Hydraulic and earth engineering – Bank – shore – or bed protection – Wave or flow dissipation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-06
2001-10-23
Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Bank, shore, or bed protection
Wave or flow dissipation
C405S021000, C405S022000, C405S031000, C405S027000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305877
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to devices that reduce the possibility of damage from wakes from vessels. More particularly, this invention dissipates the energy of wakes produced by high speed vessels.
Air cushion vehicles like the landing craft air cushion (LCAC), hydrofoils, surface effect ships, and wave piercing vessels have produced wakes during their high speed transit for as long as they have been around. While, at the very least, these wakes are annoying, they are dangerous and can damage moored craft and installations in shallower regions near the water's edge and can erode unprotected stretches of shoreline.
Research has proven that when high speed vessels reach a critical speed, a soliton, or solitary wave, is produced by the bow, and it has been observed in test tanks or confined areas of water such as canals. The solitary wave of the wake has a crest, or peak, above the water, but no trough and carries significant energy so that it is often referred to as a “mini tsunami.” These solitary waves are actually a movement of water, as compared to a conventional wave that has a crest and a trough and surges and retreats at the shore. Despite their power, the solitary waves may be only a couple of centimeters high in the deep ocean, however; when they come into shallower water, they build in size and steepen-up to become like a tsunami in shallow water. Consequently, solitary waves, or wakes build up as a function of not only the speed of the vessel that produces them but also the depth of the water that they are passing through. While nearly all boats produce solitary waves of different magnitudes, the solitary waves produced by high speed ferries and LCACs are particularly destructive in bays, straits, and other shallow regions adjacent water passageways.
Under maritime law, owners of vessels are legally responsible for the wakes of their vessels. Admiralty claims are often filed for damage caused by wakes from high speed vessels. One way to avoid these claims, of course, is to reduce the speed, but lower speed operation compromises one of the strongest features for using these types of vessels. The speed of the high speed ferry Chinook which shuttles crew members from vessels between Bremerton and Everett Washington has been slowed to 12 knots when it passes through Rich Passage, and passenger ferries between the UK and the Netherlands have been both rerouted and transit at lower speeds.
Thus, in accordance with this inventive concept, a need has been recognized in the state of the art for a barrier that dissipates the energy of wakes in shallow regions along transit routes of high speed
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a barrier that dissipates energy from the wake from a high speed vessel. Pilings reach upward from the seabed and slidably extend through openings in a flotation section below the surface of the water and through apertures in a gate section above the surface of the water. Struts on the flotation section extend through the surface of the water to hold the gate section a predetermined height above the surface. An inclined ramp extends from the flotation section below the surface and progressively reduces the depth of the water above the ramp portion as the distance to the flotation section becomes less. The progressively reduced depth builds-up the incoming wake, and the gate section cuts off the crest of the built-up wake to dissipate energy.
An object of the invention is to provide a barrier for the energy of wakes of high speed vessels.
Another object of the invention is to reduce the destructive effects of wakes having characteristics of solitary waves, or “mini tsunamis.”
Another object of the invention is to provide a barrier that reduces the energy of wakes along waterways for high speed vessels.
Another object is to provide floating structure beneath the water's surface supporting gate structure above the water to clip-off crests of wakes of vessels.
Another object of the invention is to provide piling guided floating structure that clips-off and dissipates energy from wakes.
Another object of the invention is to provide a barrier to dissipate the energy from wakes of high speed ships that permits passage of water traffic, fish feeding patterns and/or migrations, water flow, biomass transport, flotsam and jetsam, and natural and manmade events.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system of barriers for the energy of boat wakes arranged to not interfere with other activities associated with ocean waterways and shore regions.
Another object of the invention is to provide a barrier system to dissipate the energy from wakes of high speed ships that is relatively unaffected by swells, conventional waves, and tidal flow.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cost-effective barrier system for wakes from high speed vessels that may be placed and oriented and/or relocated and reoriented to accommodate changing boat traffic patterns.
Another object of the invention is to provide floating barrier structure slidably mounted on pilings driven into the seabed.
Another object of the invention is to provide floating barrier structure having a wall section supported above the water by a flotation section provided with an inclined ramp to build up the shape of impinging wakes.
These and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent from the ensuing specification when taken in conjunction with the appended claims.
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Gilbert Harvey A.
Pechhold Alexandra K.
Peck Donald G.
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
Will Thomas B.
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