Cavitation-induced cleaning characteristics of barnacle fouling on hull surfaces using high-speed water jets

Barnacles commonly attach to ship hulls, leading to increased weight and hydrodynamic resistance, which poses a significant threat to navigational safety. This study investigates the cavitation-induced hull cleaning characteristics of barnacle fouling using high-speed water jets. By integrating experimental and numerical approaches, the study explores the cleaning efficacy of cavitating jets on barnacle fouling under various standoff distances and attachment positions. High-speed photography is used to capture the cavitation flow dynamics under impingement, where an equivalent barnacle attachment model is established. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) combined with the Schnerr-Sauer cavitation model is applied to simulate turbulent cavitating flows, analyzing the force characteristics acting on barnacle shells under different conditions, while also capturing the growth, detachment, contraction, and collapse of cavitation clouds. Fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis is employed to examine the failure modes of barnacle removal and their underlying causes. The results show that the cleaning efficiency is maximized when the standoff distance is optimed, and the force is applied at the cavitation ring region. The most effective detachment occurs due to the combined effects of high-frequency radial and alternating tangential forces. Barnacle colloid damage is primarily caused by dynamic stress fluctuations, viscoelastic dissipation, and accumulated residual damage.