the lifetime of the object. In the context of the present text, the term “marine object” is not limited to objects for use in salt water, but is to be understood so as to include objects for use in fresh water as well. Examples of marine objects include ships and other vessels, marine stations, sea-based oil or gas installations, buoyancy devices, support structures for wind turbines at sea, structures for harvesting wave/tidal energy, sea chests, underwater tools, etc.
According to the invention, difficulties encountered in covering non-flat and/or non-smooth portions of protected surfaces with one or more anti-fouling units are alleviated when adjustments are made to the design of the anti-fouling unit, especially when the anti-fouling unit is designed such that the carrier slab of the anti-fouling unit includes at least one active slab zone where the at least one electric circuit of the anti-fouling unit is located and at least one passive slab zone outside the active slab zone, with the at least one passive slab zone being configured to allow a division of the anti-fouling unit in separate pieces while keeping the functionality of the at least one electric circuit intact. Further, the light-emitting arrangement included in the at least one electric circuit is configured to subject the exterior side of the emission surface of the carrier slab and surroundings of the emission surface to an anti-fouling action both at a position of the at least one active slab zone and at a position of the at least one passive slab zone, so that the entirety of the anti-fouling unit is under the anti-fouling influence of the light-emitting arrangement of the at least one electric circuit.
On the basis of the design of the anti-fouling unit with the at least one active slab zone and the at least one passive slab zone, a possibility of dividing the anti-fouling unit in separate pieces while keeping the functionality of the at least one electric circuit intact is obtained. Hence, when an anti-fouling unit needs to be fitted on a non-flat and/or non-smooth surface portion, this can be done by dividing the anti-fouling unit in two or more separate pieces in an appropriate way, and by arranging at least one separate piece thus obtained on the surface at the position of the respective portion, preferably at least one separate piece including at least one active slab zone so as to have the anti-fouling functionality on the surface, as desired.
The distribution of the at least one active slab zone and the at least one passive slab zone in the carrier slab may be chosen freely in the framework of the invention. For example, it may be practical if the at least one passive slab zone extends along a part of the periphery of the carrier slab or along the entire periphery of the carrier slab. In such a case, it is advantageous if a width of the at least one passive slab zone between the at least one active slab zone and the periphery of the carrier slab is smaller than or equal to 10 cm or probably 9 cm, as in this way, complete anti-fouling coverage of the at least one passive slab zone can be ensured considering the light absorption features of currently known feasible materials of the carrier slab. On the other hand, in such a case, it is advantageous if the width of the at least one passive slab zone between the at least one active slab zone and the periphery of the carrier slab is larger than 7 cm or even 8 cm so as to have large flexibility when it comes to adapting the size of the carrier slab so as to enable fitting the carrier slab on a given surface portion.
According to a practical possibility, the anti-fouling unit may comprise two electric circuits of the type including at least one light-emitting arrangement. In such a case, it is further practical if the anti-fouling unit comprises a passive slab zone extending between an active slab zone where the one electric circuit is located and another active slab zone where the other electric circuit is located, as this allows for easy division of the anti-fouling unit in two separate pieces including an active slab zone. In view of the foregoing remark in respect of ensuring complete anti-fouling coverage of the at least one passive slab zone assuming application of currently known anti-fouling light sources such as ultraviolet LEDs, it is advantageous if a width of the passive slab zone between the active slab zone where the one electric circuit is located and the other active slab zone where the other electric circuit is located is smaller than or equal to 20 cm or probably 18 cm. In order to have optimal flexibility of use of the anti-fouling unit, an embodiment of the anti-fouling unit is feasible in which the active slab zone where the one electric circuit is located and the other active slab zone where the other electric circuit is located are of different size.
The size of the at least one passive slab zone in the emission surface as compared to the size of the at least one active slab zone in the emission surface may be different in respect of different embodiments of the anti-fouling unit according to the invention. In this respect, it is noted that the invention covers all of the following options: i) an option of the size of the at least one passive slab zone in the emission surface being smaller than the size of the at least one active slab zone in the emission surface, ii) an option of the size of the at least one passive slab zone in the emission surface being the same as the size of the at least one active slab zone in the emission surface, and iii) an option of the size of the at least one passive slab zone in the emission surface being larger than the size of the at least one active slab zone in the emission surface. A suitable range of a ratio of the size of the at least one passive slab zone in the emission surface to the size of the at least one active slab zone in the emission surface is 0.1 to 10.
