Convertible hydrofoil and vessel having same

Abstract

Disclosed are a convertible hydrofoil and a vessel having same. According to the present invention, the provided convertible hydrofoil comprises: a first hydrofoil which is supported on the bottom of a vessel; and a second hydrofoil which is disposed below the first hydrofoil so as to be vertically movable with respect to the first hydrofoil, and which is configured so as to couple to the lower portion of the first hydrofoil to form a hydrofoil assembly, or separate downward from the first hydrofoil to increase the submerged surface area.

Description

Variable hydrofoil and vessel equipped therewith

[0001] The present invention relates to a hydrofoil that adds lift to a hull during high-speed sailing.

[0002] This study is related to the development of a liquefied hydrogen-based leisure fishing vessel (Project ID: 2520000015 / Project ID: RS-2022-KS221546) as part of a research project supported by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIMST) with funding from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (government) in 2024.

[0003] A hydrofoil, or hydrofoil, is a wing-like structure attached to the underside of a ship's hull. Its design allows the lift generated by the wings to lift the ship's hull when the ship is sailing at high speeds. Because the density of water (underwater) is generally significantly greater than that of the air outside, hydrofoils can effectively lift heavy hulls even with relatively small sizes. Consequently, they are utilized as a means of reducing the submerged area of ​​high-speed vessels. Furthermore, hydrofoils reduce the drag on the hull during high-speed sailing, contributing to higher speeds.

[0004] Various hydrofoil shapes have been proposed in the past. For example, "Hydrobes Electric Water Scooter" of Patent Publication No. 10-2023-0171639 discloses a type of hydrofoil comprising a rear wing formed transversely at the lower end of a first spot arranged on the rear side of the bottom of the hull to generate lift vertically upward with respect to the direction of travel of the hull, and a front wing formed transversely at the lower end of a second spot spaced forward of the rear wing to generate lift vertically upward with respect to the direction of travel of the hull. In addition, "Ultra-high-speed hydrofoil" of Patent Registration No. 10-1670665 discloses a type of hydrofoil formed by forming a front flat portion and a rear flat portion at the bottom of the hull, and attaching a bow hydrofoil and a stern hydrofoil to the lower end of the front flat portion and the lower end of the rear flat portion, respectively.

[0005] The above description is provided to aid in understanding the technical background of the present invention and should not be construed to limit, restrict, or otherwise limit the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the contents described or implied in the above description do not necessarily constitute prior art, and some may include contents that do not constitute prior art.

[0006] Embodiments of the present invention aim to provide a variable hydrofoil and a vessel equipped with the same.

[0007] In addition, embodiments of the present invention aim to provide a variable hydrofoil and a ship equipped with the same, which can reduce resistance applied to a hull by raising the hull during high-speed sailing, while reducing resistance caused by the hydrofoil in a low-speed section.

[0008] However, the technical challenges addressed by the embodiments of the present invention are not necessarily limited to the technical challenges mentioned above. Other technical challenges not mentioned will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description and other descriptions contained in the specification.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a variable hydrofoil may be provided, including a first hydrofoil supported on a ship bottom and a second hydrofoil disposed on a lower side of the first hydrofoil and formed to be movable up and down with respect to the first hydrofoil, but formed to be coupled to a lower side of the first hydrofoil to form a hydrofoil assembly or to be detachable downward from the first hydrofoil to increase an underwater area.

[0010] According to embodiments of the present invention, the variable hydrofoil is formed by combining the first and second hydrofoils in a low-speed section to form a hydrofoil assembly. The first and second hydrofoils or the hydrofoil assembly can be implemented in a smaller size than a single hydrofoil having similar lift performance depending on the operating characteristics in the high-speed section, thereby contributing to reducing the underwater area or drag in the low-speed section.

