Navy looks to new hull coating to keep barnacles at bay.

AuthorJacks, Jason
PositionTECH TALK: A TIP-SHEET ON THE LATEST GADGETS

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* Small as they are, sea barnacles can still slow a Navy warship by as much as 10 percent and increase its fuel consumption by up to 40 percent.

To fix this problem, the Office of Naval Research is developing a new hull coating that the Navy hopes will reduce the build-up of barnacles and other crustaceans on ships' hulls.

Marine growth of ships adds weight and increases drag, reducing a vessel's fuel efficiency. The navy estimates its loses $1 billion annually in fuel and maintenance costs because of these...

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