In the framework of the invention, various advantageous options exist in respect of the shape of the periphery of the carrier slab. The periphery of the carrier slab may be of trapezoidal shape, or of hexagonal shape, for example.
It is practical if the at least one electric circuit includes a power-receiving arrangement configured to receive power from outside of the anti-fouling unit to be used for powering the light-emitting arrangement, besides the light-emitting arrangement. Among other things, it is possible that the power-receiving arrangement comprises at least two electric coils configured to function independently from each other, so that a situation in which only a single predetermined possibility exists in respect of a functional position of the at least the active slab zone of the anti-fouling unit relative to an external power-supplying arrangement is avoided. In such a case, it may be practical if the at least two electric coils are located at rotation symmetrical positions in the carrier slab. For example, if the shape of the periphery of the carrier slab is rectangular, two electric coils may be located such that the coils are at the same location for half turns of the carrier slab on a surface, i.e. turns of the carrier slab over 180°. On the other hand, if the shape of the periphery of the carrier slab is rectangular, it may be handy if one electric coil is located along the short side of the carrier slab and if another electric coil is located along the long side of the carrier slab, so that the anti-fouling unit can be arranged in one of two different positions relative to an external power-supplying arrangement, the different positions being associated with a turn of the carrier slab over 90°. Further, it is possible to have an electric coil at each of the sides of a rectangular carrier slab or a carrier slab of another shape including a number of more or less straight sides.
For the same purpose of preventing positioning of the anti-fouling unit relative to an external power-supplying arrangement to be restricted to only one possibility, in a case that the anti-fouling unit comprises a single electric circuit includes a power-receiving arrangement, it may be practical if the power-receiving arrangement comprises an electric coil that is centrally arranged in the carrier slab. In this respect, it is to be noted that it may be advantageous if the electric coil is ring-shaped and the center of gravity of the carrier slab is in an area surrounded by the electric coil.
In respect of the carrier slab it is to be noted that an example of an appropriate material of the carrier slab is silicone. Further, a configuration is possible in which the at least one electric circuit is embedded in the material of the carrier slab. In respect of the light-emitting arrangement it is to be noted that the light-emitting arrangement may include at least one LED, for example. In respect of the anti-fouling light it is to be noted that the invention covers the use of any suitable type of anti-fouling light, including the use of ultraviolet light.
The invention also relates to a method of preparing an anti-fouling unit as defined in the foregoing for at least partial arrangement thereof on a surface. Such a method involves dividing the anti-fouling unit in separate pieces at the position of at least one passive slab zone while keeping the functionality of the at least one electric circuit intact. It is particularly advantageous if a shape of one of the separate pieces of the anti-fouling unit is realized in compliance with a surface portion of predetermined outline and associated space on the surface to be occupied by the one of the separate pieces. A practical way of dividing the anti-fouling unit in separate pieces involves subjecting the anti-fouling unit to a cutting action at the position of the at least one passive slab zone, wherein any suitable cutting tool may be utilized. In terms of the anti-fouling unit according to the invention, this implies that it is practical if the at least one passive slab zone is configured to allow a division of the anti-fouling unit in separate pieces by means of a cutting action.
The invention also relates to a method of applying a plurality of anti-fouling units as defined in the foregoing to a surface. Such a method involves arranging the anti-fouling units on the surface in a plane filling pattern, and dividing at least a number of the anti-fouling units in separate pieces at the position of at least one passive slab zone while keeping the functionality of the at least one electric circuit intact. In the process, it may be so that the anti-fouling units are positioned on the surface alongside each other in a closely adjoining fashion. According to a practical possibility, in conformity with aspects of the invention already described in the foregoing, the method of applying the plurality of anti-fouling units to a surface may involve realizing a shape of one of the separate pieces of each of the anti-fouling units which are divided in separate pieces in compliance with a surface portion of predetermined outline and associated space on the surface to be occupied by the one of the separate pieces. Also in conformity with aspects of the invention already described in the foregoing, it is practical if each of the anti-fouling units which are divided in separate pieces is subjected to a cutting action at the position of the at least one passive slab zone.
