In this series of three blog posts, we at Weka Marine want to give you more explanation about the types of Boxcoolers that are available. We will do this by going in-depth into the choice of materials. In general, two types of materials are used to produce Boxcoolers, which are aluminium-brass & copper-nickel. These variants will be explained in more detail in the first two blog posts and a comparison will be made in the third.
Part 2 of 3: The Aluminum Brass coated boxcooler
The WEKA Boxcooler® also comes in a coated aluminium-brass version in addition to the copper-nickel variant. The aluminium-brass version stands out for its lower price with an almost equivalent cooling capacity as the Copper-Nickel variant. The coating on the Boxcooler protects it from corrosion of the pipes and it acts as an insulating layer against stray currents.
The advantage of this coating is that it protects the metals in contaminated water. At the same time, it is also a weakness, some damage to the coating can eventually lead to leaks on the Boxcooler. During the installation of this Boxcooler, caution should be exercised.
To protect the coated aluminium-brass Boxcooler against, often an ICAF (Impressed Current Anti Fouling) system or a USAF (Ultra Sonic Anti-Fouling) system is used. Weka Marine only supplies the USAF variant because of its environmental friendly properties for marine life.
An ICAF system consists of copper anodes and cathode plates that are placed in the sea chest, directly under the coated Boxcooler. Copper particles are dissolved in the seawater preventing biological fouling. These copper particles are toxic to mussels and oysters, among others, so they will not stick to the Boxcooler. The anodes should be replaced and re-purchased after about 5 years, depending on the intensity of use. This should be taken into account when planning the drydocking.
Weka Marine is a partner of Sonihull © USAF systems and supplies them with our coated Boxcoolers. The ultrasonic waves emitted by the transducers resonate between the sea chest and the Boxcoolers. This has the effect of preventing marine life from attaching itself within the sea cabinet or on the Boxcoolers.
As an alternative to the aluminium-brass coated Boxcoolers, copper-nickel Boxcoolers are also coated in exceptional cases. This often happens in an environment with polluted water where the best cooling performance is still required. Of course, these coolers are also supplied with a Sonihull © USAF system. This makes the operational costs low because a USAF system only has to be purchased once and requires no further maintenance.
If you have any questions regarding (un)coated boxcoolers, please contact our sales department by email: sales@wekamarine.com or by phone: +31(0)180 516 588.