SEAVAX - WATERPROOFING SCREED

WATERPROOFING THE TANK TESTING FACILITIES

CURING THE LEAKS - After several test sessions that did not quite go according to plan, the Cleaner Ocean Foundation bit the bullet and screeded the test tank floor with a sharp sand and cement mix. Copyright © May 26 2017, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this photograph except for private research and educational use.

FACILITIES UPGRADE 

The surface test and underground holding tanks will be needed for further tests into 2018 and maybe 2019, but the ravages of time have taken their toll. This means taking time out during a lull period to make improvements that will increase our efficiency in the long-term.

Our immediate problem is that while the tank was okay until the winter, the leak that was just a trickle has become difficult to keep pace with using a hose pipe from the well on site - and there is no mains water.

KARCHER - We had a cheaper model that was bought from a supermarket for £40 and it was not bad while it lasted, but that burned out when a kink in a hose starved the pump of water, after which it would not prime. Our directors kicked into the pot and purchased this fine bit of kit from Karcher. The T5 premium washer operates at 145 bar, another good deal from Screwfix, though there was a delivery problem that was sorted in time for us to put this fine machine through its paces. It is feature packed and we love it. Copyright © May 26 2017, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this photograph except for private research and educational use.

DRAINS - There are two drains in the test tank. One is used as a sump into which we can dunk a submersible pump to completely drain the tank for tasks such as painting. [LEFT] In this picture you can see a submersible pump sucking up the nasty water and debris mix. [RIGHT} Here we made a timber frame at the same height as the sharp sand and cement screed. Copyright © May 26 2017, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this photograph except for private research and educational use.

DRAIN FRAMES - [LEFT] In this picture we see that the frame is now screeded around and flush with the new floor level. [RIGHT] This is the second drain that carries (or rather carried) rainwater to a treatment plant about half a mile away. Copyright © May 26 2017, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this photograph except for private research and educational use.

COMPACTING - A dry-ish mix is compacted, floated and then trowel finished. Note that there is a string line and a spirit level and they are used together. Copyright © May 26 2017, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this photograph except for private research and educational use.

INLET - This is the inlet pipe that feeds water to the circulating pump. It is important that there is a smooth entry to this pipe and that the pool drains into this low point for emptying. Copyright © May 26 2017, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this photograph except for private research and educational use.

HALF TIME - The floor looks a bit messy and that is because we used pva and cement powder to prime the jet washed surface. Copyright © May 26 2017, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this photograph except for private research and educational use.

ALMOST DONE - Working backwards, the chaps finally were able to walk up the steps and out of the pool. Copyright © May 26 2017, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this photograph except for private research and educational use.

STEPS - We have steps at both ends of the test tank. This means that we can load or service the SeaVax or the instrument carriage from either end. Copyright © May 26 2017, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this photograph except for private research and educational use.

EPOXY PAINT

The paint had been purchased in 2016, but there was never a moment when the tank was not in use for long enough, or weather conditions were right to paint the tank as it was. This has now saved us money, because epoxy paint on top of leaky joints would eventually lead to the leaks coming back.

Now that the paint can be applied over a good solid screeded floor (screeding is a bit like rendering only horizontal and using a drier mix) there will be a watertight seal.

LINKS & REFERENCE

https://avaaz.org/

https://www.uni-due.de/IST/ismt_circulation_tank.shtml

http://www.edesign.co.uk/portfolio/plymouth/

https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/institutes/marine-institute/coast-laboratory

https://www.rivallab.com/facilities/

http://www.npl.co.uk/about/history/research/ship-tanks/

http://www.umd.edu/

http://www.building.co.uk/making-waves-plymouth-marine-laboratory/5069697.article

info@marin.nl

http://www.marin.nl/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_Research_Institute_Netherlands

https://www.coanda.ca/services/equipment/tow-tank/

http://www.designindaba.com/articles/creative-work/award-winning-ocean-cleanup-team-launch-their-first-open-water-test

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35909651

http://stamco.co.uk/

 

 

PLAN VIEW - In this diagram we are looking through the glass roof into the the SeaVax test tank from above. We can see the overhead gantry, carriage and rails positioned so that the model is central in a (dual) converging continuously re-circulating flow of water.

 

 

 

 

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