For the sake of completeness, it is noted that the term “plane filling pattern” should be understood in a practical sense, i.e. so as to cover various options which would normally be denoted by a skilled person by means of the term, including the above-mentioned option according to which anti-fouling units are arranged on the surface in a closely adjoining fashion, with practically no space between the anti-fouling units, and an option according to which anti-fouling units are arranged beside each other with only a narrow space between them. In general, the term is applicable to both a pattern in which the anti-fouling units are arranged so as to form a continuous cover of a surface and a pattern in which the anti-fouling units are arranged so as to form a cover of a surface that is provided with interruptions, the interruptions being no more than small areas between the anti-fouling units, wherein the larger part of the total area of the pattern is occupied by the anti-fouling units. In any case, it may particularly be so that mutual distances between anti-fouling units are significantly smaller than general dimensions of the anti-fouling units.
According to a practical possibility, dividing at least a number of the anti-fouling units in separate pieces involves actions of positioning two of the anti-fouling units relative to each other with passive slab zones of the respective anti-fouling units in an overlapping arrangement and making a single cut through the overlapping passive slab zones. In that way, an accurate way of realizing a configuration in which the one anti-fouling unit closely adjoins the other is obtained without a need for taking complex measures, as it is just a matter of putting the anti-fouling units in the appropriate positioning relative to each other, with passive slab zones of the anti-fouling units in an overlapping arrangement while remainders of the anti-fouling units extend at different sides of the area where the overlapping passive slab zones are present, which may be more or less opposite sides of that area, and making a single cut through the conjoined passive slab zones, after which shapes of edges of the anti-fouling units thus obtained are exactly adapted to each other so that those edges can immediately assume a closely adjoining arrangement.
The above-described and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the following detailed description of practical embodiments of an anti-fouling unit that is configured to be arranged on a surface and practical ways of handling the anti-fouling unit.
The invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the figures, in which equal or similar parts are indicated by the same reference signs, and in which:
In general, the anti-fouling unit according to the invention comprises at least one electric circuit 30 including a light-emitting arrangement 31 configured to emit the anti-fouling light, and a plate-shaped carrier slab 40 carrying the at least one electric circuit 30. In this respect, it may be practical if the at least one electric circuit 30 is embedded in the material of the carrier slab 40. The carrier slab 40 has an emission surface 41 configured to allow light from the light-emitting arrangement 31 of the at least one electric circuit 30 to pass to outside of the anti-fouling unit and to thereby subject an exterior side of the emission surface 41 and surrounding thereof to an anti-fouling action. For the sake of completeness, it is noted that when the anti-fouling unit is arranged on a surface 20, the anti-fouling unit contacts the surface 20 through another surface of the carrier slab 40 than the emission surface 41. For the purpose of enabling the anti-fouling unit to follow the shape of a non-flat portion of a surface 20, it is practical if the material of the carrier slab 40 is flexible. Further, it is practical if the material of the carrier slab 40 is transparent to the anti-fouling light, which may be ultraviolet light, for example, wherein the carrier slab 40 may be configured to distribute the anti-fouling light.
The carrier slab 40 of the anti-fouling unit 1 according to the first practical embodiment of the invention has a square periphery. Besides the surface 20,
With reference to
According to the invention, in order to have full anti-fouling coverage of the anti-fouling unit, particularly when there is no need to divide the anti-fouling unit in pieces, the light-emitting arrangement 31 of the at least one electric circuit 30 of the anti-fouling unit is configured to subject the exterior side of the emission surface 41 and surroundings thereof to an anti-fouling action both at the position of the at least one active slab zone and at a position of the at least one passive slab zone. In view of the general light-emitting performance of commonly available light generators/sources such as ultraviolet LEDs, assuming the practical option of the at least one passive slab zone extending along at least a part of the periphery of the carrier slab 40, it is safe to have a width of the at least one passive slab zone between the at least one active slab zone and the periphery of the carrier slab 40 that is smaller than or equal to 10 cm or probably 9 cm.
