Sidewall air cushion vehicle

A sidewall air cushion vehicle comprising:

• a pair of parallel body members which are connected to each other by a rigid structure above a water surface;
• a flexible bow skirt in a front of the vehicle and a flexible stern skirt in a rear of the vehicle;
• an air cushion space between the bow and stern skirts;
• a partition extending transversely to a fore-aft-direction of the vehicle for dividing the space at substantially a middle thereof, so as to provide a pair of compartments which are separated from each other by the partition in a substantially fluid tight manner;
• at least one fan connected to the compartments by a first duct for conducting a flow of air for providing an air cushion in the compartments;
• a sensor for sensing pitch angle or pitch angle velocity of the vehicle, to be used as control parameters for control of air pressure in the compartments;
• the partition including a separate second duct including flow control means having an adjustable flow cross section and adapted for being actuated by actuating means;
• the actuating means being controlled by the sensor, so that the flow cross section of the flow control means is adjusted in response to variables including the pitch angle, the pitch angle velocity of the vehicle, the pressures in the compartments, or a combination thereof;
• and
• wherein the flow control means comprises an adjustable flap valve arranged in a passage in the rigid structure above or within the partition, wherein the passage within the partition includes a pair of inflatable means arranged to provide a through-flow-passage therebetween, a size of which is determined by internal pressure of the inflatable means, the size of the through-flow-passage being dependent on any difference of pressures within the compartments.

A sidewall air cushion vehicle comprising:

• a pair of parallel body members which are connected to each other by a rigid structure above a water surface;
• a flexible bow skirt in a front of the vehicle and a flexible stern skirt in a rear of the vehicle;
• an air cushion space between the bow and stern skirts;
• a partition extending transversely to a fore-aft-direction of the vehicle and dividing the space at substantially a mid thereof, so as to provide a pair of compartments which are separated from each other by the partition in a substantially fluid tight manner;
• at least one fan connected to the compartments by a duct for conducting a flow of air for providing an air cushion in each of the compartments;
• a sensor for sensing pitch angle or pitch angle velocity of the vehicle, to be used as control parameters for control of a by-pass passage bypassing the partition separately from the duct and including flow control means having an adjustable flow cross section and adapted for being actuated by actuating means;
• and
• the actuating means for being controlled by the sensor, so that the flow cross section of the flow control means is adjusted in response to variables including the pitch angle, the pitch angle velocity of the vehicle, the pressures in the compartments, and a combination thereof.

A sidewall air cushion vehicle comprising:

• a pair of parallel body members which are connected to each other by a rigid structure above a water surface;
• a flexible bow skirt in a front of the vehicle and a flexible stern skirt in a rear of the vehicle;
• an air cushion space between the bow and stern skirts;
• a partition extending transversely to a fore-aft-direction of the vehicle and dividing the space at substantially a mid thereof, so as to provide a pair of compartments which are separated from each other by the partition in a substantially fluid tight manner;
• at least one fan connected to the compartments by a first duct for conducting a flow of air for providing an air cushion in the compartments;
• a sensor for sensing pitch angle or pitch angle velocity of the vehicle, to be used as control parameters for control of air pressure in the compartments;
• the partition including a separate second duct including flow control means having an adjustable flow cross section and adapted for being actuated by actuating means;
• the actuating means being controlled by the sensor, so that the flow cross section of the flow control means is adjusted in response to variables including the pitch angle, the pitch angle velocity of the vehicle, the pressures in the compartments, or a combination thereof;
• and
• wherein the flow control means comprises an adjustable flap valve arranged in a passage in the rigid structure above or within the partition, wherein the passage in the partition is provided immediately below the rigid structure.