Poseidon Sciences Celebrates 20 Years of the Poseidon Dynamic Test System in the Open Sea
The Poseidon Dynamic Test System (PDTS) is a versatile platform that allows exposure of flat panels on a rotating frame in the middle of the sea. This system has been in operation since 2003, and is being used in validation of the performance of hull coatings by dozens of medium-sized and multi-national companies. Supplied with electric power through an underwater cable from the shore laboratory, the motors rotate the panels horizontally at various speeds, ranging from 15 to 25 knots. The erosion rate as result of the fluid shear forces can be determined at each specific speed.
The figure below shows the velocities experienced by test panels in open sea conditions. PDTS makes it possible to simulate the erosion rate of marine coatings in a moving vessel. This new procedure enables simultaneous evaluation of the erosion rate and bio-fouling at various fluid shear forces using flat panels.