Hydrofoil ship

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a hydrofoil ship capable of obtaining stable lift using hydrofoils of a simple configuration.　A hydrofoil ship (1) comprises a first hydrofoil (20a) and a second hydrofoil (20b) that are provided at a predetermined location on a ship bottom (2a), across a spacing in a left-right direction of a hull (2). The first hydrofoil (20a) and the second hydrofoil (20b) each have a hollow triangular prism shape having sides faces formed by takeoff foils (21a, 21b), main foils (22a, 22b), and stabilizing foils (23a, 23b), the length direction thereof being parallel to the front-rear direction of the hull (2), the main foils (22a, 22b) being on the lower side, and the stabilizing foil (23a) of the first hydrofoil (20a) and the stabilizing foil (23b) of the second hydrofoil (20b) being disposed facing each other. The hydrofoil ship also comprises propulsion devices (30a, 30b) on the outer faces of the stabilizing foil 23a, 23b or the takeoff foils (21a, 21b) of the first hydrofoil (20a) and the second hydrofoil (20b).

Description

Hydrofoil boat

[0001] The present invention relates to a hydrofoil boat.

[0002] Conventionally, a hydrofoil boat that penetrates the water surface and has hydrofoils at the front and rear of the hull, with each hydrofoil supported by an outer support member and an inner support member on the hull, is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the above hydrofoil boat, movable flaps are provided at the trailing edges of each hydrofoil and the support member, and by changing the angle of the movable flaps, the sway of the hull is reduced.

[0003] Microfilm of Japanese Utility Model Application No. Sho 60-73201 (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei 61-187791).

[0004] In the technology described in Patent Document 1 above, since movable flaps are provided at the trailing edges of each hydrofoil and the support member, the configuration of each hydrofoil and the support member becomes complicated, and there is a disadvantage that the maintenance work burden, such as checking the operation of each movable flap, also increases. The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and an object thereof is to provide a hydrofoil boat that can obtain stable lift using hydrofoils with a simple configuration.

[0005] As an aspect for achieving the above object, a hydrofoil boat includes a first hydrofoil and a second hydrofoil provided at a predetermined position on the bottom of the hull at intervals in the left-right direction of the hull. The first hydrofoil and the second hydrofoil have a hollow triangular prism shape with a lifting wing, a main wing, and a straight-ahead wing on the side surface, the length direction is parallel to the front-rear direction of the hull, the main wing is on the lower side, and the straight-ahead wings of the first hydrofoil and the second hydrofoil are arranged to face each other. A hydrofoil boat includes a propulsion device provided on the outer surface of the straight-ahead wing or the lifting wing of the first hydrofoil and the second hydrofoil.

[0006] According to the above hydrofoil boat, due to the layout configuration in which a propulsion device is provided on the outer surface of the main wing or the straight-ahead wing of the first hydrofoil and the second hydrofoil having a simple hollow triangular prism shape, the water flow passing through the inside of the first hydrofoil and the second hydrofoil is suppressed from being disturbed by the water flow generated by the propulsion device, and stable lift can be obtained.

[0007] Figure 1 is an external view of the hydrofoil. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of how the first hydrofoil, second hydrofoil, and vertical stabilizer are attached to the hull. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of the vertical mounting position of the thrusters on the straight wing. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the longitudinal mounting position of the thrusters on the straight wing. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the control system of the hydrofoil.

[0008] [1. Configuration of the Hydrofoil Vessel] The configuration of the hydrofoil vessel 1 of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 shows the overall appearance of the hydrofoil vessel 1, and Figure 2 is a front view of the hydrofoil vessel 1 as seen from the bow side. In Figures 1, 2, and Figures 3 and 4 described later, the longitudinal direction (length direction) of the hydrofoil vessel 1 is indicated by Y1 (bow side) - Y2 (stern side), the lateral direction (width direction) is indicated by X1 (port side) - X2 (starboard side), and the vertical direction (height direction) is indicated by Z1 (top side) - Z2 (bottom side). The hydrofoil vessel 1 operates unmanned on oceans, rivers, lakes, etc., measuring the conditions of the navigation area and collecting monitor information showing the measurement results.

[0009] As shown in Figure 1, the hydrofoil vessel 1 is equipped with solar panels 3 on the top surface of the hull 2. Also, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the hydrofoil vessel 1 is equipped with a first hydrofoil 20a, a second hydrofoil 20b, and a vertical stabilizer 40 on the bottom 2a of the hull. A horizontal stabilizer 42 is provided at the lower end of the vertical stabilizer 40. The first hydrofoil 20a and the second hydrofoil 20b are hollow triangular prisms, and their longitudinal directions are arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction (Y1-Y2 direction) of the hull 2.

