Active Hydrofoil Positioning for Personal Watercraft Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hydrofoil technology for personal watercrafts, such as Jet Skis, faces challenges with handling, maneuverability, and stabilization, particularly at higher speeds and in response to external forces like waves, due to insufficient control and stability.
Innovation Solution
A personal watercraft equipped with a plurality of hydrofoils coupled to a positioning system, sensors providing speed, force, and position data, and a computer-readable medium that adjusts the hydrofoil positions based on sensor data to maintain stability and control, allowing for different riding modes and customizable stability settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If hydrofoils are used to lift the watercraft above the waterline for greater speed and efficiency, then speed and efficiency are improved, but handling and maneuverability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrofoil system transitions from a fixed configuration to a dynamic, actively controlled system. The positioning system continuously adjusts hydrofoil positions based on real-time sensor data about watercraft orientation, speed, and external forces, enabling the system to adapt to changing conditions and maintain both speed and handling quality.
Solution Approach 2:
A feedback control system is implemented using sensors that monitor watercraft performance and positioning system actuators that adjust hydrofoil positions. The computer-readable medium processes sensor data and sends control signals to the positioning system, creating a closed-loop control mechanism that resolves the contradiction between speed and handling by continuously optimizing hydrofoil configuration.
2Use of energy by moving object
If hydrofoils are used to lift the watercraft above the waterline for greater speed, then efficiency is improved, but stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic positioning of hydrofoils to maintain stability during efficient high-speed operation. The positioning system adjusts hydrofoil angles and positions in real-time based on sensor feedback about watercraft orientation and external forces, allowing the watercraft to operate efficiently at speed while maintaining stability through active control.
Solution Approach 2:
The feedback control mechanism monitors watercraft stability parameters and adjusts hydrofoil positions to counteract destabilizing forces. Sensors detect changes in orientation and external forces, and the computer-readable medium processes this data to send corrective signals to the positioning system, maintaining stability while preserving the efficiency benefits of hydrofoil operation.
3Ease of operation
If traditional rudder/jet drive control is used for personal watercraft, then maneuverability is achieved, but control and stabilization are insufficient when used with hydrofoils
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional mechanical rudder/jet drive control system is supplemented or replaced with an electronically controlled positioning system. Instead of relying solely on mechanical steering components, the system uses computer-controlled actuators to adjust hydrofoil positions, providing more precise and reliable control and stabilization during hydrofoil operation while maintaining maneuverability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system changes from fixed mechanical parameters to dynamically adjustable parameters. The positioning system can modify hydrofoil angles, positions, and configurations in real-time based on operating conditions, providing adaptive control that maintains both maneuverability and reliability across different speed ranges and external force conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the stability and control of personal watercrafts during foiling mode, improving handling and maneuverability by dynamically adjusting hydrofoil positions based on real-time sensor data, thereby reducing the risk of tipping and enhancing the overall riding experience.
Implementation Method 1
the plurality of hydrofoils being configured, in combination, to raise the hull of the personal watercraft above a waterline in the water when the personal watercraft is in use and under the influence of a propulsion force
Data Source
AI summary
A personal watercraft comprising a body having a seat and a hull, the seat configured to support a user with the body floating in water, a plurality of hydrofoils extending outwards from the body and coupled to a positioning system, the plurality of hydrofoils being configured, in combination, to raise the hull of the personal watercraft above a waterline in the water when the personal watercraft is in use and under the influence of a propulsion force, one or more sensors that provide sensor data of the watercraft during use, a computer-readable medium having a processor and a memory having instructions that, when executed by the processor read the sensor data, and based on the read sensor data, send a signal to the positioning system to adjust the position for at least one of the plurality of hydrofoils.