A Pilot Study on the Feasibility of Using Shock Waves for Hull Grooming
Abstract
AA one-year research project is proposed to investigate the feasibility of using well-controlled shock waves to remove calcareous fouling organisms (e.g., barnacles) from ship hulls painted with silicone-based fouling-release (FR) coatings. The basic hypothesis is that given the drastically different acoustic and mechanical properties of the fouling material and the coating, shock waves may facilitate the release of fouling via several mechanisms, including pull-off, shear, void expansion, shock-induced fracture, and cavitation erosion. This project will investigate the first two hypothesized mechanisms, i.e. pull-off and shear, using a computational approach. Specifically, a novel three-dimensional (3D) fluid-solid coupled computational framework recently developed by the principal investigator (PI) and collaborators will be employed to simulate the interaction of prescribed shock waves with barnacle models attached to a silicone-based FR coat. The computational framework will accurately predict the transient stress field within the barnacle and the FR coat, and the initiation and propagation of dynamic fracture. Using this computational framework, a series of parameter studies will be performed to elucidate the effects of shock magnitude, coat thickness, and the angle of incidence, thereby creating a theoretical foundation that can be used to evaluate the feasibility of using shock waves for hull grooming. More generally, the proposed work will improve researchers’ understanding of shock-induced vibration and fracture in soft and hard materials, and hence pushing the frontiers of materials science, fracture mechanics, and fluid-solid interaction. Pilot Study on the Feasibility of Using Shock Waves for Hull Grooming
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 29, 2017
- Source ID
- N000141712831
Entities
People
- Kevin G. Wang
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- Virginia Tech