Polymer drag reduction systems on vehicle surfaces
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B63B-001/34
B63G-008/00
B63G-008/04
출원번호
US-0255831
(2016-09-02)
등록번호
US-10023267
(2018-07-17)
발명자
/ 주소
Brandes, John C.
Bullock, Steven Edward
Cuschieri, Joseph M.
Forst, Vincent J.
Said, Brian Robert
Solenski, Joseph M.
출원인 / 주소
Lockheed Martin Corporation
대리인 / 주소
Hamre, Schumann, Mueller & Larson, P.C.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
2
초록▼
Systems and methods of reducing drag on outer surfaces of vehicles that are in contact with water using a polymer solution that reduces the drag on the outer surfaces of the vehicles as the vehicles travel through water. A polymer solution is passively ejected into the boundary layer of the water fl
Systems and methods of reducing drag on outer surfaces of vehicles that are in contact with water using a polymer solution that reduces the drag on the outer surfaces of the vehicles as the vehicles travel through water. A polymer solution is passively ejected into the boundary layer of the water flowing past the outer surface of the vehicle. The polymer solution is mixed and introduced into the boundary layer passively with minimal or no usage of electrical energy. The passive mixing and ejection of the polymer solution minimizes energy consumption, thereby maximizing electrical energy consumption efficiency during operation of the vehicle.
대표청구항▼
1. A reduced drag vehicle, comprising: a structure having a forward end, an interior, and an outer surface;a plurality of water inlets in the forward end through which water can flow into the interior of the structure;a mixing chamber in the interior of the structure in fluid communication with the
1. A reduced drag vehicle, comprising: a structure having a forward end, an interior, and an outer surface;a plurality of water inlets in the forward end through which water can flow into the interior of the structure;a mixing chamber in the interior of the structure in fluid communication with the plurality of water inlets and receiving water that flows into the structure through the plurality of water inlets;a liquid polymer within a storage chamber disposed in the interior of the structure;at least one fluid passage extending from the storage chamber and fluidly connecting to the mixing chamber to allow the liquid polymer from the storage chamber to mix with the water in the mixing chamber to form a polymer solution;a metering valve in the at least one fluid passage that controls the flow of the liquid polymer from the storage chamber into the mixing chamber;a plurality of polymer solution outlets in the outer surface in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through which the polymer solution is ejected from the structure into a boundary layer to reduce drag on the outer surface as the structure moves in a forward direction through water with the water flowing past the forward end and then over the polymer solution outlets in the outer surface;the plurality of water inlets are positioned forwardly of the plurality of polymer solution outlets;the plurality of polymer solution outlets are positioned rearwardly of at least a portion of the mixing chamber; andthe pressure at the water inlets is higher than the pressure at the polymer solution outlets so that the polymer solution is passively ejected from at least one of the polymer solution outlets. 2. A reduced drag vehicle, comprising: a structure having a forward end, an interior, and an outer surface;a plurality of water inlets in the forward end through which water can flow into the interior of the structure;a mixing chamber in the interior of the structure in fluid communication with the plurality of water inlets and receiving water that flows into the structure through the plurality of water inlets;a polymer within the interior of the structure in communication with the mixing chamber, the polymer mixes with the water in the mixing chamber to form a polymer solution;a plurality of polymer solution outlets in the outer surface in fluid communication with the mixing chamber through which the polymer solution is ejected from the structure into a boundary layer to reduce drag on the outer surface as the structure moves in a forward direction through water with the water flowing past the forward end and then over the polymer solution outlets in the outer surface;the plurality of water inlets are positioned forwardly of the plurality of polymer solution outlets;the plurality of polymer solution outlets are positioned rearwardly of at least a portion of the mixing chamber;the pressure at the water inlets is higher than the pressure at the polymer solution outlets so that the polymer solution is passively ejected from at least one of the polymer solution outlets;the polymer is a liquid polymer that is contained in a storage chamber that is fluidly connected to the mixing chamber; andwherein the storage chamber is a compressible bladder, the compressible bladder is exposed to ambient pressure of water that the reduced drag vehicle is operating in, and further comprising a force applying mechanism acting on the compressible bladder. 3. The reduced drag vehicle of claim 1, wherein the reduced drag vehicle is devoid of an electrically driven pump so that water that flows into the plurality of water inlets, the liquid polymer and the polymer solution are not distributed by a pump. 4. A reduced drag vehicle, comprising: a structure having an interior, a forward end, and at least one outer surface that is subject to drag as a result of the structure moving in a forward direction through water with the water flowing past the forward end and then over the at least one outer surface;a compressible bladder contained in the interior of the structure and exposed to ambient pressure, the compressible bladder containing a liquid polymer;a mixing chamber in the interior of the structure in fluid communication with the compressible bladder to receive liquid polymer therefrom;a metering valve that controls the flow of liquid polymer from the compressible bladder into the mixing chamber;at least one water inlet on the structure through which water can flow into the interior of the structure, the at least one water inlet is fluidly connected to the mixing chamber;wherein liquid polymer from the compressible bladder and water from the at least one water inlet mix in the mixing chamber to form a polymer solution;a polymer solution discharge line fluidly connected to the mixing chamber;at least one polymer solution outlet formed in the at least one outer surface that is subject to drag and fluidly connected to the polymer solution discharge line to discharge polymer solution from the at least one polymer solution outlet to reduce drag on the at least one outer surface; andthe pressure at the at least one water inlet is higher than the pressure at the at least one polymer solution outlet so that the polymer solution is passively ejected from the at least one polymer solution outlet without use of an electrically driven pump. 5. The reduced drag vehicle of claim 4, wherein the structure is a hull, and the at least one outer surface is a surface of the hull. 6. The reduced drag vehicle of claim 4, wherein the structure is a fixed or actuatable fin, and the at least one outer surface is an outer surface of the fin. 7. The reduced drag vehicle of claim 4, wherein the structure is a duct of a propulsion mechanism, and the at least one outer surface is an outer surface of the duct. 8. The reduced drag vehicle of claim 4, further comprising a force applying mechanism acting on the compressible bladder. 