[0011] Additionally, the variable hydrofoil according to embodiments of the present invention can increase the underwater area of ​​the variable hydrofoil by separating the first and second hydrofoils in the high-speed section. The increased underwater area enables sufficient lift generation through the variable hydrofoil, and thus the hull can effectively float despite the reduced size of the variable hydrofoil.

[0012] Meanwhile, a vessel according to embodiments of the present invention may include a variable hydrofoil as described above and share the technical effects described above.

[0013] However, the technical effects attainable through the embodiments of the present invention are not necessarily limited to the effects mentioned above. Other technical effects not mentioned will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description and other descriptions in the specification.

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the forces acting on a hydrofoil.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a variable hydrofoil according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3 is a high-speed section operating state diagram of the variable hydrofoil illustrated in Figure 2.

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The following embodiments are provided to more fully explain the present invention to those skilled in the art, and it should be noted that the technical concepts of the present invention are not necessarily limited to the specific embodiments described below. It should be understood that the present invention broadly encompasses various equivalents, substitutes, and variations that implement the technical concepts described below.

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the forces acting on a hydrofoil.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, the force applied to a hydrofoil (10) or a ship equipped with a hydrofoil (10) may include the ship's propulsion force (P), lifting force (L) and drag force (D) generated on the hydrofoil (10), and drag force applied to the hull.

[0020] In the above, the lift (L) is proportional to the speed of the ship, and the drag applied to the hydrofoil (10) and the hull is proportional to the underwater area of ​​the hydrofoil (10) and the hull. In general, the hydrofoil (10) can be operated to raise the hull during high-speed sailing, thereby reducing the underwater area or drag caused by the hull.

[0021] However, the hydrofoil (10) may act as a factor that increases the underwater area or drag of the entire ship until the hull is floated. That is, since the hydrofoil (10) acts as a factor that increases the underwater area until the ship reaches a sufficient speed corresponding to the high-speed section or floatation speed, it may generate greater resistance in the low-speed section compared to a ship without the hydrofoil (10).

[0022] Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a variable hydrofoil according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a high-speed section operating state diagram of the variable hydrofoil illustrated in Fig. 2.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a variable hydrofoil (100) according to the present embodiment may be placed on the hull bottom (20). The variable hydrofoil (100) may be placed underwater and operated to raise the hull according to the speed of the vessel. In this description, the lifting of the hull encompasses various types of motion in which the hull moves or changes its posture relative to the waterline so as to reduce the underwater area of ​​the hull.

[0024] In some cases, a plurality of variable hydrofoils (100) may be provided. In addition, a plurality of variable hydrofoils (100) may be arranged in the bow and stern direction or the ship width direction from the ship bottom (20). In the present embodiment, two sets of variable hydrofoils (100) are provided and are arranged spaced apart from each other in the bow and stern direction. However, the number and arrangement of variable hydrofoils (100) may be modified in various ways depending on the case, and are not necessarily limited to those exemplified.

[0025] In some cases, the hull (20) may be equipped with multiple hydrofoils, and only some of the multiple hydrofoils may be configured as variable hydrofoils (100). For example, in the case illustrated, a general hydrofoil may be arranged on the bow side, and a variable hydrofoil (100) according to the present embodiment may be arranged on the stern side.

[0026] Referring to the enlarged views of FIGS. 2 and 3, the variable hydrofoil (100) according to the present embodiment may include a first hydrofoil (110) and a second hydrofoil (120). The first hydrofoil (110) may be arranged above the second hydrofoil (120), and the second hydrofoil (120) may be arranged below the first hydrofoil (110). The first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) may be arranged generally vertically.

[0027] The first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) can be formed to be mutually coupled and separable. That is, the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) can be operated in a mutually coupled state as shown in the enlarged view of Fig. 2, or in a mutually separated state as shown in the enlarged view of Fig. 3.

[0028] In the variable hydrofoil (100) according to the present embodiment, the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) may be operated in a combined state as in FIG. 2 to reduce the underwater area in a low-speed range, or in a separated state as in FIG. 3 to increase the underwater area in a high-speed range. This will be further explained in relation to the operation of the present embodiment.

