It is a pleasure to announce that Técnicas y Servicios de Ingeniería (TSI) will participate in the SEA-DEFENCE project (Survivability, Electrification, Automation, Detectability, Enabling Foresight of European Naval Capabilities in Extreme conditions). The project involves a feasibility study aimed at providing a roadmap for technologies that will be included in the next generation of naval platforms and expanded into other European development programs. The SEA-DEFENCE project is funded by the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) with a total budget of €14,290,676 and has a total duration of 30 months, from December to May 2023. The project kickoff meeting took place on December 17, with the participation of partners and European defense ministries supporting the project.
The main challenge of the SEA-DEFENCE project is to promote cooperation among European military naval industries to preserve the excellence and competitiveness of their navies and facilitate the exchange of technology among EU member countries. Leveraging TSI’s extensive experience in noise and vibrations and its participation in innovative R&D and commercial projects related to onboard noise and underwater radiated noise, NAVANTIA has entrusted TSI with the study of technologies that can be applied to reduce the acoustic detectability of military platforms. The SEA-DEFENCE project consortium consists of twelve partners from eight European countries (Spain, France, Sweden, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany). It includes the participation of major naval shipyards in the European Union, with the coordination responsibility assigned to the Damen Group. Damen will work jointly with other prestigious partners in the development of military naval projects such as NAVANTIA, FINCANTIERI, NAVAL GROUP, SAAB KOCKUMS, SEA EUROPE, LÜRSSEN DEFENCE, THYSSENKRUPP MARINE SYSTEMS, and ODENSE MARITIME TECHNOLOGY, along with three research centers, CTN, TNO, and MARIN.
Given TSI’s significant experience in noise and vibrations and its involvement in R&D and innovative commercial projects related to onboard noise and underwater radiated noise, NAVANTIA proposed TSI as a subcontractor to contribute to the study of engineering measures to decrease the acoustic detectability of future naval platforms. TSI’s role in the SEA-DEFENCE project will involve the study, analysis, and potential implementation of technologies to reduce the acoustic signature of future defense naval platforms. To achieve this purpose, technologies for reducing the acoustic signature complying with the most demanding requirements for Comfort, Vibrations, Airborne Noise, Structural Noise, and Underwater Radiated Noise as per IMO, ILO, Classification Societies, ISO, and International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) standards will be audited. TSI will contribute its technical expertise in noise and vibrations, as well as in the design of silent ships, to carry out the following activities within the SEA-DEFENCE project:
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Evaluation of the technological feasibility of engineering solutions available in the market for mitigating the acoustic signature of ships/platforms. This task will take into account technologies currently applied to reduce the acoustic signature of these assets, as well as promising technologies at low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs): special propeller designs to reduce cavitation, use of alternative materials, use of special hull and superstructure shapes, modification of turbulent wake, bubble injection to reduce underwater noise levels, changes in operating conditions, etc.
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Analysis of the impact of acoustic signature control technologies to reduce the detectability of military vessels. In this task, TSI will assess the effect of technologies on reducing hydrodynamic, structural, airborne, and underwater radiated noise from military assets.
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Collaboration in evaluating the potential of existing tools for predicting the acoustic signatures of ships/platforms, as well as their limitations for predicting noise.
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Definition of preliminary design guidelines for shipyards to integrate the developed noise mitigation solutions into new generations of naval platforms.
In summary, the SEA-DEFENCE project is a European cooperation project between the naval industry and European defense authorities that will provide cutting-edge technologies to European navies and lay the groundwork for future R&D and innovation developments.