AU617319B2 - Water craft - Google Patents

Description

17,051/88 i.o PT WORLD INTELLtUAL Ur O NIZ ION 3 INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATEAT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (51) International Patent Classification 4 International Publication Number: WO 88/ 08387 B63B 1/38 Al (43) International Publication Date: 3 November 1988 (03.11.S8) (21) International Application Number: PCT/AU88/00121 (81) Designated States: AT (European patent), AU, BE (European patent), CH (European patent), DE (Euro- (22) International Filing Date: 28 April 1988 (28.04.88) pean patent), FR (European patent), GB (European patent), IT (European patent), JP, LU (European patent), NL (European patent), SE (European patent), (31) Priority Application Number: PI 1685 US. k L (32) Priority Date: 30 April 1987 (30.04.87) Published l4t I (33) Priority ntr_ AU With international search rep r. P i-t-se *fc--L'dr ding the (71) SECTION 34(4)(a) DIRECTION SEE FOLIOJ he receipt NAME DIRECTEDT tO L' crf. 7< 1 L'r fIc" v r (72) Inventor; and J f 1989 Inventor/Applicant (for US only): LUND, John, Antony [AU/AU]; 24 Alawara Drive, Mudgeeraba, QLD 3142

AUSTRA.IAN

(74) Agents: HIND, Raymond, Stenton et al.; Davies Collison, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000 2 DEC 1988

(AU).

PATENT

OFFICE

(54) Title: WATER CRAFT (57) Abstract A planing hull of a water craft comprises side keels and a centre keel A downwardly open chamber (10) is defined rearwardly of the centre keel and is flanked on either side by the side keels The chamber (10) confines a cushion of air which supports the hull in the planing mode, air supply to the chamber (10) being wholly via the underside of the hull by being channelled between the keels 4) without the use of air vents which open into the chamber The absence of air vents provides improved drag at medium and low speeds.

PCT/AU88/00121 WO 88/08387 -1- "WATER CRAFT" The present invention relates to a water craft.

There is disclosed in Australian Patent Specification No. 456,662 a water craft comprising a planing hull. The hull includes a rear pressure-retaining chamber or tunnel aft of a transverse step in the hull and extending to the transom. Air intakes in the forward part of the hull communicate with the chamber via air vents in the transverse step whereby the forward motion of the 'craft causes air to be charged via the vents into the chamber to form an air cushion which supports the hull in a planing mode. Hulls which utilize a supporting air cushion in this manner are generally known as "ground effect" machines.

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Although this previously proposed hull has been found to work satisfactorily at high planing speeds by creating low flow resistance or drag, at low to medium speeds, for example up to 20-25 knots, the hull generates higher drag than in conventional planing hulls which do not utilise the air cushion or "ground effect" principle.

An object of the invention is to provide a planing hull of the ground effect type which has improved drag characteristics at low to medium speeds.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a ground effect type planing hull for a water craft, comprising side and centre keels, the centre chamber flanked at each side by the side keels, said chamber having a substantially planar upper wall, and w• said chamber serving, in use, to confine a cushion of air ooooe: S"which supports the hull in the planing mode, the arrangement being such that supply of air to the chamber occurs wholly via the underside of the hull by being channelled between the centre keel and the side keels.

.e Preferably, the upper wall of the chamber is plain 25 and substantially parallel to the tips of the keels.

S"An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a planing hull in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the hull; and Figure 3 is a schematic transverse section of the hull.

910726,rsdat-018,stolklei,2 The planing hull shown in the drawings is generally similar to that of Patent Specification 456,662 in that it comprises, at its underside, a chamber or tunnel to enclose a cushion of air which supports the hull in its planing mode.

As shown in the drawings, the planing hull in accordance with the preferred embodiment comprises two side keels and a central keel which starts forwardly of the side keels and which terminates at a transverse step in the midships section of the hull.

Rearwardly of the step the central part of the underside of the hull is substantially planar to define the top surface of a chamber or tunnel (10) open at 15 its underside and flanked by the side keels and open at its rear end, as shown the width of the chamber being substantially greater than the width of the central keel.

