Flat-bottomed vessel and a method for controlling the length of at least one air cavity
AssigneeTechnische Universiteit Delft
InventorsJerry Westerweel, Thomas Jan Cornelis Van Terwisga, Oleksandr Zverkhovskyi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flat-bottomed vessel for transporting persons or goods, the vessel including a drag reduction system attached to the bottom of the vessel. The drag reduction system includes: two or more turbulence members extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vessel for generating an area with turbulent flow downstream to the turbulence members at the bottom of the vessel during movement. Additionally, for each turbulence member an air injector can be used to inject an air flow at or near to the turbulence members.
Claims14
A flat-bottomed vessel for transporting persons or goods, the vessel comprising a drag reduction system attached to the bottom of the vessel,
- wherein the drag reduction system comprises:
- at least two turbulence members extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vessel for generating an area with turbulent flow downstream to the turbulence members at the bottom of the vessel during movement thereof,
- for each turbulence member an air injector adapted to inject an air flow at or near to the turbulence members, and
- a keel adjacent to both sides of the turbulence members,
- wherein the bottom of the vessel is flat without cavities and the turbulence members are ridges sealingly attached to the bottom of the vessel between the keels,
- wherein the turbulence members extend 2.5-25 mm from the bottom of the vessel, and
- wherein the keels extend from the bottom of the vessel to substantially a same height, in the range of 0.05 to 0.30 m.
A flat-bottomed vessel for transporting persons or goods, the vessel comprising a drag reduction system attached to the bottom of the vessel,
- wherein the drag reduction system comprises:
- at least two turbulence members extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vessel for generating an area with turbulent flow downstream to the turbulence members at the bottom of the vessel during movement thereof,
- for each turbulence member an air injector adapted to inject an air flow at or near to the turbulence members, and
- a keel adjacent to both sides of the turbulence members,
- wherein the bottom of the vessel is flat without cavities and the turbulence members are ridges sealingly attached to the bottom of the vessel between the keels,
- wherein the turbulence members extend 2.5-25 mm from the bottom of the vessel, and
- wherein a sensor is provided upstream to at least one of the turbulence members, which sensor is adapted to measure at least a presence of an air cavity.
A method for controlling the length of at least one air cavity at a bottom of a flat-bottomed vessel, the vessel comprising
- a drag reduction system attached to the bottom of the vessel,
- said drag reduction system further comprising at least two turbulence members extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vessel for generating an area with turbulent flow downstream to the turbulence members at the bottom of the vessel during movement thereof,
- for each turbulence member an air injector adapted to inject an air flow at or near to the turbulence members,
- a keel adjacent to both sides of the turbulence members,
- wherein the bottom of the vessel is flat without cavities and the turbulence members are ridges sealingly attached to the bottom of the vessel between the keels,
- the turbulence members extend 2.5-25 mm from the bottom of the vessel,
- the method comprising the steps of:
- moving the vessel at a certain speed;
- injecting air at or near at least one of the turbulence members,
- determining the speed of the vessel and depth below the bottom of the vessel,
- wherein, when the vessel has a speed within a first range, air is injected at or near each of the turbulence members and air is let out upstream near to each of the turbulence members excluding the most forward turbulence member, and
- wherein, when the vessel has a speed within a second range that is higher than the first range, air is let out upstream at or near non-adjacent turbulence members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.