WOODEN SERVIE INSPECTION ACCESS HATCHES WATER PUMPING FILTRATION TEST TANK BASIN INSTALLATION FOR R&D OCEAN RESEARCH AND BLUE GROWTH DEVELOPMENT

INSPECTION HATCHES

WATER BASIN SERVICE & TESTING FACILITIES

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OPEN SESAME - These wooden hatches open out nicely and the left one folds flat for us to be able to carry out inspections and routine filter maintenance. The structure behind is the Ocean Suite where we plan to give talks on plastic and SeaVax and where contestants for Miss Ocean and Mister Ocean are filmed and interviewed by three judges. In the centre of the Ocean Suite is another hatch leading to the underground water storage tank. Copyright © photograph September 5 2017 Cleaner Ocean Foundation Ltd.

WATER FILTRATION & PUMPING R&D

The pump that filters and empties, or transfers the water in our test tank to an underground holding tank, is located underground in a chamber that originally housed a coal gas-converter to produce town gas for a single cylinder internal combustion engine dating from 1909. The chamber was discovered in 2016 after the area was excavated to install a swimming pool type installation, except that we needed to be able to empty and fill our development water basin quickly to conduct experiments that will help us design efficient ocean regeneration machines like SeaVax.

This meant having two pumps, one to lift the water from the deep chamber underground and fill the water basin and another for filtration and emptying back into the underground chamber - so conserving water that comes from a well on site. When this work was started in 2016 by Bluebird Marine Systems, the site was an archaeologists dream and very dangerous with hefty concrete mounts and large iron studs to catch out the unwary. It was not safe for scientists to work around and dangerous for visitors. Though, proof of concept tests were conducted by volunteers to verify the filtration of plastic particles from water using hydro-cyclones, despite these drawbacks.

Today, we want our engineers to work safely and in relative comfort to be able to spend prolonged periods carrying out the design and build of a programme of experiments to assist the design of a fleet of ocean regenerating machines. We also want to be able to allow visitors to the site, media, older students, development associates and funding partners.

FRAME - One of the frames for a hatch cover is clamped into position to be sure of a good fit. Once we were sure of the alignment, the first of the decking planks were laid and the stainless steel hinges fitted. Copyright © photograph September 5 2017 Cleaner Ocean Foundation.

RECYCLED BUILDING

in effect we have breathed life into a forgotten building, making use of what would have otherwise crumbled and become buried by flora such as ivy that eats into cement pointing making brickwork vulnerable to water attack during winter freezes. Instead of the loss, we are making use of what was already there, with improvements that will give a home to ocean researchers and campaigners for years to come.

DECKING - We are fortunate to have local suppliers of timber such as this decking, at a very keen rate. Not only that, but the delivery drivers are always on time and unload precisely to make less work for our volunteers. Wood is a renewable resource that locks up carbon if sourced from properly managed forests. Wooden buildings can last just as long as brick built houses if the wood is treated and properly maintained. Copyright © photograph September 5 2017 Cleaner Ocean Foundation.

CLEARANCE - A notch needed to be cut in one of the new hatches so that the switching valve handle on top of the filter unit did not foul the wooden frame. Copyright © photograph September 5 2017 Cleaner Ocean Foundation.

EXCAVATIONS - Alex Hughes is seen here digging a hole about one meter deep in June 2016, but this site has a 120 year old industrial history that not that much was known about or recorded. The coal in the wheelbarrow is a bit of a clue as to the former use. An early iron gas generator was unearthed in this spot to produce a form of town-gas for an internal combustion engine that produced electricity. Copyright © June 22 2016, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this photograph.

UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK - This is a side view of the test tank and underground water holding, or storage tank. The circulation pump fits into the chamber just below the surface of the decked area that is featured on this page. In this diagram from 2016 the tank is in circulation/filtering mode. The pumps are stopped during experiments, when circulation motors in the test tank itself provide water flow for hull drag testing purposes. SeaVax is seen here in blue floating in the test tank. Copyright June 2016, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this diagram.

