Alternating Injected Charge Electrospray

To address the Navy’s need for electrostatics-based technologies for protective coating application to complex ship structural surfaces, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Alternating Injected Charge Electrospray (ALICE) technology. This proposed device is based on a new design that utilizes in-house developed mature components and COTS components. The innovation in charge injection methodology and control of the spraying process will enable the ALICE coating system to produce uniform, edge-retentive, defect-free protective coatings on grounded metallic surfaces, while maintaining excellent compatibility with the wide range of Navy-qualified coating systems. As a result, this innovative technology offers non-line-of-sight, wrap-around structure coating, eliminating the overhead of unnecessary touchups, directly addressing the Ship’s PEO requirements for a reliable method of coating the irregularly shaped shipboard structures, such as ballast tanks, cargo holds, and hull voids. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the feasibility of ALICE by fabricating and testing a proof-of-concept benchtop prototype, evaluating the new approach versus the state-of-the-art (SOA) electrostatic and nonelectric technologies, and plan for Phase II. In Phase II, POC plans to develop and manufacture a practical, shipyard-deployable coating system, along with the operational protocols and documentation, for initial testing at the Navy shipbuilding facility.