[0010] As shown in Figure 2, the first hydrofoil 20a and the second hydrofoil 20b are symmetrical with respect to the centerline Lc of the hull 2 ​​in the left-right direction (X1-X2 direction). The first hydrofoil 20a is formed with a take-off wing 21a, a main wing 22a, and a straight-moving wing 23a as its sides, with the main wing 22a on the underside. Similarly, the second hydrofoil 20b is formed with a take-off wing 21b, a main wing 22b, and a straight-moving wing 23b as its sides, with the main wing 22b on the underside. The straight-moving wing 23a of the first hydrofoil 20a and the straight-moving wing 23b of the second hydrofoil 20b face each other in the left-right direction (X1-X2 direction) of the hull 2.

[0011] A thruster 30a is attached to the outer surface of the straight wing 23a of the first hydrofoil 20a, and a thruster 30b is attached to the outer surface of the straight wing 23b of the second hydrofoil 20b. The thrusters 30a and 30b are configured to obtain thrust by a propulsion method such as screw propulsion, which rotates a screw, or water jet propulsion, which ejects a high-pressure water stream.

[0012] In this way, by arranging the thrusters 30a and 30b on the outer surfaces of the hollow triangular prism-shaped first hydrowing 20a and second hydrowing 20b, respectively, disturbances in the lift generated near the main wings 22a and 22b can be suppressed, and stable lift can be obtained. Alternatively, the thrusters 30a and 30b may be attached to the outer surfaces of the take-off wings 21a and 21b instead of the straight-line wings 23a and 23b of the first hydrowing 20a and second hydrowing 20b.

[0013] The first hydrofoil 20a and the second hydrofoil 20b are positioned at the center of gravity Cg of the hull 2 ​​in the longitudinal direction. The center of gravity Cg is approximately midway between the longitudinal and lateral directions of the hull 2. Furthermore, in the lateral direction of the hull 2, the first hydrofoil 20a and the second hydrofoil 20b are mounted at positions evenly distributed to the left and right of the center of gravity Cg, as shown in Figure 2. By positioning the first hydrofoil 20a and the second hydrofoil 20b near the center of gravity Cg of the hull 2 ​​(corresponding to a position within a predetermined range from the center of gravity of the hull in this disclosure), the weight of the hull 2 ​​can be stably supported by the lift generated by the main wing 22a of the first hydrofoil 20a and the main wing 22b of the second hydrofoil 20b.

[0014] [2. Mounting Position of the Propulsion System] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the appropriate mounting position of the thruster 30a on the straight wing 23a of the first hydrofoil 20a will be explained. The appropriate mounting position of the thruster 30b on the straight wing 23b of the second hydrofoil 20b is the same, so here we will explain the first hydrofoil 20a and omit the explanation for the second hydrofoil 20b.

[0015] Figure 3 shows the mounting position of the thruster 30a on the straight wing 23a of the first hydrofoil 20a in the vertical direction (Z1-Z2 direction) of the hull 2. In Figure 3, H is the vertical height range of the straight wing 23a, and Hd is the range below half of H. By mounting the thruster 30a in a position within the range of Hd, preferably at the lowest position, it is possible to suppress the thruster 30a from being exposed above the water when the hull 2 ​​rises above the water surface, thereby keeping the thruster 30a submerged. This prevents a decrease in the thrust force provided by the thruster 30a when the hull 2 ​​rises above the water surface.

[0016] Figure 4 shows the mounting position of the thruster 30a on the straight wing 23a of the first hydrofoil 20a in the longitudinal direction (Y1-Y2 direction) of the hull. In Figure 4, L is the longitudinal length range of the straight wing 23a, and Lf is the forward range of half L. Since the thickness of the straight wing 23a decreases from the front to the rear, the mounting strength of the straight wing 23a can be increased by mounting the thruster 30a in the forward range Lf of the straight wing 23a.

[0017] Furthermore, when the thrusters 30a and 30b are attached to the outer surfaces of the take-off wings 21a and 21b, they should be attached to the lower half of the take-off wings 21a and 21b in the vertical direction and to the front half in the longitudinal direction, similar to when they are attached to the straight wings 23a and 23b.

[0018] [3. Configuration of the Vertical Stabilizer] The configuration of the vertical stabilizer 40 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 1, the vertical stabilizer 40 is attached to the stern of the hull 2 ​​via a vertical position adjustment section 41. The vertical position adjustment section 41 is configured to change the position of the vertical stabilizer 40 relative to the hull 2 ​​in the vertical direction (Z1-Z2 direction) of the hull 2 ​​by manual operation such as a slider, jack, or adjustment bolt, or by an actuator. At the lower end of the vertical stabilizer 40, a horizontal stabilizer 42 is provided that extends in the longitudinal direction (Y1-Y2 direction) and the left-right direction (X1-X2 direction) of the hull 2.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the vertical stabilizer 40 is mounted at an intermediate position in the left-right direction (X1-X2 direction) of the hull 2. The vertical position adjustment unit 41 allows the balance between the straight-line movement and turning ability of the hydrofoil 1 to be adjusted by changing the vertical position of the vertical stabilizer 40 relative to the hull 2.