[0029] The first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) can be formed to be movable up and down for the above-described combination and separation.

[0030] In the present embodiment, the second hydrofoil (120) is moved up and down with respect to the first hydrofoil (110) to perform the above-described coupling and separation. In this case, the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) can be supported and installed in such a manner that the first hydrofoil (110) arranged on the upper side is supported by the ship bottom (20), etc., and the second hydrofoil (120) arranged on the lower side is supported by the first hydrofoil (110). In this case, the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) can be implemented to have a relatively simple driving mechanism, and there is an advantage in that a solid support structure of the variable hydrofoil (100) can be implemented through the first hydrofoil (110) supported by the ship bottom (20), etc.

[0031] However, the structure for coupling and decoupling the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) may be modified in various ways depending on the case, and is not necessarily limited to the examples. For example, a method in which the second hydrofoil (120) is fixed to the bottom of the ship (20), etc., and the first hydrofoil (110) is moved relative to the second hydrofoil (120) to be coupled and separated from each other, or a method in which the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) are moved together in a direction in which they approach or separate from each other to be coupled and separated from each other, etc. may be considered.

[0032] Looking at each component in more detail, first, the variable hydrofoil (100) according to the present embodiment may include a first hydrofoil (110).

[0033] As described above, the first hydrofoil (110) can be placed on top of the second hydrofoil (120). In the present embodiment, the first hydrofoil (110) can be fixedly installed on the bottom of the ship (20), etc., and the second hydrofoil (120) can be moved up and down so that the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) can be mutually coupled or separated.

[0034] In this embodiment, the first hydrofoil (110) can be fixedly installed on the ship bottom (20) via a column (30). The column (30) can be formed to extend downward from the ship bottom (20) by a predetermined length, and the first hydrofoil (110) can be installed at the lower end of the column (30).

[0035] In some cases, the first hydrofoil (110) may be formed to be integral with the column (30) in part or in whole, or to share a part or all of its configuration with the column (30). The column (30) may have various structures, positions, shapes, etc., as long as it can properly support, position, etc. the first hydrofoil (110), and is not necessarily limited to those exemplified. In some cases, the column (30) may be designed to appropriately take into account underwater resistance according to the progress of the hull.

[0036] Meanwhile, the first hydrofoil (110) may have an upper surface (111). The upper surface (111) may be formed to have a streamlined shape according to the hydrofoil and may be extended.

[0037] The upper surface (111) may be formed to extend from the leading edge (113) of the front end to the trailing edge (114) of the rear end. In the present embodiment, the first hydrofoil (110) may share the leading edge (113) and the trailing edge (114) with the second hydrofoil (120). That is, the hydrofoil assembly (140) described below may be formed to have one leading edge (113) and one trailing edge (114), despite the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120).

[0038] In addition, the first hydrofoil (110) may have a first joining surface (112). The first joining surface (112) may form the bottom portion of the first hydrofoil (110). For reference, in this description, the bottom portion of the second hydrofoil (120) to be described later is referred to as the lower surface (122), and the bottom portion of the first hydrofoil (110) is referred to as the first joining surface (112) to distinguish it from this.

[0039] The first joining surface (112) may be formed to have a streamlined shape and be extended. In the present embodiment, the first joining surface (112) is formed to have a streamlined shape corresponding to the second joining surface (121) and to be extended. The first and second joining surfaces (112, 121) formed to correspond to each other can stably maintain the connection of the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) in the state of the hydrofoil assembly (140) and provide appropriate support rigidity against external force during operation. However, the first joining surface (112) does not necessarily have to have a shape corresponding to the second joining surface (121). In some cases, the first joining surface (112) may have a shape that is different from that of the second joining surface (121) in part or in whole.

