Kokerelli has already offered air cushion
vehicle in which instead of the pushing screw used draft created by a wave
running on a flexible plane. Lift force was created by traditional way by
compressor.
I offer to develop the air cushion vehicle in which there is no
compressor and the pushing screw, and instead of this a special
oscillating flexible skirt is used. Air is not pulled out from under skirt with a strong
dust, but soaked up inside. The improved controllability at small speeds and on
a place, the big profitability.
This work demands an experimental researches. Our experience in researches of
such type, thruster-engine complex of oscillatory type and system of adaptive
optimum control will allow confidently and in brief terms to carry out necessary
researches
An Air-Cushion Vehicle with an Oscillating Skirt
The existing types of air-cushion vehicles have a whole range of serious disadvantages (low cost-effectiveness, complicated and heavy power drive, bulky compressors and pusher screws, low cross-country capacity, low course-keeping qualities at low speed, a high noise level, etc.).
We propose to develop an air-cushion vehicle using an oscillating skirt instead of a compressor and a pusher. Air does not escape from a protection with a cloud of dust, but is sucked in. It results in better course-keeping qualities at low speed and in higher cost-effectiveness.
Comparable characteristics of a common air-cushion vehicle and an air-cushion vehicle with an oscillation skirt are given below.
|
Characteristics |
A common air-cushion vehicle |
An air-cushion vehicle with an oscillation skirt
|
|
The lift producing method |
Aerostatic force produced by a pressure compressor |
Aerostatic and aerodynamic force produced by an oscillating skirt |
|
The propulsive force producing method |
With the use of a pusher screw |
With the use of a special mode of the skirt oscillations. |
|
Lateral movement control |
Rear blades ventilated by a pusher screw. At low speed course-keeping qualities are extremely poor |
With the use of a special mode of the skirt oscillations. Various kinds of movement are possible (forward, backward, left, right, on-the-spot turn). |
|
Altitude over the ground |
Limited. The larger an aperture between a skirt and the ground, the greater a compressor capacity. |
Due to aerodynamic force an aperture can be greater. A vehicle ascent to any height is possible. |
|
Amount of dust |
Extremely great. Air cushion is produced by an uninterrupted supply of a great amount of air flowing from the skirt outside. |
Inconsiderable. An oscillating skirt tends to pump air under the vehicle bottom (in a common skirt all air escapes outside). |
|
Engines and a power drive |
Engines on a compressor and a pusher screw with corresponding reducers and drive shafts. Great capacity and high weight of two engines, high fuel weight and consumption |
One high-revolution engine supplies rotational motion to an oil pump (without a reducer). Then, with the use of hydraulic hoses and power hydro cylinders located under the vehicle bottom, motion is supplied to the skirt. Control is performed by an electronic remote control panel and proportional hydraulic valves. This unit is easily combined with a microprocessor system of an optimum drive control (to maintain an economy movement mode). All the drive parts are completed by serially produced components). |
|
Power gear location |
A compressor occupies a large space in the middle of a vehicle. It is characterized by a high level of noise. A pusher screw occupies a large space in the tail end. It has a high level of noise and has to be protected. The screw produces an undesirable moment at the nose part of a vehicle. |
An engine with an oil pump can be located anywhere you like. A drive is low-weight and does not take much place. An engine with a drive is much lighter |
|
Commercial cargo |
A part of commercial cargo in the total boat weight is not great |
A commercial cargo amount can twice exceed that of common air-cushion vehicles at the same capacity |
|
Movement economy |
Low |
High due to the reduced engine capacity, lower engine, drive and fuel weigh. A large amount of commercial cargo and space |
|
Applications |
The above-mentioned disadvantages highly limit areas of application |
Due to improved course-keeping qualities and economy areas of application are considerably expanded. In the result, the market of air-cushion vehicles with an oscillating skirt may become very impressive |
Our company possesses NOW HOW for the development of air-cushion vehicles with the use of an oscillating skirt instead of a compressor and a pusher screw. . Our considerable experience in the research of such types of engine-thruster complex combined with the adaptive optimum control system will allow to effectively develop such a project in a very short time.
It is advisable to start with the development of an air-cushion vehicle for 1-2 persons. This vehicle will further be used for an effective development of all components (hydrodynamic drives, control system, etc.) to be applied in heavy-tonnage vessels. Moreover, this 1-2 persons vehicle can be commercially produced. .
Dr. Evgeny Sorokodum
Volochaevskaya Street, 40-b, Flat 38, 111033, Moscow, Russia
Telephone: (+7) - (495) -362 80 84
esorokodum@dol.ru
www.vortexosc.com
