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MERC ER02-10
2
discharge/backflush of accumulated solid residue (or retentate).
To account for brackish water conditions, the addition of a brine (sodium chloride)
injection system was included for proper operation during periods of relatively low salinity. The
sodium hypochlorite solution was produced from a small side stream of ballast water from the
main ballast piping. An advanced electrolyzer treated the side stream to create the required
Active Substance concentration on-demand. The sodium hypochlorite/Active Substance solution
was then injected both before and after the filtration unit. The pre filltration injection accounted
for 10% or less of the total treatment dose for the purpose of filter biofouling prevention. An
injection quill specifically designed for this application was implemented for the primary dose
after the filter unit. The SiCURE
TM
system doses at a maximum of 6 mg/l total chlorine. Upon
discharge of treated water, total chlorine levels are monitored and if the levels are greater than
the discharge limit of 0.1 ppm, an automated system injects sodium sulfite as neutralizer.
Because the treatment system was a prototype, it was operated at all times by members of
the Siemens staff. All evaluation test equipment and instrumentation was operated by MERC
personnel.
3.0 Summary of IMO Standards
This evaluation was designed to determine if the SiCURE
TM
treatment system could meet
IMO D2 standards in accordance with both the IMO
Guidelines for Approval of Ballast Water
Management Systems (G8)
and the
Procedure for Approval of Ballast Water Management
Systems that make use of Active Substances (G9)
. The IMO Convention performance standard
states that ships must discharge:
1) Less than 10 viable organisms per m
3
, greater than or equal to 50 µm in minimum
dimension;
2) Less than 10 viable organisms per ml, less than 50 µm in minimum dimension and greater
than or equal to 10 µm in minimum dimension and
3) Less than the following concentrations of indicator microbes, as a human health standard:
1. Toxigenic
Vibrio cholerae
(serogroups O1 and O139), less than 1 colony forming unit
(cfu) per 100 ml
2.
Escherichia coli,
less than 250 cfu per 100 ml;
3. Intestinal
Enterococci,
less than 100 cfu per 100 ml.
4.0 Summary of Test Protocols
The following is a brief summary of the testing approach and methods. For complete
details on protocols, data management, and quality control / quality assurance procedures for this
MERC evaluation, please refer to the
Test Plan for the Performance Evaluation of the
Siemens
Ballast Water Management System
(August 2009), available for download at www.maritime-
enviro.org.
The protocols described below are based upon the IMO G8/G9 guidelines and the U.S.
Coast Guard supported ETV protocols under development. Any deviation from IMO G8/G9
guidelines or draft ETV protocols were explained and justified in the Test Plan.
MERC evaluated the biological efficacy of the SiCURE
TM
ballast water treatment system
onboard the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) Ro-Ro vessel
MV Cape Washington
while
docked in the Port of Baltimore. The ballast system on
MV Cape Washington
was modified to