Patent ID: 6024614
Filing Date: 2000-02-15
Classification: B63H

Abstract:
In an improved marine propulsor for propelling a marine vehicle with said improved marine propulsor including a rotor having rotor vanes, a liquid flow to said rotor vanes when said rotor is rotating and the improved marine propulsor is propelling the marine vehicle, and said rotor vanes capable of accelerating fluids when said rotor is rotating to thereby provide propulsive thrust, the improvement comprising:structure enclosing a lower portion of an outer periphery of said rotor vanes over at least a majority of 180 degrees of rotation of said rotor and port and starboard rotor liquid flow directing means terminating, at least in their majority, less than a distance of one and one half rotor diameters upstream of said rotor vanes wherein said liquid flow is, at least in its majority and when the rotor is rotating and the improved marine propulsor is propelling the marine vehicle forward at high speeds, directed to a lower portion of the rotor vanes and which further comprises a gas flow directed to at least a portion of 180 degrees of said rotor's rotation when said improved marine propulsor is propelling the marine vehicle at high speeds.