[0020] Furthermore, the following adjustments (a) and (b) may be made to the mechanism around the vertical stabilizer 40: (a) To adjust the lift, the mounting angle of the vertical stabilizer 40 with respect to the left-right axis (X1-X2 direction) of the hull 2 ​​is adjusted to adjust the angle of attack of the horizontal stabilizer 42. (b) To perform a yaw turn, the mounting angle of the vertical stabilizer 40 with respect to the up-down axis (Z1-Z2 direction) of the hull 2 ​​is adjusted to operate the rudder angle of the vertical stabilizer 40.

[0021] [4. Control System Configuration] Referring to Figure 5, the configuration of the control system of the hydrofoil 1 will be described. The hydrofoil 1 includes a control unit 50 that controls the overall operation of the hydrofoil 1, a communication unit 70 connected to the control unit 50, a thruster drive circuit 71, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor 80, a speed sensor 81, a gyro sensor 82, and a monitor sensor 83. The hydrofoil 1 also has a battery 4 that is charged by the power generated by the solar panel 3, and electrical components such as the control unit 50 are operated by the output power of the solar panel 3 or the battery 4.

[0022] The communication unit 70 communicates wirelessly with communication systems such as the information gathering system 100 via the communication network 100. The GNSS sensor 80 detects the current position of the hydrofoil 1. The speed sensor 81 detects the cruising speed of the hydrofoil 1. The gyro sensor 82 detects the angular velocity of the hydrofoil 1. The monitor sensor 83 detects the conditions of the cruising area being collected by the hydrofoil 1. The monitor sensor 83 may be, for example, a sonar sensor that detects objects in the water or on the seabed, a water temperature sensor, a wind speed sensor, etc.

[0023] The thruster drive circuit 71 sets the output of thrusters 30a and 30b according to the control signal output from the control unit 50, detects the operating status of thrusters 30a and 30b, and outputs a detection signal indicating the operating status to the control unit 50.

[0024] The control unit 50 includes a processor 51, a memory 60, an interface circuit, etc., and the memory 60 stores a program 61 for controlling the hydrofoil 1, nautical chart data 62, and monitor data 63. The control unit 50 controls the navigation of the hydrofoil 1 by executing the program 61 using the processor 51, and also measures the navigation environment using the monitor sensor 83 and stores the measurement results in monitor data 63 in the memory.

[0025] The control unit 50 navigates the target area set as the observation target based on the current position of the hydrofoil vessel 1 detected by the GNSS sensor 80 and the nautical chart data 62, either autonomously or based on navigation instruction information transmitted from the information collection system 110. While navigating the target area, the control unit 50 measures the navigation environment using the monitor sensor 83 at predetermined measurement cycles or in response to receiving measurement instruction information transmitted from the information collection system 110.

[0026] The control unit 50 transmits the monitor data 63 stored in the memory 60 to the information collection system 110 at predetermined upload cycles or in response to receiving upload instruction information transmitted from the information collection system 110. This enables the information collection system 110 to analyze the environmental conditions of the target area based on the monitor data 63.

[0027] [5. Other Embodiments] In the above embodiment, an electric hydrofoil 1 equipped with a solar panel 3 was shown, but the present invention can also be applied to an electric hydrofoil without a solar panel 3, or to a hydrofoil equipped with a propulsion system using an internal combustion engine that uses fossil fuels.

[0028] In the above embodiment, a vertical position changing unit 41 is provided to allow the vertical position of the vertical stabilizer 40 relative to the hull 2 ​​to be changed. However, the vertical position changing unit 41 may be omitted, and the vertical position of the vertical stabilizer 40 relative to the hull 2 ​​may be fixed.

[0029] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the hydrofoil 1, divided according to its main processing content, in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention. The control system of the hydrofoil 1 may be configured by other divisions. Furthermore, the processing of each component may be performed by one hardware unit or by multiple hardware units.

[0030] [6. Configurations Supported by the Above Embodiments] The above embodiments are specific examples of the following configurations.

