Slime-Dispensing Hulls Could Boost Fuel Efficiency For Ships
A DOD-backed project would give ships a regenerating slime layer to help shed unwanted marine life Slime ships ahoy! A vessel that oozes a continual slick layer of slime from its hull could shed barnacles and other marine life forms, and possibly cut its fuel consumption by up to 20 percent. Such a novel idea tackles the problem of removing marine plants, barnacles and tube worms from ship hulls every year, lest the buildup cut into both speed and fuel efficiency. The fuel savings in particular may look especially tempting for the U.S. Department of Defense, which has backed the project and previously invested in hull-cleaning bots. The concept takes inspiration from the long-finned pilot whale's self-cleaning skin. Rahul Ganguli of Teledyne Scientific envisions a ship's outer layer covered in metal mesh, and a regular pattern of holes beneath that exude a biosafe chemical which becomes...