MAHLE NFV Ocean Protection System OPS
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“Stowaways” in ballast water – an international problem
Almost 90% of the commodities traded worldwide are transported by ship, and that figure is steadily rising. Ballast water tanks give vessels stability and the necessary draught required for cost-effective operations. Ballast tanks are filled with sea water, fresh water and a mixture of the two, pumped in from the world's oceans and discharged again as required. Every year, around 12 billion tons of ballast water are used, water that contains countless “stowaways”. Every time a ship takes in ballast water, it also involuntarily takes in masses of tiny aquatic organisms and distributes these on the world's waterways. Although a large proportion of the microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses, do not survive being transferred in the ballast tanks, a sufficiently large number of organisms are released when the ballast tanks are emptied. Once these invasive species (fish, small inverte-brates, worms, bacteria, viruses and other microbes) settle in their new habitat, they can potentially cause considerable ecological and economic damage. In extreme cases, they can become a hazard for humans.
Ocean Protection System OPS: simple, efficient, cost-effective
The ballast water is treated as it enters the ship's tanks. The challenge here is to ensure that all organisms, and particularly the very small ones, are rendered completely unviable. MAHLE Industriefiltration's NFV ballast water system OPS uses a combined method which is based on two precisely coordinated system phases: the first phase filters extremely finely and the second phase uses low-pressure UV radiation to kill or deactivate even the tiniest microorganisms. The Ocean Protection System OPS makes ballast water management simple, fast and very cost-effective. The low-maintenance technology needs only a very small space to deliver excellent results.
High-performance pre-filter
The self-cleaning automatic pre-treatment filter is a versatile, selfcleaning, low-maintenance filter unit for removing particulate impurities from highly contaminated water and process water. It works even at low operating pressures and has only low pressure losses during high flow rates. The system's other main features include simple and robust design, and a very small footprint. The concentrate rinse flows of the two pretreatment phases - automatic pre-filter and automatic backflushing filter - are continuously pumped overboard on site, meaning that there is no hazard of spreading microorganisms.
Continuous filtration
The ballast water is then cleaned with the aid of an automatic backflushing filter, which removes more particles. Standard solutions achieve flow rates of up to 2500 m³/h. Compared with conventional filters, the automatic filter has the considerable advantage of providing continuous filtration if required. The combined pre-treatment has the advantage over a simple filter solution of allowing large volume streams to be treated. The highly effective pre-separation means that the subsequent phases only have to filter out the very smallest remaining particles and organisms.
Efficient UV sterilisation
The ballast water treated in the first phase contains only very low levels of suspended solids, thus ensuring that the low-pressure UV rays can penetrate sufficiently for maximum efficiency. The UV light hits the microorganisms in the water and damages their DNA. The DNA is damaged in such a way that the organisms can no longer replicate and is thus rendered harmless. The low-pressure radiation units in the OPS emit most of their light in the 254 nm range, which is in the spectral range of maximum germicidal effectiveness. In contrast, other methods generate a broadband spectrum which is mainly outside the relevant spectral range. The great advantage of UV sterilisation, which is widely used in drinking water treatment, is that the process dependably destroys even the tiniest organisms without needing chemical additives which would require subsequent removal. Chemical methods use chlorine or chlorine dioxide to deactivate the organisms. Both substances require dedicated storage facilities on board, they must be handled by specially trained staff and the ballast water needs to be treated before it can be discharged.
Key OPS product features
Effective filtration
The two-phase pre-treatment is efficient, low maintenance and can be configured for large flow volumes.
Energy-efficient UV sterilisation
The special, powerful low-pressure radiation units emit dependa-bly at 254 nm and are highly energy efficient to operate.
No chemicals required
The OPS system works without chemical additives. This means that there are no disinfectant residues in the water and it avoids the risk of over-dosages. No special storage or handling is required, and the system can be used with existing pipe and tank systems without the risk of problems occurring.
Modular design
The system offers a wide array of options and configurations: it can be operated as a compact, container-housed unit or can be flexibly, modularly adapted to the vessel's design and layout.
Tried and tested system components – dependable operation
The OPS ballast water treatment system is based on established components used in waste water treatment. This guarantees low-maintenance, dependable operation on board. Ocean Protection System OPS: the efficient and cost-effective solution for ballast water treatment – designed by MAHLE Industrefiltration.
Company
MAHLE Industriefiltration GmbH is part of the MAHLE Group, one of the world's 30 largest automotive suppliers, and is a global supplier of innovative, top quality industrial filters. MAHLE Industriefiltration shelters two product brands NFV and AKO.
For almost 50 years, NFV products have been relaible systems for shipping companies in the field of deoiling, membrane filtration and fuel treatment. Our products help our partners to successfully balance economy and ecology. By focusing our maritime and petrochemical activities in the new Hamburg facility, we are able to concentrate research, planning and production in one site. MAHLE Industriefiltration provides with the NFV and AKO products a wide range of customised and highly efficient filtration and separation systems for a wide variety of applications: from bilge water separation over ballast water treatment to engine maintenance, the protection of hydraulic systems and pipelines, transfer and circulation systems. This comprehensive portfolio is rounded off by customer support services precisely tailored to customers’ needs. Ten of the world’s top 15 shipping companies and the world’s three largest shipyards as well as several navies around the world (e.g. German, Turkish, Russian and U.S. Navy) equip their ships with our environmentally friendly, high quality systems, placing their trust in the outstanding operating security of NFV- systems. The NFV-products have been the German Navy’s partner of choice for deoiling, membrane filtration and fuel treatment systems for over 30 years.
The MAHLE Group is one of the 30 largest automotive suppliers worldwide. As the leading manufacturer of combustion engine components, systems and peripherals, MAHLE is among the top 3 suppliers for piston systems, cylinder components, valve train systems, air management systems and liquid management systems. MAHLE employs approximately 48,000 employees in 110 production plants and eight research and development centers. In 2007, MAHLE generated sales in excess of EUR 5 billion (USD 7.5 billion).
Hamburg, 09/2008
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