Electrolytic biocide-generating unit with enhanced scale prevention

A biocide-generating system for inhibiting biofouling within a water system of a watercraft, the water system being configured to draw water from a body of water on which the watercraft is supported, the biocide-generating system comprising:

• an electrode arrangement adapted to be incorporated as part of an electrolytic cell through which the water of the water system flows;
• a control system that interfaces with the electrode arrangement, the control system including an electrical power circuit for establishing a flow of electrical current between a first electrode and a second electrode of the electrode arrangement to generate a biocide in the water within the electrolytic cell, the control system including a switching arrangement operable in a first switch configuration in which the first electrode is an anode and the second electrode is a cathode, the switching arrangement also being operable in a second switch configuration in which the first electrode is a cathode and the second electrode is an anode;
• wherein a pump is configured to have on-cycles, wherein the biocide is generated by the biocide-generating system during the on-cycles, the pump being inactive immediately prior to each of the on-cycles and switched off at an end of each of the on-cycles, a first of the on-cycles having a first duration, the control system being configured to switch from the first switch configuration to the second switch configuration during one of the on-cycles when the one of the on-cycles has a second duration that is longer than the first duration;
• wherein the control system is configured such that during the first of the on-cycles the switching arrangement is initially in the first switch configuration when the electrical power circuit is on and establishing the electrical current flowing between the first electrode and the second electrode;
• wherein the control system is configured such that during a second of the on-cycles, the switching arrangement is initially in the second switch configuration when the electrical power circuit is on and establishing the electrical current flowing between the first electrode and the second electrode;
• and
• wherein the control system is configured such that the electrical power circuit does not turn on after the end of the first of the on-cycles and before a start of the second of the on-cycles.