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US 6,895,883 B2Granted
Powered boat hull
OwnerCharles F. Colesinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hydrofoil craft, particularly a method of economically modifying a conventional hull with cambered foils to obtain and calculate increased lift from dense spray and to achieve enhanced craft performance is disclosed. The present invention improves speed, fuel efficiency and rough water stability, reduced pitch and vertical accelerations. A catamaran or V-bottom hull (20) is modified with chine mounted aerofoils (32, 33, 28, 28A), flexible dihedral cambered foils positioned beneath the water line and on either side of the bow (30, 31) so as to create turbulence in the forward end of a tunnel(s) (26). Fixed forward tunnel cambered foil(s) (28) and/or fixed or adjustable center tunnel cambered foils at the stern (28A) end of the tunnel (26) to generate lift from pressure caused by dense spray in the tunnel(s) (26) may also be provided.
Claims34
A boat hull comprising:
- a bow and a stern;
- a waterline extending between said bow and said stern;
- a tunnel extending axially in a direction from said bow toward said stern and having a forward end, a center region and an aft end;
- a pair of flexible cambered bow foils, said flexible cambered bow foils supported on sides of said bow beneath the water line, said flexible cambered foils being capable of controlling a flow within said at least one tunnel and creating a dense spray in an end of said tunnel while cushioning shock and lifting said bow;
- and
- a first adjustable cambered tunnel foil being adjustably positioned within said tunnel and generating lift from a pressure being generated by the dense spray within said tunnel.
3 more elements
A boat hull comprising:
- a bow and a stern;
- a waterline extending between said bow and said stern;
- a tunnel extending axially in a direction from said bow toward said stern and having a forward end, a center region and an aft end;
- a pair of flexible cambered bow foils, said flexible cambered bow foils supported on sides of said bow beneath the water line, said flexible cambered foils being capable of controlling a flow within said at least one tunnel and creating a dense spray in an end of said tunnel while cushioning shock and lifting said bow;
- a first cambered tunnel foil being positioned within said tunnel and generating lift from a pressure being generated by the dense spray within said tunnel;
- and
- a rigid cambered stern foil forming a skirt extending substantially across the tunnel and peripherally enclosing a transom of said stern, said stern foil being capable of preventing air from escaping, compressing said dense spray and thereby lifting said stern.
4 more elements
A boat hull comprising:
- a bow and a stern, said stern including a transom;
- a waterline extending between said bow and said stern;
- a pair of tunnels extending axially in a direction from said bow toward said stern, wherein each of said tunnels includes a forward end, a center region and an aft end;
- a pair of flexible cambered bow foils, said flexible cambered bow foils supported on sides of said bow beneath the water line, said flexible cambered bow foils being capable of controlling a flow within said tunnels and creating a dense spray in an end of said tunnel while cushioning shock and lifting said bow;
- and
- a pair of cambered tunnel foils being positioned within said tunnels, respectively, wherein each of said tunnels includes a respective tunnel foil generating lift from a pressure being generated by the dense spray within said respective tunnel.
3 more elements
A method for obtaining enhanced lift, performance and rough water stability with cambered tunnel and bow foils, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) defining a boat height above a waterline, a wetted surface area, a trim angle, a hull weight and a horse power vs. speed requirement;
- (b) defining dimensions of the cambered foils and hull, said dimensions including length, beam, camber, trim, floor rise and weight;
- (c) defining foil lift and drag based on said cambered foil dimensions, trim, spray density, speed, height above waterline, wetted surface area, coefficient of friction and sea trial data from prototype cambered foils;
- (d) modifying a hull with a hull modification to incorporate said cambered foils, wherein said modified hull includes
- a bow and a stern;
- the waterline extending between said bow and said stern;
- a tunnel extending axially in a direction from said bow toward said stern and having a forward end, a center region and an aft end;
- a pair of flexible cambered bow foils, said flexible cambered bow foils supported on sides of said bow beneath the water line, said flexible cambered bow foils being capable of controlling a flow within said tunnel and creating a dense spray in an end of said tunnel while cushioning shock and lifting said bow;
- and
- a first adjustable cambered tunnel foil being positioned within said at least one tunnel and generating lift from a pressure being generated by the dense spray within said at least one tunnel;
- and
- (e) defining hull lift and drag aft the hull modification based on water pressure, beam, length, trim, velocity, gravity, coefficient of friction, floor rise, wetted surface, residual hull resistance, appendage and wind resistance.
