The principle : It was known for a long time that ultrasound could kill algae.
The problem was that the power requirement to generate the ultrasound waves was very high !
A major breakthrough came with the invention (Belgium,1999) of a specific method whereby for the first time, with limited power (max. 50W), the same effect was demonstrated.
How does it work ?
Algae are killed by :
a. Breaking of the cell membrane of the algae that are close to the ultrasound source.
b. Through breaking of the vacuoles of the algae at moderate distance from the ultrasound source.
c. Through induced stress when the algae are further away from the source.
The special frequencies of the ultrasound waves let the algae come under ‘resonance’ and after some time they die due to induced stress.
To avoid habituation, the signals have a build-in randomness.
Applications:
-treatment of rainwater basins like feedwater in the agricultural energy sector
-treatment of ponds and lakes against algae growth (also cyanobacteria or blue-green algae)
-treatment of swimming pools and jacuzzi’s to eliminate (or at least reduce) the use of chemicals.
After years of experience, it was found that the growth of micro-organisms could be reduced due to the systematic removal of the biofilm. (biofilms are the, often slimy, contaminants that stick against pipe and tanks walls and act as a feeding ground for many (often pathogenic) bacteria and fungi.
Following these observations the “Biosonic” was developed to treat pipe and tank walls in order to prevent/reducer scaling and to reduce the use of chemicals.
