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The massive plastic-cleaning device invented by a 24-year-old is headed out to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - here's what the launch looked likehttps://www.businessinsider.in/miscellaneous/the-massive-plastic-cleaning-device-invented-by-a-24-year-old-is-headed-out-to-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-heres-what-the-launch-looked-like/slidelist/65737839.cms2018-09-09T05:57:27+05:30

The massive plastic-cleaning device invented by a 24-year-old is headed out to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - here's what the launch looked like

Sep 9, 2018, 05:57 IST

The system was assembled in Alameda, California, in a shipyard in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Hard-walled pipe makes up the floating component of the cleanup array.

The Ocean Cleanup says the floating array is equipped with lanterns, radar reflectors, navigational signals, GPS, and anti-collision beacons.

Solar panels help provide power to these systems.

Below the floating part of the array, an impenetrable 10-foot skirt is supposed to help gather floating debris.

Earlier this year, the Ocean Cleanup built a 400-foot test array to see how it held up while being towed out into the water.

That trial unit was towed out to sea on May 18.

It survived the two-week long tow test.

The full array is 2,000 feet long.

Designing the first full-size array cost around $23 million, though the team estimates that future arrays will cost under $6 million to make.

The first array will be towed 240-300 miles offshore, which will take about three days.

The device right now is long and straight, so there's not too much drag on it in the water.

But once they reach the test site, it'll first be assembled into its U-shape for approximately a two-week testing period.

Slat says that there, they want to see if the system keeps its shape and structural integrity once it's fully assembled — and they also want to see how it moves in the water.

If all goes well, it'll be pulled another 1,000 nautical miles out to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Once the array is out there, the team plans to have a ship scoop up collected plastic approximately every six weeks.

But since this is a first array, the Ocean Cleanup expects they'll have to tweak and potentially redesign aspects of the cleanup arrays and the plastic collection process.

Once it reaches the garbage patch region, the team wants to see how efficient it as at capturing plastic.

Once winter arrives, they'll be able to see if it can stand up to massive waves and storms.

The first array might be complete, but its test is just beginning.

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