9. A reduced drag vehicle, comprising: a structure having an interior, a forward end, and at least one outer surface that is subject to drag as a result of the structure moving through water with the water flowing past the forward end and then over the at least one outer surface;at least one water inlet on the structure through which water can flow into the interior of the structure;a mixing chamber in the interior of the structure and fluidly connected to the at least one water inlet and receiving water that flows into the structure through the at least one water inlet;a water-soluble solid polymer disposed in the mixing chamber, wherein water entering the mixing chamber dissolves at least a portion of the water-soluble solid polymer to form a polymer solution in the mixing chamber;at least one polymer solution outlet formed in the at least one outer surface that is subject to drag and fluidly connected to the mixing chamber to discharge polymer solution from the at least one polymer solution outlet to reduce drag on the at least one outer surface;the at least one water inlet is positioned forwardly of the at least one polymer solution outlet; andthe at least one polymer solution outlet is positioned radially outward of the water-soluble solid polymer and the mixing chamber. 10. The reduced drag vehicle of claim 9, wherein the structure is a hull, and the at least one outer surface is a surface of the hull. 11. The reduced drag vehicle of claim 9, wherein the structure is a fixed or actuatable fin, and the at least one outer surface is an outer surface of the fin. 12. A reduced drag vehicle, comprising: a structure having an interior, a forward end, and at least one outer surface that is subject to drag as a result of the structure moving through water with the water flowing past the forward end and then over the at least one outer surface;at least one water inlet on the structure through which water can flow into the interior of the structure;a mixing chamber in the interior of the structure and fluidly connected to the at least one water inlet and receiving water that flows into the structure through the at least one water inlet;a water-soluble solid polymer disposed in the mixing chamber, wherein water entering the mixing chamber dissolves at least a portion of the water-soluble solid polymer to form a polymer solution in the mixing chamber;at least one polymer solution outlet formed in the at least one outer surface that is subject to drag and fluidly connected to the mixing chamber to discharge polymer solution from the at least one polymer solution outlet to reduce drag on the at least one outer surface;the at least one water inlet is positioned forwardly of the at least one polymer solution outlet;the at least one polymer solution outlet is positioned radially outward of the water-soluble solid polymer and the mixing chamber; andwherein the structure is a duct of a propulsion mechanism, and the at least one outer surface is an outer surface of the duct. 13. A method of reducing drag on an outer surface of a vehicle that travels through water, where the outer surface is in direct contact with the water creating drag on the outer surface as the vehicle travels through the water in a forward direction, the method comprising: removably affixing an assembly that includes a water-soluble solid polymer to a portion of the outer surface with the water-soluble solid polymer directly exposed to the water so that as the vehicle travels in the forward direction through the water, the water-soluble solid polymer dissolves creating a polymer solution that flows over the outer surface to reduce drag on the outer surface, wherein the solid polymer includes an outer surface that forms a continuation of the outer surface of the vehicle. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising removing the assembly from the outer surface, and removably affixing a replacement assembly that includes a water-soluble solid polymer to the portion of the outer surface. 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the outer surface of the vehicle comprises a surface of a hull of the vehicle, a surface on a fixed or actuatable fin connected to the vehicle, a surface on a duct connected to the vehicle, a surface on a nose cone or tail cone of the vehicle, or a surface of a propeller connected to the vehicle. 16. The method of claim 13, comprising removably affixing the assembly to a leading edge of the outer surface. 17. An assembly configured to be removably affixed to an outer surface of a vehicle that travels through water, where the outer surface is in direct contact with the water creating drag on the outer surface as the vehicle travels through the water in a forward direction, the assembly comprising: a base for removably affixing the assembly to the outer surface; and a water-soluble solid polymer attached to the base, wherein the water-soluble solid polymer is hydrodynamically-shaped with an outer surface that is configured to form a continuation of the outer surface of the vehicle when the assembly is fixed to the outer surface of the vehicle. 18. The reduced drag vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a flow control mechanism associated with the at least one polymer solution outlet that is configured to control the flow of the polymer solution through the at least one polymer solution outlet and/or a flow control mechanism associated with the at least one water inlet that is configured to control the flow of the water through the at least one water inlet.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (2)
Eriksen, Charles C., Systems and methods for compensating for compressibility and thermal expansion coefficient mismatch in buoyancy controlled underwater vehicles.
Fabula Andrew G. (State College PA) Green James H. (Sierra Madre CA) Madison William F. (Arcadia CA), Torpedo drag reduction employing polymer ejection.
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