[0040] For example, the first joining surface (112) may be formed to have a different streamlined shape or curvature than the second joining surface (121). In this case, the shape of the first joining surface (112) may be designed with a greater focus on improving the lifting characteristics of the first hydrofoil (110).

[0041] As another example, the first joining surface (112) may be formed in a shape having a predetermined clearance or space between it and the second joining surface (121). In this case, the clearance or space between the first and second joining surfaces (112, 121) may function to reduce the weight of the hydrofoil assembly (140).

[0042] Meanwhile, the variable hydrofoil (100) according to the present embodiment may include a second hydrofoil (120).

[0043] As described above, the second hydrofoil (120) may be placed below the first hydrofoil (110). In the present embodiment, the second hydrofoil (120) may be formed to be able to move up and down with respect to the fixed first hydrofoil (110), and the second hydrofoil (120) may be moved up and down so that the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) may be mutually coupled or separated.

[0044] In this embodiment, the second hydrofoil (120) can be formed to be supported and move up and down through a driving unit (130) to be described later. This will be further explained in relation to the driving unit (130).

[0045] The second hydrofoil (120) may have a second joining surface (121). The second joining surface (121) may form the upper surface portion of the second hydrofoil (120).

[0046] The second joining surface (121) may be formed to have a streamlined shape and be extended. In the present embodiment, the second joining surface (121) is formed to have a streamlined shape corresponding to the first joining surface (112) and to be extended. In this case, the second joining surface (121) may be joined to the first joining surface (112) or separated downward from the first joining surface (112) according to the vertical movement of the second hydrofoil (120). However, as described above, in some cases, the second joining surface (121) may have a different shape from the first joining surface (112).

[0047] In the present embodiment, the second joining surface (121) may be formed to have a streamlined shape generally according to the hydrofoil and may be extended. That is, the second hydrofoil (120) may generally have a single independent hydrofoil shape. This is done in consideration of the fact that the second joining surface (121) to the second hydrofoil (120) are operated in a high-speed range and are positioned at a lower underwater position compared to the first hydrofoil (110).

[0048] Meanwhile, the second hydrofoil (120) may have a lower surface (122). The lower surface (122) may be formed to extend and have a streamlined shape according to the hydrofoil. The lower surface (122) may be formed to extend from the leading edge (123) at the front end to the trailing edge (124) at the rear end. As described above, in the present embodiment, the second hydrofoil (120) may share the leading edge (123) and the trailing edge (124) with the first hydrofoil (110).

[0049] Meanwhile, the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) may be mutually coupled to form a single hydrofoil assembly (140) as illustrated in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) may be formed by dividing a single hydrofoil assembly (140) having a hydrofoil shape into upper and lower portions.

[0050] The hydrofoil assembly (140) may have a leading edge (142) and a trailing edge (143), and the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) may share the leading edge (142) and the trailing edge (143).

[0051] Additionally, the hydrofoil assembly (140) may have a camber line (141).

[0052] For reference, the camber line (141) refers to a line connecting the midpoint between the upper surface (111) and the lower surface (122) of the hydrofoil assembly (140). In some cases, the joining line between the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) may be arranged on the upper side of the camber line (141). The joining line may refer to an imaginary line that connects the areas where the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) are joined or supported in a smooth curve. Alternatively, in the case of the present embodiment, the joining line may correspond to the second joining surface (121), and the second joining surface (121) may be formed to be arranged on the upper side of the camber line (141). Alternatively, the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) may be formed by dividing one hydrofoil shape into upper and lower parts, and may be divided on the upper side of the camber line (141) of the hydrofoil shape.

[0053] Meanwhile, the variable hydrofoil (100) according to the present embodiment may include a driving unit (130).

[0054] The driving unit (130) can be formed to support the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) in a mutually coupled state, or to separate the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120). That is, the driving unit (130) can be formed to manipulate the coupling and separation of the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120).

