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A high-speed vehicle or device presents a surface configured to move through a fluid such that the fluid flows across the surface in a primary flow direction. The vehicle or device also presents a subsurface spaced inwardly from the surface, as well as a plurality of cavity-defining structures that

A high-speed vehicle or device presents a surface configured to move through a fluid such that the fluid flows across the surface in a primary flow direction. The vehicle or device also presents a subsurface spaced inwardly from the surface, as well as a plurality of cavity-defining structures that project generally outwardly from the subsurface and extend along the subsurface generally transverse to the primary flow direction. The cavity-defining structures are spaced apart in the primary flow direction. Each adjacent pair of the cavity-defining structures and the subsurface at least in part cooperatively define a cavity therebetween. Fluid rollers or vortices are formed in the cavities, with frictional forces thereby being generated therein in a direction opposite of drag forces on the surface. Each of the cavity-defining structures defines at least one interconnecting channel extending between adjacent ones of the cavities to fluid interconnect said cavities.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A high-speed vehicle or device comprising: a surface configured to move through a fluid such that the fluid flows across the surface in a primary flow direction, the fluid flow across the surface defining a velocity gradient ranging from a first velocity adjacent the surface to a free stream velo

1. A high-speed vehicle or device comprising: a surface configured to move through a fluid such that the fluid flows across the surface in a primary flow direction, the fluid flow across the surface defining a velocity gradient ranging from a first velocity adjacent the surface to a free stream velocity at a position spaced a first distance from the surface in an outward direction that is at least substantially perpendicular to the primary flow direction, with the fluid flow thereby defining a boundary layer having a boundary layer thickness at least substantially equal to the first distance;a subsurface spaced from the surface in an inward direction, the inward direction being at least substantially opposite the outward direction; anda plurality of cavity-defining structures projecting generally in the outward direction relative to the subsurface and extending generally transverse to the primary flow direction,said cavity-defining structures being spaced apart in the primary flow direction,each of said cavity-defining structures presenting a generally upstream face, a generally downstream face, and a midpoint spaced between the upstream face and the downstream face,each adjacent pair of said cavity-defining structures and said subsurface at least in part cooperatively defining a cavity therebetween,each of said cavities presenting a cavity depth defined as a distance in the inward direction between the surface and the subsurface,each of said cavities presenting a cavity length defined as a distance between the midpoints of a corresponding pair of the cavity-defining structures,each of said cavity-defining structures at least in part defining at least one interconnecting channel extending between adjacent ones of the cavities to fluidly interconnect said cavities. 2. The vehicle or device of claim 1, said at least one interconnecting channel being entirely enclosed, at least in part by a corresponding one of the cavity-defining structures. 3. The vehicle or device of claim 2, said interconnecting channel being in part enclosed by the subsurface. 4. The vehicle or device of claim 2, each of said cavity-defining structures at least in part defining a plurality of said interconnecting channels. 5. The vehicle or device of claim 4, said interconnecting channels being uniform. 6. The vehicle or device of claim 4, said interconnecting channels of each cavity-defining structure being at least substantially horizontally aligned. 7. The vehicle or device of claim 4, said interconnecting channels of each cavity-defining structure being at least substantially evenly spaced apart in the generally transverse direction. 8. The vehicle or device of claim 4, said interconnecting channels of each cavity-defining structure being at least substantially aligned in the primary flow direction with the interconnecting channels of an adjacent cavity-defining structure. 9. The vehicle or device of claim 2, said vehicle or device including a solid structure presenting the surface and the subsurface,said cavity-defining structures being integral with the solid structure. 10. The vehicle or device of claim 2, said cavity-defining structures being at least substantially evenly spaced apart in the primary flow direction. 11. The vehicle or device of claim 2, each of said cavity-defining structures presenting an outermost face,each of said cavity-defining structures presenting a cavity-defining structure height defined as a distance in the inward direction between the outermost face and the subsurface,each of said cavity-defining structure heights being less than adjacent ones of the cavity depths, such that the outermost face is recessed relative to the surface. 12. The vehicle or device of claim 11, each of said cavity-defining structure heights being at least 80% of adjacent ones of the cavity depths. 13. The vehicle or device of claim 2, each of said cavity-defining structures comprising a wall. 14. The vehicle or device of claim 13, said wall extending at least substantially straight along the generally transverse direction. 15. The vehicle or device of claim 13, said wall having an at least substantially constant width in the primary flow direction. 16. The vehicle or device of claim 13, said wall projecting from the subsurface. 17. The vehicle or device of claim 2, said surface and said subsurface being at least substantially planar. 18. The vehicle or device of claim 17, said surface and said subsurface being at least substantially parallel. 19. The vehicle or device of claim 2, said surface presenting a surface contour,said subsurface presenting a subsurface contour,said surface contour and said subsurface contour being at least substantially similar. 20. The vehicle or device of claim 2, said primary flow direction being at least substantially parallel to the surface. 21. The vehicle or device of claim 1, a ratio of the cavity depth to the cavity length being from approximately 0.5 to 5. 22. The vehicle or device of claim 1, a ratio of the cavity depth to the boundary layer thickness being from approximately 0 to 0.2. 23. The vehicle or device of claim 1, each of said cavity-defining structures presenting a cavity-defining structure height defined as a distance in the inward direction between the outermost face and the subsurfacea ratio of the channel height to the cavity-defining structure height being from approximately 0.02 to 0.8. 24. A system for reducing aerodynamic drag and increasing fluid dynamic separation control, said system comprising: a surface configured to move through a fluid at a high speed such that the fluid flows across the surface in a primary flow direction, the fluid flow across the surface defining a velocity gradient ranging from a first velocity adjacent the surface to a free stream velocity at a position spaced a first distance from the surface in an outward direction that is at least substantially perpendicular to the primary flow direction, with the fluid flow thereby defining a boundary layer having a boundary layer thickness at least substantially equal to the first distance;a subsurface spaced from the surface in an inward direction, the inward direction being at least substantially opposite the outward direction; anda plurality of cavity-defining structures projecting generally in the outward direction relative to the subsurface and extending generally transverse to the primary flow direction,said cavity-defining structures being spaced apart in the primary flow direction,each of said cavity-defining structures presenting a generally upstream face, a generally downstream face, and a midpoint spaced between the upstream face and the downstream face,each adjacent pair of said cavity-defining structures and said subsurface at least in part cooperatively defining a cavity therebetween,each of said cavities presenting a cavity depth defined as a distance in the inward direction between the surface and the subsurface,each of said cavities presenting a cavity length defined as a distance between the midpoints of a corresponding pair of the cavity-defining structures,each of said cavity-defining structures at least in part defining at least one interconnecting channel extending between adjacent ones of the cavities to fluidly interconnect said cavities.