대표
청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for use in association with a fluid foil having a pair of opposite foil surface sections, a pair of opposite foil edges, a chamber bounded by said opposite foil surface sections, and a gap between respective ends of said opposite foil sections, said opposite foil surface sections being a first foil surface section and a second foil surface section, said opposite foil edges being a leading foil edge and a trailing foil edge, said gap extending along at least a portion of said trailing foil edge and communicating with s...
What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for use in association with a fluid foil having a pair of opposite foil surface sections, a pair of opposite foil edges, a chamber bounded by said opposite foil surface sections, and a gap between respective ends of said opposite foil sections, said opposite foil surface sections being a first foil surface section and a second foil surface section, said opposite foil edges being a leading foil edge and a trailing foil edge, said gap extending along at least a portion of said trailing foil edge and communicating with said chamber, the apparatus comprising a structure and at least one support member, said structure including a flat partition section and a bulbous edge section, said at least one support member associating said foil surface sections and said structure, said flat partition section defining a geometric plane and being characterized by a thickness perpendicular to said geometric plane and by a cross-bleed conduit extending through said thickness at a location between said trailing foil edge and said at least one support member, said flat partition section and said bulbous edge section meeting at a junction defining a geometric line that lies in said geometric plane, said bulbous edge section being characterized by a cylindroid shape and by a diameter perpendicular to said geometric plane that is greater than said thickness, said geometric plane symmetrically dividing said cylindroid shape into two equivalent semi-cylindroid shapes on opposite sides of said geometric plane, said structure being situated in said chamber so that said bulbous edge section unsnugly fits in said gap and so that said geometric plane passes through said gap, said partition section dividing said chamber into a first plenum and a second plenum, two slots being formed that are parallel to said geometric plane and to each other, said slots being a first slot and a second slot, said first slot communicating with said first plenum and being demarcated by said first foil surface section and said bulbous edge section, said second slot communicating with said second plenum and being demarcated by said second foil surface section and said bulbous edge section, wherein when pressurized fluid is fed into said first plenum via an inlet provided in said first foil surface section, simultaneously a first portion of said pressurized fluid exits said first plenum through said first slot and a second portion of said pressurized fluid exits said second plenum through said second slot, said first portion of said pressurized fluid flowing unimpeded between said inlet and said first slot, said second portion of said pressurized fluid entering said second plenum through said cross-bleed conduit and flowing unimpeded between said cross-bleed conduit and said second slot, said cross-bleed port thereby determining said second portion of said pressurized fluid. 2. The apparatus for use in association with a fluid foil as recited in claim 1, wherein: said first portion of said pressurized fluid is characterized by a first momentum flux upon exiting said first plenum through said first slot; said second portion of said pressurized fluid is characterized by a second momentum flux upon exiting said second plenum through said second slot; said second momentum flux is less than said first momentum flux. 3. The apparatus for use in association with a fluid foil as recited in claim 2, wherein: said first portion of said pressurized fluid that has exited said first plenum through said first slot is to some degree entrained, in accordance with a Coanda effect, by said bulbous edge section, the entrained said first portion of said pressurized fluid thereby forming a fluid jet wall; said second portion of said pressurized fluid that has exited said second plenum through said second slot influences the direction of said fluid jet wall. 4. The apparatus for use in association with a fluid foil as recited in claim 3, wherein: said cross-bleed conduit is characterized by a fixed size; said fixed size is associated with a constant ratio of said second momentum flux to said first momentum flux; said constant ratio is no greater than 0.2; said constant ratio is independent of variation of said second momentum flux and said first momentum flux. 5. The apparatus for use in association with a fluid foil as recited in claim 4, wherein the influencing, by said second portion of said pressurized fluid, of the direction of said fluid jet wall, includes limitation of the degree to which said fluid jet wall is entrained by said bulbous edge section. 