[0055] In the present embodiment, the driving unit (130) may be formed as a cylinder-shaped driving means arranged inside the column (30). The driving unit (130) may be provided with an operating rod (131) that moves up and down, and the operating rod (131) may be connected to the first hydrofoil (110) on the lower side via the first hydrofoil (110) on the upper side. The second hydrofoil (120) may be coupled to the first hydrofoil (110) when the operating rod (131) is raised and lowered to form a single hydrofoil assembly (140), and may be separated from the first hydrofoil (110) when the operating rod (131) is lowered and may be spaced apart from the first hydrofoil (110) and arranged on the lower side of the first hydrofoil (110).

[0056] However, the driving unit (130) may have various structures, methods, etc., as long as it can appropriately adjust the relative positions of the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120), and is not necessarily limited to those exemplified.

[0057] The operation of the variable hydrofoil (100) as described above will be examined. FIG. 2 illustrates the operating state of the variable hydrofoil (100) in the low-speed range. The variable hydrofoil (100) can be operated in the state of a hydrofoil assembly (140) in which the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) are combined in the low-speed range. In this case, the variable hydrofoil (100) can function as an underwater area with the upper surface (111) of the first hydrofoil (110) and the lower surface (122) of the second hydrofoil (120). That is, the variable hydrofoil (100) can function to minimize the underwater area through the combination of the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120).

[0058] In some cases, the above operating conditions may be used to respond to water depth or underwater environments. For example, the above operating conditions may be used to respond to shallow water depths when a vessel is docked or berthing, or to avoid underwater obstacles.

[0059] Meanwhile, Fig. 3 illustrates the operating state of a variable hydrofoil (100) in a high-speed region. The variable hydrofoil (100) can be operated in a state in which the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) are separated in the high-speed region. In this case, the variable hydrofoil (100) can have the first joining surface (112) of the first hydrofoil (110) and the second joining surface (121) of the second hydrofoil (120) exposed underwater, thereby increasing the underwater area. The increased underwater area can increase the lift by the variable hydrofoil (100) and realize stable buoyancy of the hull.

[0060] In addition, since the variable hydrofoil (100) provides a larger underwater area than the conventional single-type hydrofoil through the exposure of the first and second joining surfaces (112, 121), it can be implemented in a smaller size than the conventional single-type hydrofoil. In other words, some conventional single-type hydrofoils have been implemented in a size exceeding the hull width in order to generate sufficient lift, which has caused problems of causing obstacles during navigation or berthing in a port. On the other hand, the variable hydrofoil (100) of the present embodiment can be implemented in a smaller size than the single-type hydrofoil having similar lift performance, and thus can effectively solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0061] Meanwhile, when the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) are separated vertically, a kind of internal flow path can be formed in the gap between the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120). The internal flow path can be formed to extend back and forth between the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120), and a forward and backward flow can be created according to the progress of the hull. The forward and backward flow created in the internal flow path in this way can contribute to stably controlling the attitude of the hull during sailing, and can function effectively in maintaining the straightness of the hull or maintaining the buoyancy height, especially during high-speed sailing and surfacing.

[0062] Meanwhile, when a plurality of variable hydrofoils (100) are provided, each variable hydrofoil (100) may be operated in a coupled state in a low-speed range and then appropriately switched to a separated state in a high-speed range. In some operating examples, each variable hydrofoil (100) may be switched to a separated state in the same manner when the high-speed range is reached. That is, in the case of the present embodiment, the variable hydrofoil (100) arranged on the bow side and the variable hydrofoil (100) arranged on the stern side may be switched to a separated state in the same manner.

[0063] In some cases, some of the variable hydrofoils (100) among the plurality of variable hydrofoils (100) may be switched to a separated state with different gaps (G1). The gap (G1) above refers to the gap (G1) between the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) in the separated state as shown in FIG. 3.

