Heat
Exchanger Descaler – Currently, heat exchanger descaling requires
the heat exchanger to be removed and washed with an acid solution by an intermediate
maintenance activity. The current process requires approximately six days to clean and
takes the shipboard system serviced by the heat exchanger "down" as well. A new
technology is in use in a variety of commercial applications. The cleaning using this
technology works by isolating the components to be cleaned in a closed loop system and
circulating a descaling solution through the system. Preliminary tests have confirmed that
this method is an effective descaling method and can be used aboard ship with Navy
personnel. This method requires only four hours. Qualification will require a
controlled test to verify effectiveness in a controlled shipboard setting and result in a
personnel safety approval. The technical point of contact is Darryl Sheedlo, NAVSEA
PMS307, (703) 602-8607.
Project
Status: Fleet Authorized |
EPOXY Bilge Paints – Corrosion
control has been and continues to be the predominant fleet maintenance issue. One area
that is particularly susceptible to corrosion is in the bilge area (very bottom of the
internal ship’s hull). Water gravitates to the bilges and, combined with fuel and
other wastes, causes rapid corrosion unless the metal is adequately protected. Preparing
and painting bilges is a difficult and dirty job that no one likes. The surfaces must be
completely clean and dry, which is almost impossible in this environment. Until recently,
the only alternative was to preserve these areas on a repeated basis. The maintenance of
this one area of the ship can require hundreds of man-hours of work per month on a typical
ship. New paints, that have very low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been
developed in Europe and are being used in the commercial shipbuilding industry there. In
order to qualify these paints for U.S. Navy use, MTTC will paint several test bilges on
fleet ships in order to quantify the application requirements and the paint's
effectiveness. The Navy wants to verify that the paint can be applied over
less-than-ideally-prepared surfaces and will adhere properly. The technical point of
contact is Mr. Mark Ingle, NAVSEA 05M3, (703) 602-0146 ext. 231.
Project
Status: Fleet Authorized |
