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OHIO Class External Hull Antifouling
Navy SBIR 2016.1 - Topic N161-044 NAVSEA - Mr. Dean Putnam - [email protected] Opens: January 11, 2016 - Closes: February 17, 2016 N161-044 TITLE: OHIO Class External Hull Antifouling TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground/Sea Vehicles ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMS392, Strategic and Fast Attack Submarine Program Office OBJECTIVE: Develop a rapidly installable and removable system that will minimize, inhibit, or remove marine biological fouling on the external surface area of the boat (hull and control surfaces). DESCRIPTION: Biological fouling of a submarine�s hull greatly reduces the propulsion plant efficiency by increasing the hull�s hydrodynamic resistance and leads to obstruction of internal seawater systems. Remediation of biofouling requires significant diver labor with hull cleaning tools, which increases cost of maintenance from both the manpower and radiological perspectives and reduces Operational Availability (Ao). Currently employed antifouling coatings on OHIO Class submarines do inhibit growth; however, the antifouling coatings are not effective under the stagnant conditions experienced by submarines while in port. Development of a cost-effective, submarine antifouling method or system that inhibits or removes biofouling during in-port periods will mitigate the biofouling concern and free up valuable maintenance resources thus supporting the Navy�s need of improved Operational Availability (Ao) and reducing life-cycle maintenance costs. Current systems in use, i.e., diver tools or UUV hull cleaners, are focused on removing fouling that has already occurred; the goal of this project is to prevent the need to utilize these systems and the repeated expenditure associated to these cleaning events. The Navy desires a temporarily installed system or method that will mitigate and/or control biological fouling on the external surfaces of the ship during in-port periods. This system or method must be capable of being rapidly installed and removed to support submarine arrivals and departures and require only minimal personnel demands to operate during maintenance periods. The goals of this system or method are to: 1) not alter the hydrodynamic flow of the hull while at sea (change the hull form); 2) not impact the high integrity standards of submarine sea water systems or hull integrity (no changes to existing SUBSAFE boundaries (Requirements Manual NAVSEA 0924-062-0110) or systems); 3) minimize integration or redesign of existing system configuration; 4) coincide with current standing environmental requirements ; and 5) demonstrate a Return on Investment ROI in under 4 years (based on the cost and manpower savings for eliminating the need for hull cleaning on submarines). PHASE I: The company will define and develop a concept for inhibiting or removing sea growth that meets the requirements as stated in the Description section above. The company will demonstrate the feasibility of the concept through analysis of how existing or available systems (for example, ultrasonic systems or other coating systems) could be improved upon for Navy use, or via theoretical means in the form of equations or biological interactions. Phase I Option, if awarded, would include the initial layout and capabilities description to build the unit in Phase II. PHASE II: Based on the results of Phase I effort and the Phase II Statement of Work (SOW), the company will develop and deliver an external hull antifouling method or system prototype for evaluation. The prototype will be evaluated to determine its capability in meeting the performance goals defined in the Phase II SOW and in the reduction or removal of sea growth on a representative submarine hull. It is recommended that system performance will be demonstrated through installation and/or application of the method or system on an inactivated submarine hull at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to address system interaction with boats that have varying hull coating types to determine acceptability for use in ports that service all types of Naval submarines. The method or system must demonstrate its ability to remove or inhibit growth, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for the Navy to invest manpower and resources in hull cleaning. The external hull antifouling method or system will be evaluated for ease of required maintenance (preservation requirements, chemical addition, and electrical component replacement) and environmental impact. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The company will be expected to support the Navy in transitioning the antifouling system or method�s integration to Navy use on the OHIO Class submarine. The company will finalize the design and fabricate production units according to the Phase III SOW. The final products will be installed, demonstrated, and tested in accordance with developed operating procedures. The company will support the Navy for test and validation in accordance with environmental and operational requirements to certify and qualify the system for Navy use. The antifouling method or system described in the SBIR topic could have private sector commercial potential, as the innovation or improvements developed for the Navy could potentially be employed for any ocean-going vessel susceptible to biological fouling. For military applications, the antifouling system could have further military employment potential for both surface and additional submarine platforms. REFERENCES: 1. Brzozwska, Agata, M. F. Parra-Velandia, R. Quintana, Z. Xiaoying, S. Lee, L. Chin-Sing, D. Janczewski, S. Teo, J. Vancso. "Biomimicking Micropatterned Surfaces and Their Effect on Marine Biofouling." Langmuir. 7/14/2014: pp 9165-9175; http://www.r 2. Wu, K.R. and Shyu, Y.T. and Hung, C.H. and Sun, J.C. and Wu, J.K. "Device with Microbubble-induced Superhydrophobic Surfaces for Drag Reduction and Biofouling Prevention and Device for Biofouling Prevention." 03/18/2014; http://www.google.com/patents/US8671862 3. Yao, J. S. Chen, C. Ma, G. Zhang. "Marine Anti-biofouling System with Poly(e-caprolactone)/clay Composite as Carrier of Organic Antifoulant." Journal of Materials Chemistry B, Issue 31, 2014. KEYWORDS: Marine antifouling; biological fouling; marine biofouling; marine growth prevention systems; anti-fouling coatings; factors impacting hydrodynamic flow TPOC-1: Ethan Fiedel Phone: 202-781-3327 Email: [email protected] TPOC-2: Kevin Klucher Phone: 202-781-0972 Email: [email protected] Questions may also be submitted through DoD SBIR/STTR SITIS website.
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