[0064] For example, in the variable hydrofoil (100) arranged on the bow side, the gap (G1) between the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) in a separated state may be formed differently, and in the variable hydrofoil (100) arranged on the stern side, the gap (G1) between the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) in a separated state may be formed differently. In such a case, the lift deviation according to each variable hydrofoil (100) may be used to control the attitude of the hull. Alternatively, in such a case, the lift deviation according to the detailed specifications of each variable hydrofoil (100) may be appropriately compensated for to balance the lift between the bow and stern.

[0065] As described above, in the variable hydrofoil (100) according to embodiments of the present invention, the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) are combined in a low-speed section to form a hydrofoil assembly (140). The first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) and the hydrofoil assembly (140) can be implemented in a smaller size than a single hydrofoil having similar lift performance depending on the operating characteristics in the high-speed section, and thus can contribute to reducing the underwater area or drag in the low-speed section.

[0066] In addition, in the variable hydrofoil (100) according to embodiments of the present invention, the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) can be separated in the high-speed section, thereby increasing the underwater area of ​​the variable hydrofoil (100). The increased underwater area enables sufficient lift generation through the variable hydrofoil (100), and accordingly, the hull can effectively float despite the reduced size of the variable hydrofoil (100).

[0067] Meanwhile, a vessel according to embodiments of the present invention may include a variable hydrofoil (100) as described above and share the technical effects described above.

[0068] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art will be able to modify or change the present invention in various ways by adding, changing, deleting or adding components within the scope that does not depart from the technical idea of ​​the present invention described in the claims, and this will also be considered to be included in the scope of the rights of the present invention.

Claims

1. A first hydrofoil (110) supported on the ship bottom (20); and A variable hydrofoil including a second hydrofoil (120) that is formed to be positioned on the lower side of the first hydrofoil (110) and move up and down with respect to the first hydrofoil (110), but is formed to be joined to the lower side of the first hydrofoil (110) to form a hydrofoil assembly (140), or is formed to be detachable downward from the first hydrofoil (110) to increase the underwater area.

2. In claim 1, The above first hydrofoil (110) is The upper surface (111) is formed in a streamlined shape; and A variable hydrofoil forming a bottom portion of the first hydrofoil (110) and including a first joining surface (112) that is coupled or separated from the second hydrofoil (120).

3. In claim 2, The above second hydrofoil (120) is A lower surface (122) formed in a streamlined shape; and A variable hydrofoil forming an upper surface portion of the second hydrofoil (120) and including a second joining surface (121) that is joined or separated from the first hydrofoil (110).

4. In claim 3, The above hydrofoil assembly (140) includes a camber line (141), The above second joining surface (121) is a variable hydrofoil formed to be positioned above the camber line (141) when the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) are joined.

5. In claim 1, The above hydrofoil assembly (140) includes a camber line (141), A variable hydrofoil formed so that the joint line between the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) is positioned above the camber line (141) when the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) are joined.

6. In claim 1, The above first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) operate at a low speed below a preset speed. A variable hydrofoil formed so that the hydrofoil assembly (140) is formed at the station and the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) are separated in a high-speed region above the predetermined speed.

7. In claim 6, The above first and second hydrofoils (110, 120) are variable hydrofoils that are separated in the high-speed region and form an internal flow path extending back and forth between the first and second hydrofoils (110, 120).

8. In claim 1, It includes a driving unit (130) that moves the second hydrofoil (120) up and down with respect to the first hydrofoil (110). The above driving unit (130) is a variable hydrofoil including an operating rod (131) that is connected to the first hydrofoil (110) on the lower side via the first hydrofoil (110) on the upper side and is driven up and down.

9. In claim 8, The above first hydrofoil (110) is supported on a column (30) extended from the ship bottom (20), The above driving unit (130) is a variable hydrofoil placed inside the column (30).

10. Pre-flight section (20); and It includes a plurality of hydrofoils spaced apart in the forward and backward direction on the above-mentioned ship bottom (20), A vessel in which at least one of the above-mentioned plurality of hydrofoils is formed as a variable hydrofoil (100) according to claim 1.

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