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AssigneeSilverstream Technologies B.V.
InventorsNoah SILBERSCHMIDT, Jørgen CLAUSEN, Johannes JOHANNESSON
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The invention relates to a system for providing an air lubricating layer between the hull of a vessel and the water flowing under the hull as said vessel is moving through the water, comprising an air cavity and a wave deflector having a planar bottom surface which faces said interface plane and extends parallel thereto and is arranged in an air cavity of said air lubrication system at a distance of 2-15 cm from the interface plane, wherein said bottom surface has a peripheral edge that is spaced apart from said sidewalls by a gap having a width of 0.5-15 cm, wherein, when viewed in projection onto a plane wherein said planar bottom surface extends, at least 85% of the area of said opening is covered by said wave deflector and/or said planar bottom surface thereof, more preferably at least 90%, and most preferably at least 95%.
An air lubrication system for providing an air lubricating layer (9) between the hull (4) of a vessel (1) and the water flowing under the hull as said vessel is moving through the water, wherein said system is provided with an air cavity (7,8;
Air lubrication system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said gap (g1) has a substantially constant width (w1).
Air lubrication system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, when viewed in said projection, said opening has an outer circumferential edge and the length of said gap (g1) along said opening (20) is at least half the length of said outer circumferential edge, preferably at least three fourths thereof, more preferably at least five sixth thereof.
Air lubrication system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said rear wall (27) extends from a rearward portion of the top wall to the interface plane (30) towards the rear end of the air cavity (33), and wherein said bottom surface (24′) is spaced apart from said rear wall (27) by a further gap (g2) having a width (w2) of between 2-15 cm.
Air lubrication system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said gap (g1) and said further gap (g2) substantially surround the planar bottom surface (24′) so that substantially the entire planar bottom surface is spaced apart from said walls (18,18′, 27).
Air lubrication system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said wave deflector comprises multiple segments which together provide said bottom surface (24′).
Air lubrication system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said wave deflector has a thickness of between 1.5 and 10 cm.
Air lubrication system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the width of said planar bottom surface increases from the front end of the cavity towards the rear end of the air cavity along at least half the length of said planar bottom surface;
Air lubrication system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a plurality of spacer arms (25) which connect said wave deflector (24) to the walls (18,18′,19,27) of said air cavity and bridge the gap there between.
Vessel (1) comprising a hull (4) and an air lubrication system (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, the vessel having a substantially flat bottom (6), a propulsion device (10) for sailing of the vessel, the interface plane (30) being substantially at the level of the flat bottom (6).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.