SBIR-STTR Award

In recent years, significant strides have vastly improved the potential for spray on insulation systems that will help to abate airborne noise on Surface Ships. The optimal insulation will provide high acoustic absorption, airborne transmission loss and structural damping along with the requisite thermal/fire/condensation protection. Our objective is to exhibit improved acoustic characteristics through a liquid ceramic thermal insulation that provides NAVSEA approved condensation control. Combine this product with a tested fire retardant product that also displays damping capabilities. These products will produce a multi-modal or composite layered liquid applied barrier. This coating combination is safe, light weight and produces very little smoke. The concept will use proven ceramic micro-sphere technology that we have developed and designed over a 14 year period. The blending of micro spheres in a safe, light weight waterborne matrix has been accepted for use by industry and manufacturing in a wide array of circumstances. TECH 21 research will investigate how these products can be combined for maximum results. The conclusion will yield a method of blending and installation that will reduce handling, weight and installation costs. We will explore the incorporation of this system into the N98-092 JERICHO program and SNAME's Design Guide 3.37.

To provide low-cost, light-weight, cost-effective insulation system that combines an improved acoustic performance in excess of 40-60 dB with the required thermal, smoke, toxicity and fire barrier performance using mature coating technologies. Our team of acoustic and thermal experts will demonstrate in Phase II that our coating system will exceed the standard acoustic properties of transmission loss and absorptive characteristics using ASTM E 90-02 and ASTM C 423-02 as well as demonstrating the following characteristics: low smoke, thermal barrier, and anti-condensation barrier. Our team will use the existing standard tests ASTM E-84 (Flame Spread and smoke); ASTM D-3359, Cross Hatch Adhesion; ASTM; D-882 Tensile Strength/Elongation; and pH. Our acoustic thermal team members will use acoustic design parameters found in SNAME 3-37. Additionally, our team will utilize the Computer Aided Design NERF Models for Acoustic Shipbuilder’s Design “Jericho” and other shipboard acoustic models used throughout industry to provide shipbuilders with a cookbook of combinations of our coating system to meet the stringent acoustic requirements as defined in the 12 Pack acoustic/thermal research experiments in the 1990’s aboard the Nimitz class aircraft carriers. This Multi-Modal insulation coating system will be easy to install, lightweight, repairable, have abrasion resistance with ease of clean-up & exceed Navy requirements.

Keywords:
1. Acoustic, 2. Acoustic Thermal Insulation, 3.Vibration Damping, 4. Multi-Modal Insulation, 5. Thermal Vibration Damping, 6. Shipboard Noise Reductio