Patent · US Expired

Integrated external electric drive propulsion module arrangement for surface ships

US6203388A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
15References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 25, 1999
Grant dateMar 20, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 25, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02T70/10
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

In the external electric drive propulsion module arrangement described in the specification, two parallel propulsion units are mounted in a housing affixed beneath the stern of a ship and having a surface contour conforming to the contour of the adjacent surface portions of the ship's hull. Each propulsion unit is disposed substantially horizontally to provide maximum propulsion efficiency and has a rotating blade section for driving water rearwardly from an inlet and a fixed blade section following the rotating blade section. The inlet receives water from a wraparound array of screened intake openings near the forward end of the module housing which draws in the surface boundary layer of the ship's hull. In addition, vertical vanes are affixed to the stern of the ship to straighten the flow of water from the propulsion units.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.