6. The apparatus for use in association with a fluid foil as recited in claim 3, wherein: said cross-bleed conduit is characterized by a fixed size; said fixed size is associated with a constant ratio of said second momentum flux to said first momentum flux; said constant ratio is less than 0.05; said constant ratio is independent of variation of said second momentum flux and said first momentum flux; the influencing, by said second portion of said pressurized fluid, of the direction of said fluid jet wall, includes prevention of excessive turning of said fluid jet wall, generally toward said leading foil edge, so as to be to some degree entrained, in accordance with a Coanda effect, by said second foil surface section. 7. The apparatus for use in association with a fluid foil as recited in claim 2, wherein said fluid foil is one of an airfoil and a hydrofoil. 8. A fluid foil apparatus comprising: a first foil surface section and a second foil surface section, said first foil surface section having a pressurized fluid inlet, said first foil surface section and said second foil surface section being joined so as to be characterized by a leading foil edge, a trailing foil edge, and a chamber between said first foil surface section and said second foil surface section, said first foil surface section and said second foil surface section being connected at said leading foil edge and forming a gap at said trailing foil edge, said gap extending along at least a portion of said trailing foil edge and communicating with said chamber; a structure situated in said chamber, said structure including a flat partition section and a bulbous edge section, said flat partition section defining a geometric plane and being characterized by a thickness that is perpendicular to said geometric plane and by a cross-bleed conduit passing through said thickness, said bulbous edge section being characterized by a cylindroid shape and by a diameter that is perpendicular to said geometric plane and that is greater than said thickness, said geometric plane symmetrically dividing said cylindroid shape into two equivalent semi-cylindroid shapes on opposite sides of said geometric plane, said bulbous section unsnugly fitting in said gap so that a first slot and a second slot are formed that are parallel to said geometric plane and so that said geometric plane passes through said gap, said partition section dividing said chamber into a first plenum and a second plenum, said first slot communicating with said first plenum and being demarcated by said first foil surface section and said bulbous edge section, said second slot communicating with said second plenum and being demarcated by said second foil surface section and said bulbous edge section; at least one support member, said at least support member associating said first foil surface section, said second foil surface section, and said structure, said cross-bleed conduit being located between said trailing foil edge and said at least one support member; and a pressurized fluid source for feeding pressurized fluid into said first plenum via said pressurized fluid inlet, wherein simultaneously a first portion of said pressurized fluid exits said first plenum through said first slot and a second portion of said pressurized fluid exits said second plenum through said second slot, said first portion of said pressurized fluid flowing unimpeded between said pressurized fluid inlet and said first slot, said second portion of said pressurized fluid entering said second plenum through said cross-bleed conduit and flowing unimpeded between said cross-bleed conduit and said second slot, said cross-bleed conduit thereby determining said second portion of said pressurized fluid. 9. The fluid foil apparatus of claim 8, wherein: said first portion of said pressurized fluid is characterized by a first momentum flux upon exiting said first plenum through said first slot; said second portion of said pressurized fluid is characterized by a second momentum flux upon exiting said second plenum through said second slot; said second momentum flux is less than said first momentum flux. 10. The fluid foil apparatus of claim 9, wherein: said first portion of said pressurized fluid that has exited said first plenum through said first slot is to some degree entrained in accordance with a Coanda effect by said bulbous edge section, the entrained said first portion of said pressurized fluid thereby forming a fluid jet wall; said second portion of said pressurized fluid that has exited said second plenum through said second slot influences the direction of said fluid jet wall. 11. The fluid foil apparatus of claim 10, wherein: said cross-bleed conduit is characterized by a fixed size; said fixed size is associated with a constant ratio of said second momentum flux to said first momentum flux; said constant ratio is no greater than 0.2; said constant ratio is independent of variation of said second momentum flux and said first momentum flux. 12. The fluid foil apparatus of claim 11, wherein the influencing, by said second portion of said pressurized fluid, of the direction of said fluid jet wall, includes limitation of the degree to which said fluid jet wall is entrained by said bulbous edge section. 13. The fluid foil apparatus of claim 10, wherein: said cross-bleed conduit is characterized by a fixed size; said fixed size is associated with a constant ratio of said second momentum flux to said first momentum flux; said constant ratio is less than 0.05; said constant ratio is independent of variation of said second momentum flux and said first momentum flux; the influencing, by said second portion of said pressurized fluid, of the direction of said fluid jet wall, includes prevention of excessive turning of said fluid jet wall generally toward said leading foil edge so as to be to some degree entrained, in accordance with a Coanda effect, by said second foil surface section. 