[0031] (Configuration 1) A hydrofoil ship equipped with a first hydrofoil and a second hydrofoil provided at predetermined locations on the bottom of the hull, spaced apart in the left-right direction of the hull, wherein the first hydrofoil and the second hydrofoil have a hollow triangular prism shape with a takeoff wing, a main wing, and a straight wing as sides, and their length is parallel to the front-rear direction of the hull, with the main wing on the lower side and the straight wing of the first hydrofoil and the straight wing of the second hydrofoil facing each other, and the hydrofoil ship is equipped with a propulsion system provided on the outer surface of the straight wing or takeoff wing of the first hydrofoil and the second hydrofoil. According to the hydrofoil ship of Configuration 1, by providing a propulsion system on the outer surface of the main wing or straight wing of the first hydrofoil and the second hydrofoil, which have a simple hollow triangular prism shape, it is possible to suppress disturbance of the water flow passing inside the first hydrofoil and the second hydrofoil by the water flow generated by the propulsion system and obtain stable lift.

[0032] (Configuration 2) The hydrofoil ship according to Configuration 1, wherein the predetermined location is a location within a predetermined range from the center of gravity of the hull. With the hydrofoil ship of Configuration 2, the weight of the hull can be stably supported by the lift generated by the main wing.

[0033] (Configuration 3) The hydrofoil vessel according to Configuration 1 or Configuration 2, wherein the propulsion system is located below the midpoint of the vertical direction of the straight-moving wing or the water-lifting wing. According to the hydrofoil vessel of Configuration 3, when the hull is lifted out of the water by the lift generated by the first hydrofoil and the second hydrofoil, the propulsion system can be maintained in a state where it is located in the water.

[0034] (Configuration 4) A hydrofoil ship according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein the thickness of the takeoff wing or main wing on which the propulsion device is installed decreases from the bow side to the stern side of the hull, and the propulsion device is installed forward of the midpoint of the takeoff wing or main wing in the longitudinal direction. According to the hydrofoil ship of Configuration 4, the strength and rigidity of the propulsion device mounting location can be increased by attaching the propulsion device to a thicker part of the takeoff wing or main wing.

[0035] (Configuration 5) A hydrofoil vessel according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, comprising a vertical stabilizer provided at the stern of the hull and extending in the vertical and longitudinal directions of the hull, and a vertical position changing unit that changes the vertical position of the vertical stabilizer relative to the hull. According to the hydrofoil vessel of Configuration 5, the turning ability and straight-line stability of the hull can be adjusted by changing the vertical position of the vertical stabilizer relative to the hull using the vertical position changing unit.

[0036] (Configuration 6) A hydrofoil ship according to Configuration 5, further comprising a horizontal tail fin provided at the lower end of the vertical tail fin and extending in the left-right and front-rear directions of the hull. In the hydrofoil ship of Configuration 6, the vertical position of the vertical tail fin and the horizontal tail fin relative to the hull can be adjusted by the vertical position adjustment unit.

[0037] 1...Hydrofoil ship, 2...Hull, 2a...Bottom of the hull, 3...Solar panel, 20a...First hydrofoil, 20b...Second hydrofoil, 21a, 21b...Take-off wings, 22a, 22b...Main wings, 23a, 23b...Straight wings, 30a, 30b...Propulsion system, 40...Vertical stabilizer, 41...Vertical position change unit, 42...Horizontal stabilizer, 50...Control unit, 51...Processor, 60...Memory, 61...Program, 62...Nautical chart data, 63...Monitor data, 70...Communication unit, 71...Propulsion drive circuit, 80...GNSS sensor, 81...Speed ​​sensor, 82...Gyro sensor, 83...Monitor sensor, 100...Communication network, 110...Information gathering system.

Claims

1. A hydrofoil vessel comprising a first hydrofoil and a second hydrofoil provided at predetermined locations on the bottom of the hull, spaced apart in the left-right direction of the hull, wherein the first hydrofoil and the second hydrofoil have a hollow triangular prism shape with a takeoff wing, a main wing, and a straight wing as sides, their length parallel to the front-rear direction of the hull, with the main wing facing downwards and the straight wing of the first hydrofoil and the straight wing of the second hydrofoil facing each other, and the hydrofoil vessel comprising a propulsion system provided on the outer surface of the straight wing of the first hydrofoil and the second hydrofoil or the takeoff wing.

2. The hydrofoil vessel according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined location is a location within a predetermined range from the center of gravity of the hull.

3. The hydrofoil vessel according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the propulsion system is located below the midpoint of the vertical direction of the straight wing or the takeoff wing.

4. The hydrofoil vessel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the takeoff wing or main wing on which the propulsion device is provided decreases in thickness from the bow side to the stern side of the hull, and the propulsion device is provided forward of the midpoint of the takeoff wing or main wing in the longitudinal direction.

5. A hydrofoil vessel according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: a vertical stabilizer provided at the stern of the hull and extending in the vertical and longitudinal directions of the hull; and a vertical position changing unit for changing the vertical position of the vertical stabilizer relative to the hull.

6. The hydrofoil vessel according to claim 5, further comprising a horizontal tail fin provided at the lower end of the vertical tail fin and extending in the left-right and front-rear directions of the hull.

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