US 12,377,941 B2
System, process, and method for studying full-scale, multiphase, hydrodynamic flow representative of a ship's boundary layer
John Dixon, Fort Lauderdale, FL (US)
Assigned to Airglide AI, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, FL (US)
Filed by SHIPGLIDE, LLC, Fort Lauderdale, FL (US)
Filed on Apr. 22, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/642,696.
Application 18/642,696 is a continuation in part of application No. 18/119,324, filed on Mar. 9, 2023, granted, now 12,097,932.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/599,344, filed on Nov. 15, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/461,134, filed on Apr. 21, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0343360 A1, Oct. 17, 2024
Int. Cl. B63B 71/20 (2020.01); B63B 1/36 (2006.01); B63B 1/38 (2006.01); G01M 10/00 (2006.01)
CPC B63B 71/20 (2020.01) [B63B 1/36 (2013.01); B63B 1/38 (2013.01); G01M 10/00 (2013.01); B63B 2001/387 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for studying full-scale, multi-phase, dynamically similar, hydrodynamic flow representative of a ship's boundary layer for enhancing fuel efficiency for marine craft, comprising:
a closed loop boundary layer test system defining a collective sequential group of modules configured for testing hydrodynamic effects on a selected specimen, wherein the selected specimen is representative of ship hull designs and features, hull systems and coatings, or air lubrication systems, and wherein the selected specimen is immersed continually in a liquid within the closed loop boundary layer test system;
wherein the collective sequential group of modules configured for testing ship hull designs includes:
i) a means of delivering a fully developed flow of water onto a constructed sub-surface ship component, whereby the fully developed flow of water is defined as a stage in the flow of water where characteristics of the boundary layer do not change along a remaining length of a test channel, thereby creating a scalable model for observing and recording performance variables of said component in real time; and
ii) a means of providing a layer of gas into the controlled water stream onto the submerged ship component to evaluate an effect of said layer of compressed gas on said submerged ship component, in real time, wherein the means of providing a layer of gas into the flow of water of the boundary layer test system further includes an air delivery region sequentially following said entrance region to thereby inject a gas into water, capable of being single-phase or multi-layer water, to convert it to a multi-phase flow of gas and water, wherein the air delivery region in said entrance region further includes at least one interchangeable nozzle capable of allowing testing of the effects of air distribution from different air distribution nozzles on said selected specimen representative of said ship hull designs immersed continually in a liquid.