Marine Applications of High-Pressure Waterjets

High-pressure waterjets were investigated for hull cleaning, metal cutting, and concrete weight coating removal from submarine pipelines. All testing was performed in the submerged condition and a selective material removal capability was observed for the hull cleaning operation. This selective material removal capability was a sensitive function of jet pressure and jet angle at fixed cleaning rates. Results for the metal cutting indicated that positive jet angles and low concentrations of polymers could increase depth of cut significantly. Projected concrete weight coating removal rates were five times that achieved by conventional methods.