ARCHAEOLOGY - Once Alex and other team members had removed all the earth infill, this is what they found, a pre-existing subsurface chamber with a concrete base that was ideal for the test-tank pump and filtration unit normally used in larger domestic swimming pools. Copyright © July 5 2016, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this photograph.

INSTALLATION - In this archive picture, Alex Hughes and Chris Close (SeaVax project director) are seen drilling a hole through 16 inches of brick wall with a diamond cutter that is large enough in diameter for the pump hoses. Chris is an expert fitter in the real world. He managed to get the angle just right so that the test tank would drain almost completely during emptying. This area is now decked for Heath & Safety reasons. Copyright © July 2016, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this photograph.

JOISTS & RENDERING - The foundation wall was in a poor state, needing to be repaired and dressed with a good coat of sharp-sand render. Conservationist Andrew Statham is seen above brushing up his practical building skills. A wall plate was then fitted with a damp proof course. Copyright © September 5 2017, all rights reserved. You will need permission from the Cleaner Ocean Foundation to reproduce this photograph.

FIT FOR WORK - The right hand hatch cover folds flat to make working on the plumbing a lot easier. The wall needs a bit more attention and a paint up in white to delineate the working test-tank area. Copyright © September 5 2017, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this photograph.

THE NEED FOR KNOWLEDGE

Research and monitoring are the bedrocks of science that allow us to understand and adapt to changing circumstances, such as plastic pollution and over-fishing. If we are to stage a wild fish recovery to feed a growing world population, development of solutions to our present plight are essential. A species will always evolve to fill a food supply niche until equilibrium is reached or the food supply dries up. This is one of the laws of nature and natural selection. This is one of the main reasons why blue growth and food security are now United Nations priorities.

Our research is looking for ways of regenerating the seven seas by removing as much plastic as possible, as economically as possible, using energy from nature only. At the moment, SeaVax is one of the prime contenders, with Boyan Slat's ocean boom also looking promising.

SAFER - This is the storage chamber entrance ready for surface preparation with G4 polyurethane sealer and then fiberglass to well above the full level. We will be using vinylester resin and 900gsm mat for a strong heat and acid resistant liner. Copyright © photograph August 29 2017 Cleaner Ocean Foundation.

PLAN VIEW OF TEST TANK PLUMBING - The test tank installation was designed by a consultant for Bluebird Marine Systems to make use of derelict parts of an old building that would otherwise remain uncared for. Rather than that, the building is useful again for cutting edge ocean research at a fraction of the cost of a new-build. Copyright June 2016, all rights reserved. You will need permission from Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this diagram.

DISSEMINATION

Another way of alleviating the problem is to share our knowledge and spread the word, where our spot research reveals that surprisingly few people realize the harm we are doing to our environment with toxin laden plastic. This was the case with climate change for many years, but with the notable exception of President Trump, most world leaders now agree that global warming is dangerous to life on earth.

We hope to be able to share our information with an ocean literacy campaign aimed at the buying public who frequently vote with their purses and wallets to influence manufacturers, and influence politicians infrequently with their support at elections based on practical policies and the effectiveness of any administration.

The world is changing with greener ocean transport on the horizon to support a global economy that allows any nation to compete on equal terms for a proportional share of the market independently of geographical barriers - provided that the population know about the opportunities and pitfalls and that they have an administration in tune with these freedoms. Education is the key here and the internet is one of the the great levelers, and that is why you are reading this page, allowing you to share information with your colleagues, students and neighbours.

Ignorance and myth, or propaganda, are tools used by those to exploit the uneducated, typically for profit and control. We believe that everyone has the right to know about their environment and to make up their own mind based on facts. To quote Albert E instein: "I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn." and the old Chinese proverbs: "Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself" and "a book tightly shut is but a block of paper."

LINKS & REFERENCE

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Solar Studios, BN271RF, United Kingdom. COCL is a charity without share capital. The name Miss Ocean™ is a trade mark of the Cleaner Oceans Foundation™. The names AmphiMax ™, RiverVax ™ and SeaVax™, are a trade mark s used under license. Site Navigator