Super Hydrophobic Anti-Fouling Technology (SHAFT)

Heat exchangers are required for thermal management in the Navy fleet. These systems use seawater to remove heat generated by the ship. These seawater heat exchangers have been plagued by fouling in the form of biological film formation and particulate aggregation, which results in decreased mission endurance and operational reach through increased fuel consumption, decreased power available to electronic weapons and sensors, and increased logistic burden through increased fuel consumption. To remove the need for frequent heat exchanger maintenance, a durable, anti-biofouling coating needs to be applied. United Protective Technologies (UPT) will modify its proven coatings to create the Super Hydrophobic Anti-Fouling Technology (SHAFT) coating, a superior biofouling and wear resistant coating for protecting sea water heat exchangers. The SHAFT coating is designed to combine anti-microbial properties, high wear resistance, and super hydrophobicity to release fouling before it becomes a problem. During this effort, UPT will demonstrate the efficacy of the SHAFT coating on representative pipes used in shell and tube heat exchangers.