TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground/Sea Vehicles ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMS392, Strategic and Fast Attack Submarine Program Office OBJECTIVE: Develop a system that will inhibit biological fouling of seawater system piping and components that will result in the reduction of total ownership cost from existing submarine fouling removal procedures. DESCRIPTION: Current seawater system antifouling methods employed on LOS ANGELES/SEAWOLF Class and VIRGINIA Class submarines (Electrolytic Chlorine Generators (ECGs)) have proven to be effective at minimizing fouling, but have also proven to be costly (equipment acquisition and refurbishment costs in excess of $1M) and pose a significant problem for the supply system (long lead times for difficult to obtain (e.g. electrodes) or obsolete (e.g. power supplies) system components). As such, the Navy is interested in the development of a new system that provides the benefits of previous systems without the hindrances. Fouling of Guided Missile Submarine (SSGN) condensers and heat exchangers, caused by ocean based organisms (barnacles, tube worms, zebra mussels) living in and restricting fluid flow, significantly impacts the operational capabilities (Ao) of the SSGNs and requires significant cost, schedule, and ship's force/shipyard efforts to resolve. As discussed above, there are means of preventing fouling installed on other classes of submarine, but 1) no growth prevention system exists on SSGN's; and 2) those existing systems on other classes come with a high initial purchase cost and high refurbishment costs. The Navy desires a method or system for its OHIO Class submarine which will inhibit biological fouling of seawater systems, has inherent capability to tie into existing seawater system piping , and: 1) meets the high integrity standards (SUBSAFE Requirements Manual NAVSEA 0924-062-0110) of submarine sea water systems, 2) minimizes integration/redesign of existing system configuration, 3) meets the environmental standards for various areas of operation, 4) demonstrates current or new concepts that can be innovatively designed to fit into the submarine environment , and 5) demonstrates cost savings compared to the costs of cleaning the clogged seawater systems (estimated at $210,500 / 526.25 man-days per hydro lancing). PHASE I: The company will develop a concept and demonstrate anti-fouling method feasibility by presenting theoretical means of inhibiting or removing growth. The company will provide a proposed system delivery method or integration plan (such as how the system would connect into a seawater system) and associated basic calculations for the system or method requirements (required system flow rates, power requirements, chemical consumption rates, and others as applicable). The company will present the expected innovation for proposed system or method if commercial technology is to be converted for submarine use, and anticipated cost savings based on the costs of currently employed cleaning methods (hydrolancing). The Phase I Option, if awarded should include the initial layout design and capabilities description for the system to be developed 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 a prototype Seawater Antifouling system for evaluation. The prototype will be evaluated to determine its capability to inhibit (no growth visible during tube inspection) growth (for example, seaweed, barnacles, tube worms, zebra mussels) defined in the Phase II SOW and developed system demands (such as power requirements, component, and constituent spatial requirements). The method or system must demonstrate its ability to inhibit growth, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for the Navy to invest manpower and resources in seawater system cleaning. The method or system will need to be evaluated for ease of required maintenance (for example chemical addition or electrical component replacement, and environmental impact such as required local environmental testing for submarine home ports (Sea Urchin Fertilization Test Method)). PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: The company will support the Navy in transitioning the anti-fouling inhibiting system to Navy use. The company will finalize the design and fabricate anti-fouling systems according to the Phase III SOW. The anti-fouling systems will be installed per programmed Ship Alteration (ShipAlt) on OHIO class SSGNs. 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 anti-fouling system could have private sector commercial potential for any ocean-going vessel susceptible to biological fouling. For military applications, the anti-fouling system could have further military employment potential for both surface and additional submarine platforms. REFERENCES: Anish. 4 Types of Anti-fouling Systems Used on Board Ships to Prevent Marine Growth. Marine Insight. 05/31/2012; http://www.marineinsight.com/tech/4-types-of-anti-fouling-systems-used-on-board-ships-to-prevent-marine-growth/ Nishimura, K. Yasunaga, T. Ichikawa, S. Wakao, Y. Development of a New Antifouling Method for a Marine Cooling Water System. Marine Biology, Volume 99, 1988: pp 145-150; http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00644989 Wake, Hitoshi. Development of an electrochemical Antifouling System for Seawater Cooling Pipelines of Power Plants Using Titanium. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Volume 95, Issue 3, 20 October 2006: pp 468-473; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi KEYWORDS: Antifouling; biofouling; sea water system blockage; marine growth prevention; chemical dosing; electro-chlorination TPOC-1: Ethan Fiedel Phone: 202-781-3327 Email: ethan.fiedel@navy.mil TPOC-2: Jeff Montgomery Phone: 202-781-1644 Email: jeffery.j.montgomery@navy.mil Questions may also be submitted through DoD SBIR/STTR SITIS website.
