Multihull hydrofoil watercraft
OwnerSteven John Salaniinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multihull hydrofoil watercraft incorporates a stabilization system wherein the buoyancy of the hulls is used as a sensing and control mechanism for the hydrofoils. The use of hull buoyancy to adjust the hydrofoil lift provides for automatic control of altitude, pitch and roll, and allows the craft to accommodate varying weather and sea conditions while providing a smooth ride for passengers. The stabilization technique eliminates the need for extraneous sensing mechanisms placed in or on the water surface which are subject to fouling, damage, or disruption by localized surface disturbances.
Claims12
A hydrofoil-equipped multi-hull watercraft comprising:
- two or more buoyant hulls supporting a deck structure above water, said hulls vertically moveable relative to said deck structure to correspondingly vary a spacing between said hulls and said deck structure;
- one or more hydrofoils attached to said deck structure, said hydrofoils being adjustably mounted to vary the lifting force generated by said hydrofoils when said watercraft is in motion;
- and
- a linkage extending substantially vertically between each of said hulls and respective one of said hydrofoils, wherein an increase in the spacing between any one of said hulls and said deck structure reduces the lifting force generated by said one or more hydrofoils, thereby regulating the altitude of said watercraft and minimizing pitching and rolling.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.