Variable drag area tow system and methods
AssigneeAdaptive Methods, Inc.
InventorsJim Wiggins, Conrad Zeglin, Walter Allensworth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A variable drag area tow system including a tow cable, and a variable drag area device having a variable projected area, the variable drag area device is configured to have a smaller projected area as the velocity of the variable drag area device with respect to a fluid increases. A method of maintaining tension on a tow cable, the method including deploying at a first velocity a variable drag area device having a variable projected area, increasing the first velocity to a second velocity, and decreasing the projected area of the variable drag area device as the first velocity is increased to the second velocity.
Claims17
A variable drag area tow system comprising:
- a tow cable;
- and
- a variable drag area device having a variable projected area,
- the variable drag area device is configured to have a smaller projected area as the velocity of the variable drag area device with respect to a fluid increases.
A method of maintaining tension on a tow cable, the method comprising:
- deploying at a first velocity a variable drag area device having a variable projected area;
- increasing the first velocity to a second velocity;
- and
- decreasing the projected area of the variable drag area device as the first velocity is increased to the second velocity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.