9 more elements
A boat hull comprising:
- a bow and a stern;
- a waterline extending between said bow and said stern;
- a tunnel extending axially in a direction from said bow toward said stern and having a forward end, a center region and an aft end;
- a pair of flexible cambered bow foils, said flexible cambered bow foils supported on sides of said bow beneath the water line, said flexible cambered foils being capable of controlling a flow within said at least one tunnel and creating a dense spray in an end of said tunnel while cushioning shock and lifting said bow;
- a first cambered tunnel foil being positioned within said tunnel and generating lift from a pressure being generated by the dense spray within said tunnel;
- a second cambered tunnel foil at either the aft end or at the forward end of said tunnel generating lift from a pressure being generated by the dense spray within said tunnel;
- and
- a rigid cambered stern foil forming a skirt extending substantially across the tunnel and peripherally enclosing a transom of said stern, said stern foil being capable of preventing air from escaping, compressing said dense spray and thereby lifting said stern.
5 more elements
A catamaran boat hull comprising:
- a bow and a stern;
- a waterline extending between said bow and said stern;
- a tunnel extending axially in a direction from said bow toward said stern and having a forward end, a center region and an aft end;
- a pair of flexible bow cambered foils supported on sides of said bow beneath the water line, said flexible bow cambered foils being capable of controlling a flow within said at least one tunnel and creating a dense spray in said tunnel while cushioning shock and lifting said bow;
- and
- a first adjustable tunnel cambered foil being adjustably positioned within said tunnel and generating lift from a pressure being generated by the dense spray within said tunnel.
3 more elements
A catamaran boat hull comprising:
- a bow and a stern;
- a waterline extending between said bow and said stern;
- a tunnel extending axially in a direction from said bow toward said stern and having a forward end, a center region and an aft end;
- a pair of flexible bow cambered foils supported on sides of said bow beneath the water line, said flexible bow cambered foils being capable of controlling a flow within said at least one tunnel and creating a dense spray in said tunnel while cushioning shock and lifting said bow;
- a first tunnel cambered foil being positioned within said tunnel and generating lift from a pressure being generated by the dense spray within said tunnel;
- and
- a rigid stern cambered foil extending substantially across the tunnel and a stern skirt peripherally enclosing a transom of said stern, said stern cambered foil and stern skirt being capable of preventing air from escaping, compressing said dense spray, and thereby lifting said stern.
4 more elements
A boat hull comprising:
- a bow and a stern, said stern including a transom;
- a waterline extending between said bow and said stern, wherein said boat hull is a V bottom or a rigid inflatable hull;
- a pair of tunnels, wherein said tunnels are enclosed fore and aft by a chine aerofoil hull skirt extending along sides of said hull from a point of attachment of said hull skirt to the transom, and said tunnels extend axially in a direction from said bow toward said stern;
- a pair of flexible bow cambered foils supported on sides of said bow beneath the water line, said flexible bow cambered foils being capable of controlling a flow within said tunnels and creating a dense spray in said tunnels while cushioning shock and lifting said bow;
- and
- a pair of tunnel cambered foils, said tunnel cambered foils generating lift from a pressure being generated by the dense spray and water within said respective tunnels.
3 more elements
A method for obtaining enhanced lift, performance and rough water stability with cambered tunnel and bow foils, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) defining a boat height above a waterline, a wetted surface area, a trim angle, a hull weight and a horse power vs. speed requirement;
- (b) defining dimensions of the cambered foils and hull, said dimensions including length, beam, camber, trim, floor rise and weight;
- (c) defining foil lift and drag based on said cambered foil dimensions, trim, spray density, speed, height above waterline, wetted surface area, coefficient of friction and sea trial data from prototype cambered foils;
- (d) modifying a hull with a hull modification to incorporate said cambered foils, wherein said modified hull includes
- a bow and a stern;
- the waterline extending between said bow and said stern;
- a tunnel extending axially in a direction from said bow toward said stern and having a forward end, a center region and an aft end;
- a pair of flexible cambered bow foils, said flexible cambered bow foils supported on sides of said bow beneath the water line, said flexible cambered bow foils being capable of controlling a flow within said tunnel and creating a dense spray in an end of said tunnel while cushioning shock and lifting said bow;
- a first cambered tunnel foil being positioned within said at least one tunnel and generating lift from a pressure being generated by the dense spray within said at least one tunnel, and
- a rigid cambered stern foil forming a skirt extending substantially across the tunnel and peripherally enclosing a transom of said stern, said stern foil being capable of preventing air from escaping, compressing said dense spray and thereby lifting said stern;
- and
- (e) defining hull lift and drag aft the hull modification based on water pressure, beam, length, trim, velocity, gravity, coefficient of friction, floor rise, wetted surface, residual hull resistance, appendage and wind resistance.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.