Other conditions that the system maybe exposed to are high air temperatures, vibrations, rolling and pitching, and fumes. None of these will affect the efficiency or long term operation of the equipment. The IES HPUP system discussed previously is relatively simple to operate. The system, requires operator input only at the generator tower. This input involves setting the controls at an initial setting and rechecking the controls when the unit is powered on.
Some training is necessary to understand the control settings.
Additional operational checks need to be performed on the system to ensure that the cooling water is circulating around the transducer. Very little maintenance is required on the system and IES reports that their system can run for up to 12,000 hours before any maintenance is required. When maintenance is required, it involves approximately 2 hours of labor time to clean each unit of sediment residuals. There are several ultrasonic safety concerns that should be addressed relative to shipboard application of this technology. Heat build up in the transducer is the other safety concern.