Solar powered buoy controls toxic algal blooms using ultrasound waves
To combat the rise in blue-green algae that can cause problems in water reservoirs, Dutch company LG Sonic has developed a floating solar powered platform that emits specific ultrasonic parameters.
Called the MPC-Buoy, the solar-powered system combines online water quality monitoring, web-based software and ultrasonic technology to control harmful algal blooms in large water surfaces, such as lakes and drinking water reservoirs.
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Without using chemicals, the algae control device emits ultrasound waves underwater.
Most types of algae will die from the ultrasonic pressure generated in the top layer of the water, according to the company.
This sound barrier prevents algae from rising to the surface, keeping them from being exposed to sunlight, with the algae dying to the lack of light.
To date, the MPC-Buoy has been installed in lakes and water reservoirs in the US, Canada, the UK, Malaysia and Poland.
In April utility American Water formed a partnership with LG Sonic to perform ultrasonic algae control in water treatment plants (see WWi story).
The company has also been involved in a European-backed consortium 30-month project to develop a drone technology to detect and dispose of harmful algae (read WWi story).
Last week the MPC-Buoy won the Aquatech Innovation Award 2015 in the category of water supply/water treatment.
The jury rewarded the MPC-Buoy for being a complete algae control solution: “We believe it will have an impact on the market because it is a fully integrated product and can work completely independently.”
Yousef Yousef, CEO of LG Sonic, said: “It is great to see that the industry becomes more and more aware of our environmentally friendly algae control solutions.”
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