Assessing the Hydrodynamic Performance of Fouling-Release Surfaces

Abstract : The primary purpose of a ship antifouling system is to limit the increase in drag that will be incurred with fouling settlement on the hull. Ineffectiveness in this endeavor will lead to an increase in energy consumption and a platform that is unable to meet its mission. Non-toxic, fouling-release coating systems have been introduced as alternatives to traditional biocide-based antifoulings. However, for these systems to serve as viable alternatives to traditional biocide-based systems, their hydrodynamic performance must compare favorably with traditional systems over the entire coating life cycle. At present, few data are available to make these fundamental comparisons.