Page 14 - Australian Defence Magazine Sep 2021

14 NEWS REVIEW INDUSTRY UPDATE
SEPTEMBER 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
SA RESEARCHERS HOPE
TO ELIMINATE BIOFOULING
“Warships and submarines use sea wa- ter in the cooling systems of propulsion and weapons systems – even air condi- tioning. Making sure the inlet valves, which let that water in, don’t become clogged with marine life, is a priority,” said Johansson.
“This research could lead to protect- ing various parts of the Collins Class submarine hulls, leading to fewer inter- ruptions to naval operations and less maintenance.”
It has been estimated that clearing ma- rine bio-fouling costs billions of dollars each year for shipping companies and navies worldwide. A fully developed ‘bio- fouling community’ growing on a ship’s hull, can cause up to 40 per cent more fuelconsumption,duetotheadditional hulldragandpoormanoeuvrability.
The research program is being funded with the assistance of $150,000 from the SA Defence Innovation Partnership, sup- ported by the SA Government and the De- partment of Defence.
Researchers from the University of SA are providing expert advice and samples for coating materials.
BREAKTHROUGH experiments conducted at ASC’s deep submarine maintenance fa- cility in Adelaide have demonstrated how electrically charged surface coatings can eliminate marine bio-fouling, or sea organ- ism growth, potentially improving the op- eration and maintenance of naval vessels.
The research, led by experts from Flinders University with partners ASC, the University of SA and the Department of Defence, is funded by the SA Defence Innovation Partnership program and aims to develop practical applications that could end marine bio-fouling, which costs billions each year worldwide.
Flinders University’s Professor Mats An- dersson, Director of Flinders Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, said the latest inspections of the samples showed the research was performing exceptionally well.
“Our tests have shown that fouling can be significantly reduced and, in some cas- es, completely eliminated on surfaces that are coated with a conducting paint, and subject to electrochemical stress,” said Professor Andersson.
“To be honest, we are surprised that it works so well. As far as we know, there isn’t a lot of this research being done around the world and while our research is specific to the Port River in Adelaide, it could be applied to any surface that is submerged in the ocean.”
The so called ‘active anti-fouling’ ex- periments have tested a range of ma- terials, coatings and electrical cycles, comparing them against non-electrically stressed samples.
LEFT: Members of the research team from ASC and Flinders University examine the coating samples off ASC’s Port River wharf.
ASC, which main- tains and upgrades Australia’s Collins Class submarine fleet, is supporting the research by pro-
viding advice, laboratory and wharf facili- ties for submerging the samples.
ASC Principal Development Engineer – Materials, Mikael Johansson, said marine bio-fouling caused obstructions to key ar- eas of the hull that were time consuming and expensive to clear.
DEFENCE LOOKS TO ACQUIRE GROUND-BASED SPACE EW CAPABILITY
THE government has established Defence Project 9358 to explore options for the acquisition of a ground-based Space Elec- tronic Warfare (EW) capability.
The 2020 Defence Strategic Update highlighted that assured access to the space domain is critical to warfighting ef- fectiveness. A Space Electronic Warfare capability, as part of the ADF’s approach to space control, seeks to detect and deter attempts to interfere with, or attack, our use of the space domain.
The 2020 Force Structure Plan called for the development of options to en- hance ADF space control through ca- pabilities to counter emerging space threats to Australia’s free use of the space domain.
In a statement, Minister for De- fence Peter Dutton said: “Space Elec-
RIGHT: The 2020 Force Structure Plan called for the development of options to enhance ADF space control.
tronic Warfare is a capability that does not create debris or damage the space environment. Defence supports efforts to promote international norms, transparen- cy and cooperation in upholding respon- sible behaviour in space.
“Defence will explore options for a Space Electronic Warfare capability and provide recommendations for a decision by the Government. This capability would help assure Australia’s continued access to space-based communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.” ■
UNSPLASH
ASC