Propulsion arrangement for axisymmetric fluid-borne vehicles

US6217399A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Electric Boat Corporation · US

Inventors

• Michael S. Sinko · Preston, US
• James S. Smith · Old Lyme, US
• Pieter Van Dine · Mystic, US
• John H. Chapman · Groton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 25, 1999
• Grant date: Apr 17, 2001
• Expiry date: Jan 25, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02T70/10
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

In the propulsion arrangement for an axisymmetric vehicle described in the specification, four propulsion modules are removably mounted at the rear of a vehicle in symmetric disposition about the vehicle axis, each module having an inlet section at its forward end which draws in the vehicle hull boundary layer without separation from the vehicle hull and supplies it uniformly to a rotating blade section driven by a rim drive motor. Control vanes for the vehicle are mounted between adjacent pairs of propulsion modules.