Wheeled watercraft running on the surface of water

Abstract

The subject of the invention is a watercraft equipped with wheels of special design, which is capable of running on the surface of water. The vessel makes a novel maritime vehicle for fast transportation of small groups of people and commercial merchandise over the surface of rivers, seas, and oceans. The thrust, and share of the lift, is generated by hydrodynamic reaction of water to roll-and-slide motion of the wheels; the rest of the lift, which is necessary to counterbalance the loaded weight of the cruising vehicle, is generated by hydrodynamic forces acting on four plates with adjustable angle of attack and mounted on hydraulic struts with adjustable length. The wheeled watercraft, running on the surface of water at cruising speed, can surpass significantly planing vessels and hydrofoils in speed and fuel efficiency, and lower engine power required to achieve high speeds. The invention has the potential for a number of military applications.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Not ApplicableSTATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not ApplicableTHE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT[0003]Not ApplicableINCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM[0004]Not ApplicableSTATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR[0005]Not ApplicableBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0006]The invention pertains to marine technologies for fast maritime transportation of people and commercial goods. Nearly all sea transportation methods known today use floating principle: boats, ships, aircraft carriers use Archimedes lift force to counterbalance the weight of the vessel. These vessels cannot achieve high cruising speeds, comparable to that of ground transportation vehicles like automobiles and passenger trains, because the water resistance to the motion of vessels grows rapidly with both dis...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes how grebes have developed three strategies to successfully run on water. First, they have high stride rates, which allows them to rush through water. Second, their feet are small and can generate a lot of weight support by hitting the water with high speed. Lastly, their foot bones are flat, which reduces drag and allows them to retract their feet from the water sideways. These techniques have enabled grebes to swim quickly and comfortably through water.

Problems solved by technology

First, rushing grebes use exceptionally high stride rates, reaching 10 Hz.

Images