A pre-commercial pulsed waterjet machine (FluidPulse~(TM)) was designed, manufactured and field tested for the Department of National Defense (DND) of Canada. The purpose of the machine was to remove several types of hard coatings (Alkyd Marine Enamel, Amercoat 68HS, International Intertuf KTE, etc) from the interior of HMC (Her Majesty's Canadian) naval ships. Prior to manufacturing the machine, extensive work was conducted in the laboratory using ultrasonically modulated high-frequency (20 kHz) pulsed waterjets. In this paper, a brief summary of the design, laboratory work and, highlights of the field trials are presented. Field trials were conducted on the HMC ship "Halifax", in dry dock at Halifax, Canada. Its potential was also demonstrated in a private dockyard on the St-Lawrence Seaway at Les Mechins, Quebec, Canada. It is shown that the machine met all the contractual requirements (portability, mobility, etc) and, achieved a removal rate of 3.2 to 4.5 m~2/hr (≈34 - 48 ft~2/hr), in excess of the specified value. These results were achieved at a pressure and hydraulic power in the range respectively of 31 - 41 MPa (≈4,500 - 6,000 psi) and 12 -16 kW (≈16 - 21 hp). Problems encountered during the field trials are also reported.
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