US 5,626,669 A · High efficiency marine vehicle

Abstract

An improved pressurized gas supported marine vehicle that is, in its preferred embodiment long and slender and stabilized by outrigger hulls, is presented. This vehicle, known as SeaLance because of its optimal very fine entry bow and narrow fine main hull, is also capable of airborne operation when equipped with sidewings. When waterborne, an artifically pressurized gas cushion is disposed in an open bottomed recess in the main hull. First and second, forward and aft, air cushions can be used to maintain a higher gas cushion pressure aft than forward which reduces water blowout at the bow and to aid in trimming of the vehicle. Further, labyrinth seals can be disposed on recess intermediate and aft seals to aid in sealing of gas flow. An optional feature of SeaLance is one or more water stabilizers that can include hydrofoils and/or a small lifting body. The water stabilizer(s) would normally retract into an open bottomed recess in the main hull when not used. The sidewings can be built to be fixed or retractable and, further, can include winglets that can further include wingcaps to improve aerodynamic efficiencies. It is possible to seal the main blower(s) such that a small gas pump can be used to then either maintain cushion pressure for extended periods while dockside or evacuate gas from the cushion to put an air cushion vessel into a semi-submerged state. The latter semi-submerged state is valuable for patrol craft that desire a minimum radar signature when at rest on station. Once such a SeaLance patrol craft has spotted the enemy, it can crank up its main blowers and, optimally, go into a very high speed wing in ground effect mode to make capture.

Claims21

Dependent claims

In an improved marine vehicle that is at least partially supported when waterborne by an artificially pressurized gas cushion with said gas cushion supplied with gas by at least one gas pressurization means, the improvement comprising:

said artifically pressurized gas cushion at least partially disposed in an open bottomed recess in a main hull of said marine vehicle with boundaries of said open bottomed recess at least partially defined by substantially rigid water contacting sidekeels and a recess aft seal and where, as seen in a calm sea surface waterline with the gas cushion pressurized and the marine vehicle waterborne and moving forward at high speed, the main hull is substantially boat shaped with a narrow bow forward that then diverges, by way of the substantially rigid water contacting sidekeels, and with said sidekeels becoming more parallel over their aft portions and wherein an average total divergence angle of said water contacting sidekeels, as measured from the narrow bow to where the sidekeels become more parallel over their aft portions, is on average less than twenty-two degrees and where each of said sidekeels diverges over a minimum of one third of its water contacting length going aft from the narrow bow;
and which further comprises outrigger hulls disposed either side of the main hull with mechanical communication of said outrigger hulls with the main hull including outrigger wings.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High efficiency marine vehicle

Life of this patent

High efficiency marine vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21