14. The fluid foil apparatus of claim 10, wherein said structure extends at least substantially the distance between said trailing edge and said leading edge, and wherein said structure lends structural support to the apparatus. 15. The fluid foil apparatus of claim 8, wherein the fluid foil apparatus is one of an airfoil apparatus and a hydrofoil apparatus. 16. A fluid foil apparatus comprising: a first foil surface section and a second foil surface section, said first foil surface section having a pressurized fluid inlet, said first foil surface section and said second foil surface section being joined so as to be characterized by a leading foil edge, a trailing foil edge, and a chamber between said first foil surface section and said second foil surface section, said first foil surface section and said second foil surface section being connected at said leading foil edge and forming a gap at said trailing foil edge, said gap extending along at least a portion of said trailing foil edge and communicating with said chamber; a structure situated in said chamber, said structure including a flat partition section and a bulbous edge section, said flat partition section defining a geometric plane and being characterized by a thickness that is perpendicular to said geometric plane, said partition section having a cross-bleed conduit that extends through said thickness, said bulbous edge section being characterized by a cylindroid shape and by a diameter that is perpendicular to said geometric plane and that is greater than said thickness, said geometric plane symmetrically dividing said cylindroid shape into two equivalent semi-cylindroid shapes on opposite sides of said geometric plane, said bulbous section unsnugly fitting in said gap so that a first slot and a second slot are formed that are parallel to said geometric plane and so that said geometric plane passes through said gap, said partition section dividing said chamber into a first plenum and a second plenum, said first slot communicating with said first plenum and being demarcated by said first foil surface section and said bulbous edge section, said second slot communicating with said second plenum and being demarcated by said second foil surface section and said bulbous edge section; at least one support member, said at least one support member associating said first foil section, said section foil section, and said structure, said cross-bleed conduit being located between said trailing foil edge and said at least one support member; a pressurized fluid source for feeding pressurized fluid into said first plenum; a valve for regulating flow of said pressurized fluid into said first plenum; a controller for controlling said valve so that: said pressurized fluid enters said first plenum via said valve; a first portion of said pressurized fluid entering said first plenum does not enter said second plenum via said cross-bleed conduit; a second portion of said pressurized fluid entering said first plenum enters said second plenum via said cross-bleed conduit; simultaneously, said first portion of said pressurized fluid exits said first plenum through said first slot and said second portion of said pressurized fluid exits said second plenum through said second slot; said first portion of said pressurized fluid is characterized by a first momentum flux upon exiting said first plenum through said first slot; said second portion of said pressurized fluid is characterized by a second momentum flux upon exiting said second plenum through said second slot; said second momentum flux is less than said first momentum flux; said first portion of said pressurized fluid that has exited said first plenum through said first slot is to some degree entrained in accordance with a Coanda effect by said bulbous edge section; the entrained said first portion of said pressurized fluid thereby forms a fluid jet wall; said second portion of said pressurized fluid that has exited said second plenum through said second slot influences the direction of said fluid jet wall. 17. The fluid foil apparatus of claim 16, wherein: the ratio of said second momentum flux to said first momentum flux is related to the size of said cross-bleed conduit; said ratio does not exceed 0.2; the influencing, by said second portion of said pressurized fluid, of the direction of said fluid jet wall, includes limitation of the degree to which said fluid jet wall is entrained by said bulbous edge section. 18. The fluid foil apparatus of claim 16, wherein: the ratio of said second momentum flux to said first momentum flux is related to the size of said cross-bleed conduit; said ratio is less than 0.05; the influencing, by said second portion of said pressurized fluid, of the direction of said fluid jet wall, includes prevention of excessive turning of said fluid jet wall generally toward said leading foil edge so as to be to some degree entrained, in accordance with a Coanda effect, by said second foil surface section. 19. The fluid foil apparatus of claim 4, wherein said structure extends at least substantially the distance between said trailing edge and said leading edge, and wherein said structure lends structural support to the apparatus. 20. The fluid foil apparatus of claim 16, wherein the fluid foil apparatus is one of an airfoil apparatus and a hydrofoil apparatus.