As mentioned in the foregoing, in the anti-fouling unit 1 according to the first practical embodiment of the invention, the carrier slab 40 has a square periphery. Further, the anti-fouling unit 1 comprises a single electric circuit 30. In
In the case of an electric circuit 30 of an anti-fouling unit according to the invention comprising a power-receiving arrangement 33 and the power-receiving arrangement 33 relying on the power-receiving functionality of electric coils, the number of electric coils 34 in the power-receiving arrangement 33 may be one or more. When the power-receiving arrangement 33 comprises at least two electric coils 34, it may be so that the at least two electric coils 34 are configured to function independently from each other, so that power supply to the electric circuit 30 can be realized through either one of the electric coils 34, which allows for an enhanced degree of freedom in positioning the anti-fouling unit on the surface 20 assuming that power can only be picked up at certain predetermined positions on the surface 20, which is the case when power-supplying strips 21 or the like are present on the surface 20. An example of a power-supplying strip 21 is diagrammatically shown in
In the anti-fouling unit 1 according to the first practical embodiment of the invention, the carrier slab 40 includes one active slab zone 42 and two passive slab zones 43, wherein the passive slab zones 43 extend at opposite sides of the active slab zone 42. Delimitations between the active slab zone 42 and the respective passive slab zones 43 are indicated through dash-and-dot lines in
The anti-fouling unit 4 according to the fourth practical embodiment of the invention as diagrammatically shown in
In the framework of the invention, numerous other options than the ones referred to in the foregoing are feasible. For example, it may be practical to have a triangular shape or a parallelepipedal shape of the carrier slab 40, wherein it may further be practical to have power-receiving electric coils 34 at each of the sides of the carrier slab 40 or to have a single, centrally arranged power-receiving coil 34.
It follows from the foregoing description of practical examples of anti-fouling units according to the invention that the invention provides an anti-fouling unit that can be divided in two or more separate pieces at the position of a passive slab zone 43, so that at least one piece can be obtained that can be fitted to a surface portion 23, and that can also still be operable to perform the anti-fouling function through emitting light assuming that the at least one piece includes at least one active slab zone 42 of the carrier slab 40 of the anti-fouling unit. Thus, when it is intended to arrange a plurality of anti-fouling units according to the invention on a surface 20, the invention allows for tailoring at least a number of the anti-fouling units in accordance with specifics of a surface portion 23 to be occupied by dividing the anti-fouling units in two or more separate pieces over one or more passive slab zones 43.
Basic aspects of the invention are further illustrated in
For the sake of clarity, it is to be noted that each of
It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the scope of the invention is not limited to the examples discussed in the foregoing, but that several amendments and modifications thereof are possible without deviating from the scope of the invention as defined in the attached claims. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such amendments and modifications insofar they come within the scope of the claims or the equivalents thereof. While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the figures and the description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary only, and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The drawings are schematic, wherein details which are not required for understanding the invention may have been omitted, and not necessarily to scale.
Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by a person skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the figures, the description and the attached claims. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.
Elements and aspects discussed for or in relation with a particular embodiment may be suitably combined with elements and aspects of other embodiments, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Thus, the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.
The terms “comprise” and “include” as used in this text will be understood by a person skilled in the art as covering the term “consist of”. Hence, the term “comprise” or “include” may in respect of an embodiment mean “consist of”, but may in another embodiment mean “contain/have/be equipped with at least the defined species and optionally one or more other species”.
In the context of the examples described in the foregoing with reference to the figures, it is suggested that the anti-fouling units may be provided with one or more electric coils 34 for the purpose of receiving power from an external power-supplying arrangement, which may also comprise electric coils 22. This does not alter the fact that the invention covers other ways of supplying and receiving power and use of their associated components as well.
Notable aspects of the invention are summarized as follows. An anti-fouling unit is configured to be arranged on a surface 20 and comprises at least one electric circuit 30 including a light-emitting arrangement 31 configured to emit anti-fouling light. Further, the anti-fouling unit comprises a plate-shaped carrier slab 40 carrying the at least one electric circuit 30. The carrier slab 40 includes at least one active slab zone 42 where the at least one electric circuit 30 is located and at least one passive slab zone 43 outside the active slab zone 42, which at least one passive slab zone 43 is configured to allow a division of the anti-fouling unit in separate pieces without deteriorating the anti-fouling functionality, and the light-emitting arrangement 31 of the at least one electric circuit 30 is configured to realize the anti-fouling functionality both at a position of the at least one active slab zone 42 and at a position of the at least one passive slab zone 43.
When it is intended to cover a surface 20 on which irregularities such as welding seams 24 are present with a plurality of anti-fouling units, the invention offers a possibility of arranging the anti-fouling units alongside the irregularities without a need of at least partially overlapping with the irregularities. The fact is that the anti-fouling units which are to be located near the irregularities can be cut to size so as to fit on a surface portion 23 alongside the irregularities, wherein the cuts can be made in passive slab zones 43 of the anti-fouling units so that the anti-fouling units may still be capable of performing their anti-fouling functionality.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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20199835.8 | Oct 2020 | EP | regional |
20199843.2 | Oct 2020 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/076134 | 9/23/2021 | WO |