US 2002/0162498 A1Published application

High speed M-shaped boat hull

AssigneeMangia Onda Co., LLC

InventorsCharles W. Robinson, William F. Burns III

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A watercraft constructed according to the invention includes at least one hull according to the invention described in the grandparent and great-grandparent patent applications that issued as U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,314,903 and 6,250,245, which hull includes first and second channel defining structures connected to the hull that define a first channel on a port side of the hull with a forwardly facing first channel entrance and a second channel on a starboard side of the hull with a second forwardly facing channel entrance. According to one aspect of the invention, the hull has a bow that extends to a vertical knife edge, and the first and second wing channel entrances are arranged to form a near horizontal knife edge at the deck level in order to enhance high speed operations. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an onboard air system for injecting air into the first and second channels in order to enhance high speed operation of the watercraft. The air system may include a blower powered by an on-deck auxiliary power unit, a blower powered by a main drive diesel or gas turbine, components that divert excess air from a main drive gas turbine, or components that divert exhaust from a jet engine main drive.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A watercraft, comprising:

a hull having a fore end, an aft end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the fore end and the aft end;
a displacement body portion of the hull that extends between the fore end and the aft end, the displacement body having a static waterline, a port side, and a starboard side;
a first channel-defining structure portion of the hull that is located on the port side of the displacement body, including a first wing structure extending laterally from the port side of the displacement body above the static waterline and a first outer skirt structure that extends downwardly from the first wing structure to below the static waterline in spaced apart relationship to the displacement body, said first outer skirt structure having an outer surface that is substantially perpendicular with respect to the static waterline and said first channel-defining structure defining a first channel with a cross-sectional surface that is generally arcuate;
and
a second channel-defining structure portion of the hull that is located on the starboard side of the displacement body, including a second wing structure extending laterally from the starboard side of the displacement body above the static waterline and a second outer skirt structure extending perpendicularly downwardly from the second wing structure to below the static waterline in spaced apart relationship to the displacement body, said second outer skirt structure having an outer surface that is substantially perpendicular with respect to the static waterline and said second channel-defining structure defining a second channel with a cross-sectional surface that is generally arcuate;
the first and second channels extending from the fore end to the aft end and the first and second channels being adapted to capture a bow wave and to cause air and water to mix and spiral toward the aft end of the hull as compressed aerated water, thereby reducing friction drag, increasing lateral stability, and dampening transmission of bow wave energy at the aft end of the hull;
wherein the hull extends to a vertical knife edge and the first and second wing channel entrances being arranged to form a near horizontal knife edge at the deck level in order to achieve maximum air flow into the first and wing channels when the watercraft is moving forwardly in order to enhance high speed operation of the watercraft.

4 more elements

A watercraft, comprising:

a hull having a fore end, an aft end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the fore end and the aft end;
a displacement body portion of the hull that extends between the fore end and the aft end, the displacement body having a static waterline, a port side, and a starboard side;
a first channel-defining structure portion of the hull that is located on the port side of the displacement body, including a first wing structure extending laterally from the port side of the displacement body above the static waterline and a first outer skirt structure that extends downwardly from the first wing structure to below the static waterline in spaced apart relationship to the displacement body, said first outer skirt structure having an outer surface that is substantially perpendicular with respect to the static waterline and said first channel-defining structure defining a first channel with a cross-sectional surface that is generally arcuate;
and
a second channel-defining structure portion of the hull that is located on the starboard side of the displacement body, including a second wing structure extending laterally from the starboard side of the displacement body above the static waterline and a second outer skirt structure extending perpendicularly downwardly from the second wing structure to below the static waterline in spaced apart relationship to the displacement body, said second outer skirt structure having an outer surface that is substantially perpendicular with respect to the static waterline and said second channel-defining structure defining a second channel with a cross-sectional surface that is generally arcuate;
the first and second channels extending from the fore end to the aft end and the first and second channels being adapted to capture a bow wave and to cause air and water to mix and spiral toward the aft end of the hull as compressed aerated water, thereby reducing friction drag, increasing lateral stability, and dampening transmission of bow wave energy at the aft end of the hull;
wherein the hull has a bow that extends to a vertical knife edge and the first and second channel entrances are arranged to form a near horizontal knife edge at the deck level in order to enhance high speed operation of the watercraft.

