A method to study ship´s UEF signatures by scale-model experiment

A ship´s underwater electric field (UEF) signatures are generated mainly by corrosion-protecting equipment on the hull. These signatures are dependent on materials, positions and areas of the metallic plates which constitute anodes and cathodes on the hull. For the purpose of studying the dependence of these signatures on the metallic plates, it is cost-effective and flexible to experiment with physical scale-models. We made a physical 1/100-scale model of a ship and measured its UEF signatures in a tank. By filling the tank with tap water, we decelerated the reaction of polarization on the metallic plates, which was caused by electrochemical reaction. As a result, signature variations were observed by changing the positions of the metallic plates