Vessel with improved motion control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9409636-B2
Application number	US-201314413311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2013
Priority date	Jul 10, 2012
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

The invention concerns a vessel having a planing surface and a transom at a stern of the vessel, mounted on the transom is an interceptor and an actuator to move the interceptor in vertical direction. In accordance with the invention the transom defines a sharp edge with the planing surface and the underside of the interceptor comprises a convex rounded edge extending upwards to the rear with a leading edge of the convex rounded edge having a tangent approximately parallel to the water flow along the planing surface near the transom, and/or the transom defines a convex rounded edge with the planing surface with a leading edge of the convex rounded edge being tangent to the planing surface and the interceptor defines at its lowest part a sharp edge that can move behind the convex rounded edge in vertical direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vessel having a vessel length and a planing surface that in forward movement of the vessel guides a water flow rearwards to a rear end and a transom at a stern of the vessel, the vessel comprising an interceptor movably mounted on the transom and an actuator connected to the interceptor and configured to move the interceptor along the transom in a vertical direction, wherein the transom defines a sharp transom edge with the planing surface and an underside of the interceptor comprises an interceptor bottom surface that is convex and that extends upwards to a rear of the interceptor and the interceptor bottom surface defines at its lowest part a forward or leading interceptor edge having a tangent approximately parallel to the planing surface near the transom.

2. The vessel according to claim 1 wherein the interceptor bottom surface has a radius that is at least 0.1 meter.

3. The vessel according to claim 1 , wherein said interceptor comprises a plate extending in parallel and adjacent to and behind the transom, which plate at a lower end is provided with the interceptor bottom surface extending from a forward or leading interceptor edge of the plate in a rearward direction, which plate is vertically movable along the transom to any desired position between a first position in which the forward or leading interceptor edge is substantially flush with the rear end of the lower planing surface and further positions in which the forward or leading interceptor edge is located at a higher or a lower level than said rear end of the planing surface.

4. The vessel according to claim 3 , wherein the interceptor bottom surface, as seen in the longitudinal direction of the vessel, has a length of at least 0.2 meter.

5. The vessel according to claim 3 , wherein the interceptor bottom surface as seen in the longitudinal direction of the vessel has a length of at least 0.4 meter.

6. The vessel according to claim 3 , wherein the forward or leading interceptor edge of the plate in a further position of the plate is located 0.2-0.4 meter above said rear end of the planing surface.

7. The vessel according to claim 1 wherein the vessel has a slender hull and a transom extending substantially vertically.

8. The vessel according to claim 1 wherein the interceptor bottom surface ends towards the rear in a surface with a tangent that makes an angle that is more than 20 degrees with the horizontal plane.

9. The vessel according to claim 1 wherein the interceptor bottom surface ends towards the rear in a surface with a tangent that makes an angle that is more than 30 degrees with the horizontal plane.

10. The vessel according to claim 1 wherein the interceptor bottom surface of the transom convex rounded edge ends towards the rear in a surface with a tangent that makes an angle that is more than 45 degrees with the horizontal plane.

11. The vessel according to claim 1 comprising a control system operably connected to the actuator having sensors for determining the pitching and/or rolling movement of the vessel, the control system configured to control the actuator to reduce the pitching and/or rolling of the vessel during forward speed.

12. The vessel according to claim 3 , wherein the forward or leading interceptor edge of the plate in a further position of the plate is located 0.05-0.10 meter below said rear end of the planing surface.

13. The vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel has two slender hulls each having a transom extending substantially vertical.

14. The vessel according to claim 1 comprising a control system operably connected to the actuator having sensors for determining the pitching and/or rolling movement of the vessel, the control system configured to control the actuator to reduce the pitching and/or rolling of the vessel during forward speed.

15. The vessel according to claim 14 , wherein in front of the location where the interceptor is mounted on the transom and the transom rounded edge is on the rear end and the forward end of the transom rounded edge is tangent to the lower planing surface and extends rearwards to the transom and the interceptor comprises a plate with a sharp lower edge, which plate is vertically movable along the transom between a first position in which the sharp lower edge of the interceptor is above the transom rounded edge and a second position in which the sharp lower edge is at a level that is substantially at the same height as the rear end of the planing surface.

16. The vessel according to claim 15 , wherein the transom rounded edge has a radius that might decrease towards the rear of the vessel and the radius of the transom rounded edge is at least 0.1 meter.

17. The vessel according to claim 15 , wherein the interceptor is moveable towards a third position in the third position the lower edge of said plate is located 0.15-0.20 m below the rear end of the lower planing surface adjacent said transom rounded edge.

18. A vessel having a vessel length and a planing surface that in a forward movement of the vessel guides a water flow rearwards to a rear end and a transom at a stern of the vessel, the vessel comprising an interceptor movably mounted on the transom and an actuator connected to the interceptor and configured to move the interceptor along the transom in a vertical direction, wherein the transom defines a transom convex rounded edge with the planing surface with a forward or leading edge of the transom convex rounded edge being tangent to the planing surface and the interceptor defines at its lowest part a forward or leading interceptor edge that can move behind the transom convex rounded edge in a vertical direction.

19. The vessel according to claim 18 wherein the transom convex rounded edge has a radius that is at least 0.1 meter.

20. The vessel according to claim 18 wherein the transom convex rounded edge ends towards the rear in a surface with a tangent that makes an angle that is more than 20 degrees with the horizontal plane.

21. The vessel according to claim 18 wherein the transom convex rounded edge ends towards the rear in a surface with a tangent that makes an angle that is more than 30 degrees with the horizontal plane.

22. The vessel according to claim 18 wherein or the transom convex rounded edge ends towards the rear in a surface with a tangent that makes an angle that is more than 45 degrees with the horizontal plane.

23. The vessel according to claim 18 wherein the vessel has a slender hull and a transom extending substantially vertically.

24. The vessel according to claim 18 wherein the vessel has two slender hulls each having a transom extending substantially vertical.

25. The vessel according to claim 18 wherein the transom defines a sharp transom edge with the planing surface and an underside of the interceptor comprises an interceptor bottom surface that is convex and that extends upwards to a rear of the interceptor and the interceptor bottom surface defines at its lowest part a forward or leading interceptor edge having a tangent approximately parallel to the planing surface near the transom.

Assignees

• Univ Delft Tech

Inventors

• Keuning Jan Alexander

Classifications

• B63B2001/204

  arranged on multiple hulls · CPC title

• B63B2001/325

  Interceptors, i.e. elongate blade-like members projecting from a surface into the fluid flow substantially perpendicular to the flow direction, and by a small amount compared to its own length · CPC title

• B63B1/322

  using aerodynamic elements, e.g. aerofoils producing a lifting force (flying boats B64C35/00) · CPC title

• B63B1/10

  with multiple hulls · CPC title

• B63B39/061 Primary

  by using trimflaps, i.e. flaps mounted on the rear of a boat, e.g. speed boat · CPC title