4 more elements

A watercraft, comprising:

at least one hull having a fore end, an aft end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the fore end and the aft end;
a displacement body portion of the hull that extends between the fore end and the aft end, the displacement body having a static waterline, a port side, and a starboard side;
a first channel-defining structure portion of the hull that is located on the port side of the displacement body, including a first wing structure extending laterally from the port side of the displacement body above the static waterline and a first outer skirt structure that extends downwardly from the first wing structure to below the static waterline in spaced apart relationship to the displacement body, said first outer skirt structure having an outer surface that is substantially perpendicular with respect to the static waterline and said first channel-defining structure defining a first channel with a cross-sectional surface that is generally arcuate;
and
a second channel-defining structure portion of the hull that is located on the starboard side of the displacement body, including a second wing structure extending laterally from the starboard side of the displacement body above the static waterline and a second outer skirt structure extending perpendicularly downwardly from the second wing structure to below the static waterline in spaced apart relationship to the displacement body, said second outer skirt structure having an outer surface that is substantially perpendicular with respect to the static waterline and said second channel-defining structure defining a second channel with a cross-sectional surface that is generally arcuate;
the first and second channels extending from the fore end to the aft end and the first and second channels being adapted to capture a bow wave and to cause air and water to mix and spiral toward the aft end of the hull as compressed aerated water, thereby reducing friction drag, increasing lateral stability, and dampening transmission of bow wave energy at the aft end of the hull;
wherein the watercraft includes an onboard air system that is adapted to function as means for injecting air into the first and second channels in order to enhance high speed operation of the watercraft.

4 more elements

A watercraft, comprising:

at least one hull having a displacement body with a bow, a port side, and a starboard side;
a first channel-defining structure portion of the hull that is located on the port side of the displacement body, including a first wing structure extending laterally from the port side of the displacement body above the static waterline and a first outer skirt structure extending perpendicularly downwardly from the first wing structure to below the static waterline in spaced apart relationship to the displacement body, said first outer skirt structure having an outer surface that is substantially perpendicular with respect to the static waterline and said first channel-defining structure defining a first channel with a cross-sectional surface that is generally arcuate;
and
a second channel-defining structure portion of the hull that is located on the starboard side of the displacement body, including a second wing structure extending laterally from the starboard side of the displacement body above the static waterline and a second outer skirt structure extending perpendicularly downwardly from the second wing structure to below the static waterline in spaced apart relationship to the displacement body, said second outer skirt structure having an outer surface that is substantially perpendicular with respect to the static waterline and said second channel-defining structure defining a second channel with a cross-sectional surface that is generally arcuate;
the first and second channels being adapted to function as (i) means for directing waves generated by the bow into the first and second channels, so as to reduce lateral wave pollution from the watercraft, (ii) planing means for providing surfaces on which the watercraft is capable of planing on the waves generated by the bow, so as to recapture energy from said bow waves, and (iii) means for aerating water along the hull to reduce frictional drag and to reduce wave generation from an aft end of the watercraft;
and
an onboard air system that is adapted to function as means for injecting air into the first and second channels in order to enhance high speed operation of the watercraft.

4 more elements

A watercraft, comprising:

at least one hull having a displacement body with a bow, a port side, a starboard side, and a deck level;
a first channel-defining structure portion of the hull that is located on the port side of the displacement body, including a first wing structure extending laterally from the port side of the displacement body above the static waterline and a first outer skirt structure extending perpendicularly downwardly from the first wing structure to below the static waterline in spaced apart relationship to the displacement body, said first outer skirt structure having an outer surface that is substantially perpendicular with respect to the static waterline and said first channel-defining structure defining a first channel with a cross-sectional surface that is generally arcuate;
and
a second channel-defining structure portion of the hull that is located on the starboard side of the displacement body, including a second wing structure extending laterally from the starboard side of the displacement body above the static waterline and a second outer skirt structure extending perpendicularly downwardly from the second wing structure to below the static waterline in spaced apart relationship to the displacement body, said second outer skirt structure having an outer surface that is substantially perpendicular with respect to the static waterline and said second channel-defining structure defining a second channel with a cross-sectional surface that is generally arcuate;
the first and second channels being adapted to function as (i) means for directing waves generated by the bow into the first and second channels, so as to reduce lateral wave pollution from the watercraft, (ii) planing means for providing surfaces on which the watercraft is capable of planing on the waves generated by the bow, so as to recapture energy from said bow waves, and (iii) means for aerating water along the hull to reduce frictional drag and to reduce wave generation from an aft end of the watercraft;
the bow extending to a vertical knife edge;
and
the first and second wing channel entrances being arranged to form a near horizontal knife edge at the deck level;
thereby to achieve maximum air flow into the first and second channels when the watercraft is moving forwardly in order to enhance high speed operation of the watercraft

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/186,464Filed 28 Jun 2002
Priority: 22 Sep 1998
Published: 7 Nov 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

B63B 1/042
With single hull: the underpart of which being partly provided with channels or the like, e.g. catamaran shaped
F05B 2220/50
Application: for auxiliary power units
B63B
Ships or other waterborne vessels
F05B
Indexing scheme relating to wind, spring, weight, inertia or like motors, to

Family

Application60/101,353Us provisional application · filed 22 Sep 1998
Application09/399,468Continuation in part · filed 20 Sep 1999
Application09/750,368Continuation in part · filed 27 Dec 2000
Application09/908,779Continuation in part · filed 17 Jul 2001
Application10/186,464Continuation in part · filed 28 Jun 2002
US 2001/0001940 A1Published application
US 6,250,245 B1Related patent
US 6,314,903 B2Related patent
US 6,526,903 B2Related patent
US 2002/0162498 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.