Propulsion arrangement for axisymmetric fluid-borne vehicles

Details Propulsion arrangement for axisymmetric fluid-borne vehicles Propulsion arrangement for axisymmetric fluid-borne vehicles

1999-01-25

2001-04-17

Swinehart, Ed (Department: 3617)

Marine propulsion

Jet drive

C114S337000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06217399

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to propulsion arrangements for fluid-borne vehicles having a configuration which is generally symmetric about the vehicle axis.
Conventional propulsion systems for axisymmetric fluid-borne vehicles include internally powered, shaft-driven propeller-type drive systems and strut-mounted pod systems. Conventional propeller and shaft drive systems are susceptible to damage during shallow draft operations and damage from large ingested foreign materials. From a maintenance standpoint such conventional drive systems are cumbersome and require access from places within the vehicle, resulting in major disruption within the engine room because of the size of the components involved.
The Lehmann U.S. Pat. No. 3,182,623 discloses a jet propulsion unit for a submarine which comprises a tail section attached to the pressure hull of the submarine and having a plurality of pairs of intake ducts extending inwardly from opposite sides near the forward end of the tail section to a common central duct, each of the intake ducts having an impeller surrounded by a drive motor.
The Kim U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,004 describes a turbo-hydro duct propulsion arrangement producing a high pressure water jet to propel an underwater vehicle. The water jet has symmetrical exit nozzles. The Patent to Garis, U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,628, shows a marine propulsor for use on submarine-type vessels in which the entire propulsion system is housed outside of the hull and has an electric motor which drives a single set of blades within the housing. The Cho U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,273 describes a similar propulsion arrangement for underwater vehicles.
According to the Meng U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,444, an electromagnetic thruster for marine vehicles produces a water jet by the interaction of an intensified magnetic field and an intensified electric field. A plurality of such thrusters is symmetrically mounted around the stern of a vessel with intake openings uniformly disposed around the forward end of the periphery of the unit to cause the boundary layer passing along the surface of the vessel to be drawn into the intake. Each of the thrusters is partially embedded within a section at the stern of the vessel and control surfaces are nested around the modules so that they do not interfere with the inflow or are affected by the module outflow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a propulsion arrangement for axisymmetric vehicles which overcomes disadvantages of the prior art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a propulsion arrangement for axisymmetric vehicles which is convenient to install, maintain and replace and does not require shafting through the hull of the vehicle.
These and other objects of the invention are attained by providing a plurality of propulsion modules mounted in nested fashion at the rear of the vehicle in an axially symmetric manner, each module having an internal duct leading to a rotating blade section and a housing with a contoured surface providing a fluid flow inlet along its forward edge so that the boundary layer flow from the hull of the vehicle progresses into the module inlet without separation and provides substantially uniform velocity distribution at the rotating blade section of the module. Preferably, the internal duct through which the fluid is conveyed from the inlet through the rotating blade section also has fixed vanes aft of the rotating blade section to straighten the flow of fluid. In a preferred embodiment, the rotating blade section is rim driven by an electric motor drive arrangement and the housing arrangement for the modules is provided with stabilizing or steering vanes for the vehicle.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3122121 (1964-02-01), Krauth
patent: 3182023 (1965-05-01), Lehmann
patent: 3194201 (1965-07-01), Lang
patent: 3779199 (1973-12-01), Mayer, Jr.
patent: 5045004 (1991-09-01), Kim
patent: 5078628 (1992-01-01), Garis, Jr.
patent: 5185545 (1993-02-01), Veronesi et al.
patent: 5306183 (1994-04-01), Holt et al.
patent: 5333444 (1994-08-01), Meng
patent: 5438947 (1995-08-01), Tam
patent: 5574246 (1996-11-01), Meyers et al.
patent: 5702273 (1997-12-01), Cho et al.

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