Design proposal for a ballast treatment system to reduce the invasion of species in the Galapagos

Abstract

Ballast water is necessary to maintain the stability of the vessels when loading and unloading their merchandise. However, it is also one of the main causes of species invasions in many ports around the world. The Galapagos Islands are no exception to this problem, since according to investigations several non-native species have been found due to ballast transport. Therefore, this project focused on the development of an alternative model for a ballast water treatment system using the chemical method to prevent the invasion of species in the Islands. As a result, two models were obtained. In the first, one NaClO dosing pump is used and in the second, two pumps are used. Each one of them was carried out from the Isla de la Plata ballast system and using RhinoCeros and AutoCAD software. In conclusion, after the modeling of both proposals and the technical analysis of the current ballast system of the vessel, it was determined that they comply with the provisions of the IMO and that they are the basis for the subsequent implementation of the alternatives.