Session: 06-15-01 Unsteady Hydrodynamics, Vibrations, Acoustics and Propulsion - I

Submission Number: 181626

Experimental Investigation on Cavitation Erosion of Marine Coating Using Laser-Induced Bubbles 

An experimental investigation on cavitation erosion of the antifouling coating on a ship hull was conducted using laser-induced bubbles. This study aimed to observe the coating damage evolution and analyze the underlying failure mechanisms. In the experiment, bubbles were generated by plasma induction using a focused Nd-YAG laser. Steel sheet samples coated with the antifouling paint were placed near the bubbles, and the dimensionless stand-off distance, defined as the ratio of the distance between the bubble center and the sample surface to the maximum bubble radius, was varied. A high-speed camera was employed to capture bubble dynamics via backlight imaging, revealing that jet-induced collapse toward the wall is the primary mechanism responsible for coating material removal. Observations via an ultra-depth microscope showed that single laser pulses generate micron-scale pits on the coating surface. As the number of pulses increases, these pits coalesce and deepen, ultimately leading to coating failure and full exposure of the underlying metal substrate. Based on the morphological characteristics, the damage modes were categorized as localized damage and distributed damage, depending on whether the coating failure was concentrated in a single region or scattered across multiple discrete sites. Furthermore, the effects of two key parameters, namely the dimensionless stand-off distance and the number of laser pulses, were quantitatively evaluated.

Presenting Author: Jie Wang Harbin Engineering University

Presenting Author Biography: Jie Wang is a phd.candidate at Harbin engineering university.

Authors:

Jie Wang Harbin Engineering University
Shuai Li Harbin engineering university
Rui Han harbin engineering university