Patent ID: 6932012
Filing Date: 2005-08-23
Classification: B63B,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A multi-hull vessel, said vessel comprising: a main hull; at least two lateral hulls disposed on opposite sides of said main hull with a surface deck disposed therebetween; an engine mounted in said main hull, said engine being capable of producing exhaust; a plurality of microbubble injectors disposed in exterior areas of each of said lateral hulls in which said microbubble injectors are limited to the subsurface areas of said lateral hulls, extend around the bottoms of said lateral hulls and are spaced along inboard and outboard sides of said lateral hulls wherein each of said microbubble injectors comprises a plate having an open area in the range of 40–50%, the open area defined by a multiplicity of apertures in the range of 1/16– a plurality of conduits in fluid communication with said engine and microbubble injectors; wherein said engine is capable of producing cooling air with said conduits directing the cooling air to said microbubble injectors thereby effecting microbubble generation on the exterior areas and whereby upon an operation of said engine, exhaust produced by said engine is directed by said conduits to said microbubble injectors thereby effecting generation of microbubbles on the exterior areas to occasion microbubble drag reduction on said lateral hulls.