As is clearly shown in Figure 2, the planar top surface of the tunnel (10) is substantially parallel to the 20 bottom edges or tips (2a) of the side keels Whereas in the hull of patent specification 456,662, there is an aft centre keel within the pressure-retaining chamber or tunnel it has now been determined that this is unnecessary and in the present embodiment, no such aft 25 centre keel is present in the tunnel; this reduces the wetted surface area and reduces drag.

910726,rshdat018,stok.let,3 WO 88/08387 PCT/AU88/00121 -4- In the present embodiment, the step does not incorporate air vents connected via ducts to an air intake system. Instead, all of the air supplied to the tunnel (10) to form the supporting air cushion is fed via the two passages defined at the underside of the hull between each side keel and the centre keel It has been determined that the absence of air vents in the step provides improved entrapment of air in the tunnel leading to an improved cushioning effect which results in reduced drag at low to medium speeds. In this regard, it is believed that the vents in the step of the previously proposed hull, did, under certain conditions, particularly at low to medium speeds, permit loss of air pressure from the cushion and we have determined that an adequate supply of air can be achieved without these vents.

The side keels are substantially wider than those of the previously proposed hull, and this provides a more efficient planing surface, and greater interior space within the hull for fitting propulsion machinery and other equipment. The side keel width and other significant dimensional relationships are indicated in Table I below. The Table indicates overall ranges for the relationships and the actual figures for a given hull will vary within tese ranges according to such factors as specific cruising speed, payload and designated sea condition.

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PCT/AU88/00121 WO 88/08387 TABLE I Side keel width. Range of SK/CW is 0.18 to 0.20 Tunnel height. Range of TH/CW is 0.14 to 0.16 Transverse step depth. Range of SD/TH is 0.03 to 0.10 Forward centre keel height (at step). Range of KH/TH is 0.55 to 0.65 Transverse step (longitudinal position). Range of TS/L is 0.45 to 0.46 The side keels each incorporate only two spray chines for the suppression of spray whilst the craft is in motion. The chines each consist of a strip (14) extending along the outer surface and inner surface of each side keel and result in only little drag and are of simple construction.

As mentioned earlier, the centre keel begins forwardly of the side keels This facilitates channelling of the air at the front of the boat for feeding to the tunnel The forwardly extending centre keel also softens the ride in choppy conditions as it will engage the wave crests prior to the side keels and will dampen the pitching effect.

The constant depth tunnel (10) enables trim tabs to be fitted at the back and which can be adjusted to set the bow angle to a desired inclination during planing.

The overall effect of the features described is S88/08387 PCT/AU88/00121 WO 88/08387 -6to reduce the drag of the hull throughout the speed range. In comparison with the previously proposed hull as disclosed in Patent Specification 456,662, the hull Sdescribed herein presents an average reduction of 20 to at high and moderate-to-high speeds and up to 35% at I lower speeds, particularly at the transition speed from the floating or displacement mode to the planing mode.

The embodiment has been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims (9)

1. 2. A hull according to claim i, wherein the chamber is of substantially constant depth along its length.
2. 3. A hull according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the upper wall is substantially parallel to tips of the keels. oeeoo: "i 4. A hull according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the chamber is open at its rear end. A hull acccrding to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the central keel starts forwardly of the side keels.
3. 6. A hull according to any one of claims 1 to wherein the side keels have tips beneath a tip of the centre keel.
4. 7. A hull according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ratio of the width (SK) of each side keel to the breadth (CW) of the hull at a baseline of the hull is within the range of 0.18 to 0.20. 910726,rsdat018,stolk.1et,7 -8-
5. 8. A hull according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein ratio of the height (TH) of a top of the chamber above the baseline of the hull to the breadth (CW) of the hull at the baseline is within the range of 0.14 to 0.16.
6. 9. A hull according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein ratio of the height (TH) of the top of the chamber above the baseline to the height (KH) of the tip of the centre keel above the baseline at the aft end of the centre keel is from 0.55 to 0.65. A hull according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the chamber commences substantially midway along a the length of the hull. I
7. 11. A hull according to claim 10, wherein the ratio of the length (TS) of the chamber to the length of the hull is from 0.45 to 0.46.
8. 12. A hull according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the chamber has a width substantially greater than that of the centre keel.
9. 13. A planing hull substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 26th day of July, 1991. RHODA STOLK and STOLKRAFT PTY. LIMITED By their Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON 910726,rshdatOl8,stolk.let8