The Office of Naval Research of the US Navy (ONR) has allocated significant funds for the development of a unique water-repellent coating for ship hulls. Its purpose is to improve the navigation characteristics of ships. In addition to water, he also “does not fear” oil and alcohol-containing liquids.
The team of scientists at the University of Michigan is working on the creation of such a coating. It is a transparent, durable substance that significantly reduces the friction of the hull, which dramatically improves its energy efficiency and concealment.
The physical background of the process is this: the perfectly smooth surface of the hull of the ship is wetted with water, provoking friction, which reduces the speed. And as the corpses inevitably become overgrown, the problem takes on an even larger scale. As a result, up to 80% of the fuel is spent on overcoming friction at small and up to 40-50% – at high speeds. As it turned out, the reduction in friction contributes to greater secrecy, since turbulence is reduced, creating noise, which are fixed by acoustic devices. In other words, the perfectly smooth case will be as silent as possible. This can be achieved with water-repellent coatings.
To create such a coating, a database of known chemicals was used, which scientists subjected to complex computer modeling to predict their ability to interact. As a result, a transparent rubber-like substance was obtained, resistant to mechanical and other effects, which can be sprayed and coated with various surfaces.
