Navy High-Pressure Waterjet Closed-Loop Paint Stripping System

Abstract

The marine refurbishment industry currently utilizes abrasive blasting for hull coatings removal. These processes generate extreme amounts of waste material, which must be contained and disposed of properly. The cost of containment, the hazardous work environment and the amounts of hazardous waste produced are all significant disadvantages of the existing processes. Additionally, environmental regulations and safety standards are being introduced which demand new techniques for marine coatings removal. In light of these factors, the U.S. Navy's Naval Surface Warfare Center-Carderock Division entered into a joint initiative with the U.S. Air Force to introduce an alternative paint and marine growth removal method, including complete effluent recovery at the source. This system, using only high-pressure water, is semi-automatic and mobile. The system can operate independently in a dry dock without external utilities. In the end, the system will eliminate the current problems associated with coatings removal and reduce the overall operational costs.