Ultrasonic Antifouling for

Yachts and Super Υachts

DBPI® ultrasonic antifouling for yachts and superyachts

KEEP PERFORMANCE ON COURSE

Help prevent marine growth on propellers, thrusters, seawater systems and cooling equipment. Reduce fouling-related cleaning and support reliable onboard operation. Preserve efficiency. 

How DBPI® helps protect your yacht

HASYTEC’s DBPI® system uses ultrasonic technology to help prevent marine growth from attaching to essential equipment on yachts and superyachts. Small transducers mounted on the dry side of suitable components transmit ultrasonic energy through the structure to surfaces in contact with seawater.

The system operates continuously, helping to keep treated equipment cleaner for longer. This can reduce fouling-related cleaning, support cooling and propulsion efficiency, and help keep essential systems ready when you need them.

Ultrasonic Hull Protection

A cleaner hull. Less maintenance. No biocidal antifouling paint.

An innovative, biocide-free alternative to conventional antifouling paint for steel and aluminium yachts.

DBPI Hull Protection system uses ultrasound to prevent biofilm formation and marine growth on underwater hull surfaces, helping yachts maintain a clean hull without conventional biocidal antifouling coatings.

Designed for newbuilds and refits, the system provides continuous protection, even when the yacht is anchored or moored.

By minimizing hull fouling, the system helps preserve hydrodynamic performance, reduce drag and maintain fuel efficiency. It also minimizes the need for frequent hull cleaning and associated maintenance, while reducing the environmental impact of traditional antifouling treatments.

Key Benefits

Applications

Suitable for steel and aluminium motor yachts, sailing yachts, expedition yachts and superyachts from 20 metres LOA.
 
The system protects the underwater hull, including the flat bottom, turn of bilge and hull sides below the waterline.
 
Each installation is individually engineered according to the vessel’s drawings, hull geometry and available internal access. The system can be integrated during new construction, refit or scheduled shipyard maintenance.

Indicative System Sizing

 
Yacht length (LOA)
Hull transducers
Control units
20–30 m
4–6
1
30–40 m
6–10
1
40–50 m
10–14
1
50–60 m
14–18
1–2
60–80 m
18–32
2
80–100 m
32–50
2–4
Over 100 m
Project-specific
Project-specific

Βiofouling can affect much more than a yacht’s visible underwater surfaces.

Marine growth can also develop inside seawater intakes, cooling circuits and other essential equipment, restricting flow, reducing heat transfer and increasing maintenance requirements. HASYTEC’s DBPI ultrasonic antifouling technology helps inhibit the initial attachment and establishment of biological fouling on treated components. Configured around each yacht’s equipment and system layout, it supports propulsion efficiency, reliable cooling and reduced fouling-related maintenance.

Other Key Application Areas Where DBPI® Delivers Value

1.Propellers & Shaft lines

Helps limit marine growth on treated propellers and exposed stern gear components, supporting propulsion efficiency and reducing cleaning requirements.

Biofouling on propeller blades and hubs can increase surface roughness and hydrodynamic losses, contributing to reduced propulsion efficiency and increased fuel demand over time.

Treatment through suitable shaft-line and stern-gear structures helps limit fouling on exposed components that can be difficult to access for cleaning. Coverage depends on the available acoustic transmission path.

Thruster tunnels can accumulate marine growth because of their confined geometry, periods of inactivity and limited accessibility. Fouling can increase resistance within the tunnel and affect the hydrodynamic condition of the installation.

2. Cooling & air conditioning

Engine, generator and auxiliary coolers; heat exchangers, box coolers and A/C seawater loops. Helps preserve heat transfer and cooling capacity. 

Fouling within the seawater cooling circuit can increase pressure losses, reduce heat-transfer efficiency and progressively reduce available cooling

Generator sets may operate for extended periods and often use dedicated seawater cooling circuits. Fouling can reduce cooling performance and increase maintenance demand.

Auxiliary equipment may depend on seawater-cooled heat exchangers; fouling within these circuits can progressively reduce heat-transfer performance.

