Research of release characteristics of ship attached fouling

Marine fouling increases navigation resistance and restricts the performance of hulls. Based on the fluid-structure coupling theory, the release characteristics of fouling barnacles attached to the silicone coating were studied by a numerical analysis method according to the antifouling performance parameters, such as coating thickness and elastic modulus. The simulation results show that the influence of coating thickness and elastic modulus on barnacle release is far less than that of composite variable (E/T)0.5. For the hull coating with a small (E/T)0.5 value, the barnacle more easily peels off under small external forces. This provides a reference for the selection of silicone antifouling coatings for ships.