Patent ID: 9611010
Date: 2017-04-04
CPC Classifications: B63B,Y02T

Claim:
1. An apparatus for generating bubbles of a fluid for reducing drag on a hull of a ship, the apparatus comprising: an attachment mechanism that facilitates attachment of the apparatus to an outer surface of the hull; at least two micro-fluidic devices for generating said bubbles; a layered structure comprising two or more layers, each of the layers comprising inner and outer surfaces, wherein a first of the layers comprises a first microstructure forming at least a part of a first of the at least two micro-fluidic devices and a second of the layers comprises a second microstructure forming at least a part of a second of the at least two micro-fluidic devices so that a first of the layers is sandwiched between the outer surface of the hull and the inner surface of a second of the layers, and wherein the layers comprise a supply channel that connects to the at least two microfluidic devices for feeding compressed air into the at least two micro-fluidic devices and facilitate outputting of bubbles at each of the layers.