Propulsion of underwater vehicles using differential and vectored thrust

An underwater vehicle having an elongated body comprising:

• a bow at a forward distal end of said body;
• a stern at an after distal end of said body;
• an ellipsoidal bow section at said forward end of said body;
• a cylindrical central section connected to said bow section;
• and
• a stern section connected to said central section, said stern section comprising a wedge shaped fairing, said wedge shaped fairing having a substantially constant width and tapering smoothly from a first cylindrical end connected to said central section to a second end forming a horizontal edge at said aft distal end of said body;
• said wedge shaped stern section defining a space having an increased volume at said stern for housing additional ship systems and stores.

A distributed propulsion system for propelling and maneuvering a submersible vehicle having an elongated body having a primary pressure hull through a fluid medium comprising:

• a wedge-shaped fairing connected to an aft end of said primary pressure hull and extending longitudinally aft therefrom;
• said wedge shaped fairing defining a space having an increased volume;
• one or more inlets in said space for ingesting fluid from said fluid medium into said elongated body;
• one or more inlet ducts positioned internally to said space, each inlet duct having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end is connected to at least one of said one or more inlets;
• one or more propulsion pumps for adding hydraulic energy to said ingested fluid mounted internally to said space and connected to said second end of at least one of said one or more inlet ducts;
• at least two discharge ducts positioned internally to said space, each outlet duct having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end is connected to at least one of said one or more propulsion pumps;
• at least two discharge nozzles connected to said second end of said one or more outlet ducts at an aft distal end of said space defined by said wedge shaped fairing, said discharge nozzles discharging said fluid medium from said elongated body for discharging said fluid from said vehicle body to said fluid medium;
• wherein said at least two discharge nozzles are positioned in a laterally spaced apart relationship in said wedge-shaped stern section to provide one of a differential and a vectored thrust for propelling and maneuvering said vehicle.

A method for propelling and maneuvering an underwater vehicle through a fluid operating environment comprising the steps of:

• providing a body having an ellipsoidal shaped bow section, a cylindrical mid-ship section, and a stern section;
• ingesting fluid from said operating environment into said body through one or more inlet openings;
• guiding said fluid through said body through internal ducts;
• driving said fluid through said ducts using one or more pumps to add hydraulic energy to said fluid passing through said ducts;
• propelling said body through said fluid operating environment by discharging said fluid exiting from said pumps through at least two discharge nozzles positioned at said stern section in a laterally spaced apart relationship along a horizontal beam on opposite side of a longitudinal centerline of said body;
• and
• maneuvering said body through said fluid operating environment by controlling one of a magnitude and a direction of said fluid being discharged from said body thereby producing one or more of a differential and a vectored thrust.