US 11,884,373 B2
Propulsion enhancing device and watercraft comprising same
Paul Wayne Schmidt, Carlton, OR (US); and Avijit Ghosh, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to Vortex Pipe Systems LLC, Austin, TX (US)
Filed by Vortex Pipe Systems LLC, Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Mar. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/186,610.
Application 18/186,610 is a continuation of application No. 17/407,753, filed on Aug. 20, 2021, granted, now 11,685,492.
Application 17/407,753 is a continuation of application No. 17/314,385, filed on May 7, 2021, granted, now 11,247,758, issued on Feb. 15, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/165,162, filed on Mar. 24, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0249792 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B63H 1/16 (2006.01)
CPC B63H 1/16 (2013.01) 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
21. A watercraft propulsion unit, comprising:
a flow expander;
a vortex chamber body having an upstream end portion thereof attached to a downstream end portion of the flow expander;
a central tube within an interior space of the vortex chamber body; and
a plurality of flow diverting vanes within the interior space of the vortex chamber body, wherein the vortex chamber body, the central tube and adjacent ones of the flow diverting vanes jointly define a plurality of helical flow passages, and wherein each of the flow diverting vanes extends in a helical manner around a centerline longitudinal axis of the central tube from a first end portion thereof proximate the flow expander to a second end portion thereof proximate a downstream end face of the vortex chamber body.