LZH scientists, together with partners, are developing an automated, environmentally friendly method to clean ship hulls underwater using lasers. Marine fouling on ship hulls, such as mussels and algae, known as biofouling, increases the hydrodynamic drag of ships, resulting in higher fuel consumption and emissions. The goal is to achieve a gentle cleaning of fouling compared to mechanical methods.

In this project, LZH collaborates with Laserline GmbH, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, and OFTEC Handelsgesellschaft für Oberflächentechnik mbH. The team will test and optimize the method and its effects on fouling samples including algae, barnacles, and other marine organisms on test surfaces in Helgoland. The process will be demonstrated on a real ship upon the project’s completion.

At a glance
• Lethal damage to biofouling
• Time-shifted cleaning effect
• Diode laser from Laserline
• Tested hull coatings: SPC, FRV, hard coating

The research project "FoulLas² - Fouling removal from ship hulls using underwater laser radiation based on blue diode direct emitters and an automated/partially autonomous handling system " is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) under the funding code 03SX597 by the project management organisation Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH.

More information:
LZH is researching automated underwater cleaning of ship hulls with laser

Laser against biofouling: Eco-friendly underwater cleaning of ship hulls

Clean ship hulls: Development of a gentle laser cleaning process for underwater us