Even comparatively limited fouling on PHE plate surfaces can affect heat transfer and increase pressure loss on the seawater side.

Marine growth within shell-and-tube heat exchangers can restrict flow paths and reduce heat-transfer efficiency.

Box coolers are directly exposed to seawater and can develop marine growth on heat-transfer surfaces, reducing effective heat-transfer area and cooling performance.

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3. Seawater intake and distribution

Sea chests, coupled gratings, strainers, filters and metallic distribution lines. Helps maintain flow and reduce fouling-related maintenance. 

Sea chests are critical interfaces between surrounding seawater and essential onboard systems. Biofouling can reduce the available flow area and increase the fouling load on downstream cooling and auxiliary systems.

Marine growth on intake gratings can progressively reduce the open intake area before seawater reaches the sea chest.

Filters and strainers can themselves become fouled by marine growth, increasing pressure loss and cleaning demand.

Central manifolds distribute seawater to multiple onboard consumers, so fouling at this point can influence more than one downstream circuit.

Marine growth inside seawater pipework can progressively reduce available flow area and increase hydraulic resistance, particularly in low-flow or intermittently operated sections.

4. Watermakers & auxiliaries

Suitable watermaker intake and pretreatment components, plus fire-fighting intakes, ballast pipework and scrubber circuits where fitted. 

Biological growth in the intake, pre-filtration and upstream piping can increase maintenance demand before seawater reaches the reverse-osmosis stage.

Dedicated fire-fighting seawater intakes may remain inactive for long periods while continuously exposed to marine growth.

Ballast and trim systems can contain extensive seawater pipework, pumps and manifolds that are exposed to biological growth, particularly during periods of inactivity.

Fouling within seawater or wash-water circuits can increase pressure losses and maintenance demand.

5. Thrusters, pods & waterjets

Treats suitable tunnels, housings and connected structures to help preserve flow and maneuvering performance. 

Thruster tunnels can accumulate marine growth because of their confined geometry, periods of inactivity and limited accessibility. Fouling can increase resistance within the tunnel and affect the hydrodynamic condition of the installation.

Biofouling on pod and azimuth drive surfaces can increase hydrodynamic resistance and affect propulsion efficiency and maneuvering performance. Their complex geometry and substantial structural mass make them a demanding antifouling application.

Biofouling within a waterjet can affect intake flow, internal hydraulic surfaces and externally exposed steering or reversing components. Many relevant areas are difficult to access without lifting the yacht.

6. Custom treatment zones

Rudders, stabilizer housings, recessed structures, RO modules, sanitary flushing and pool/spa circuits require individual assessment and validation. 

Biofouling on rudders increases surface roughness and can adversely affect the hydrodynamic condition of the steering surface.

Stabiliser housings and fin boxes can accumulate marine growth because of their recessed geometry, reduced local flow and difficult access for inspection and cleaning.

Recessed or enclosed seawater-exposed structures can become local fouling areas because of limited flow and difficult access.

Biofouling within membrane systems can affect permeate production, pressure requirements and cleaning frequency.

Seawater used for sanitary flushing can carry marine organisms into onboard distribution lines, where biological growth and deposits can increase maintenance requirements.

Pool, spa and whirlpool systems can contain circulation components in which biological films and deposits develop.

Actual installation photos

Alt Text

Seawater cooling / LT Coolers

Shaft line/propeller protection

Shaft line/propeller protection

Seawater cooling – LT Coolers

Seachest protection

Seachest opening (gratings/grids)

Seawater supply protection

Hull protection: transducers installed in Engine Room

Control Panel

Configured for your yacht

Each installation is sized around the components being treated, their dimensions, materials and acoustic connections. Continuous preventive operation helps limit the establishment of fouling; existing growth may require conventional cleaning.

Contact us

to discuss your yacht’s antifouling requirements

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Environmental Protection Engineering (EPE), established in Piraeus in 1977, offers a complete range of environmental protection products and services, including emergency response services for oil and chemical spills. EPE has successfully responded to more than two thousand pollution incidents with state-of-the-art equipment and highly trained and experienced personnel.