Patent ID: 6575106
Filing Date: 2003-06-10
Classification: B63B,Y02T

Abstract:
An air induction system for introducing air into a cavity under a hull of a marine vessel, the hull having an underside and first and second sidewalls and fore planing surface located toward a bow of the hull and an aft planing surface located toward a stern of the hull, the cavity being a volume bounded by the underside and the first and second sidewalls and the fore and aft planing surfaces, the system comprising:an air inlet arranged to receive air at ambient air pressure; a plenum arranged to receive air from the air inlet; a fore planing surface having a trailing edge, the fore planing surface being located toward a bow of the hull, the trailing edge and the plenum defining a step having a finite height and extending spanwise substantially a width of the trailing edge, the step being arranged to communicate pneumatically and hydraulically with the plenum, the step being arranged to generate a first pressure that is less than ambient pressure as the marine vessel moves forwardly through water and a free stream of water moves past the step, such that air communicated from the plenum is entrainable in the free stream of water; and a mixing chamber arranged to communicate pneumatically and hydraulically with the step, the mixing chamber having a predetermined length, the step and the mixing chamber cooperating to permit kinetic energy of the free stream of water to increase pressure of entrained air as the entrained air moves along the length of the mixing chamber, such that at an aft end of the mixing chamber the entrained air exerts a second pressure that is greater than ambient pressure, wherein the air is introduced into the cavity.