Self-powered slip plate to reduce skin-friction drag on a marine vessel

Abstract

An anti-friction slip plate for mounting on a hull of a marine vessel to reduce skin friction drag by acoustically generating microcavitation bubbles at a wetted area of the hull. The slip plate comprises a plate-like enclosure, an energy extraction mechanism to extract power from water current flowing along the hull when underway, a power generator driven by the energy extraction mechanism to produce electrical power, an acoustic signal generator powered by the power generator to produce an acoustic signal, and a series of transducers excited by the acoustic signal to effect emission of acoustic waves that produce cavitation bubbles in the wetted area. A bottom surface of the slip plate serves as an acoustic diaphragm to impart cavitation bubbles at the wetted area interface. Optionally, a controller and/or status monitor may be provided to control and/or visual monitoring of power, acoustic frequency, intensity, duty cycle, or other parameters according to a condition of operation of the vessel or a condition of the water medium at the interface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.