NZ314874A - Hull configuration comprises a "ramform" type with side hull bulges, stabilizing fins, a propeller or slope surface with froude number between 0.1 and 0.35 - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand No. 314874 International No. PCT/ TO BE ENTERED AFTER ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION Priority dates: 21.04.1994; Complete Specification Filed: 19.04.1995 Classification:^) B63B3/00; B63B1/04 Publication date: 25 March 1998 Journal No.: 1426 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Title of Invention: Hull Configuration Name, address and nationality of applicant(s) as in international application form: ROAR RAMDE, a Norwegian citizen of Rogestien of No. 4, Horten 3189, Norway 314 87 4 Patents Form No. 5 Our Ref: MH501850 Divisional Application out of Application No. 270953 of 19 April 1995 Priority date: 21 April 1994 Unc>er #>• provision* «f l«tion 23 03 ths ;NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 ;COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ;HULL CONFIGURATION ;I, ROAR RAMDE, a citizen of Norway of Rogestien No. 4, Horten 3189, Norway, Norway, hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: ;MH:RM:PT0507123 ;A ;314 87 4 ;- 2 - ;BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION ;This invention relates to ship hull designs, and in particular to hulls made of the sinusoidal water-line variety, an example of which is described in European Patent 0 134 767 B1, issued to Ramde, incorporated herein by reference. Hereinafter, such a hull may be referred to as a "Ramform" hull. Such a hull, in comparison to conventional hull designs makes it possible to improve a vessel's deadweight tonnage transverse stability, navigational and sailing properties and to reduce stress on the hull beam whether the vessel is sailing in quiet water or into the waves. ;As explained in the Ramde patent, at given main dimensions of length, breadth and depth to the design waterline, conventional hull configurations can obtain greater deadweight tonnage by increasing the fullness of the underwater portion of the hull, thereby increasing the total displacement. To improve the transverse stability of a conventionally formed hull, expressed as a higher initial metacentre, the breadth of the hull can be increased to obtain a greater moment of inertia at the waterline, optionally also raising the volumetric centre of gravity of the underwater hull. ;However, changes of this nature (increasing displacement and beam), as demanded for transverse stability and speed increase, will eventually result in an unacceptable increase in a conventional vessel's resistance to propulsion in quiet waters as well as in heavy waves. ;To improve the seagoing properties of a conventional huii configuration, expressed as the vessel's angular movements about a transverse axis (pitching), ;314 87 ;41 ;- 3 - ;vertical movements (heave), accelerations and the amount of increase in propulsion resistance compared to the resistance in quiet seas, one seeks to alter the vessel's natural frequency of pitching and heaving so that this frequency, insofar as possible, does not coincide with the frequency of the wave lengths which the vessel encounters. ;In the case of conventional hull designs, structural alterations result in only slight improvements in the seagoing properties of the vessel, and extreme pitching and heaving movements and a great increase in the resistance to propulsion will occur when the ship is sailing into the waves when the prevailing wave length is approximately equal to the ship's length at the waterline. ;Depending on the type of vessel and its rate of speed, such synchronous movements always make it necessary for a conventional ship to reduce speed or alter course in relation to the waves, thereby altering the cycles of encounter with the waves so that the wave period does not coincide with the natural frequency of the vessel's pitching and heaving. ;The earlier Ramde patent taught the use of certain relationships which have been found to be non-optimal. Also, other differences have been found that make substantial improvements in the performance of ships designed according to the earlier Ramde patent, as well as curing problems found in the use of such ships. ;In our present patent specification no. 270953 there is described and claimed a ship of a displacement type with a Ramform type hull, a transom stern, ;314874 ;-4- ;a longitudinal length of L, and defining a base plane and a design waterline plane (dwl), the ship comprising: ;approximately sinusoidal waterlines; and a surface extending from the transom stern at the design waterline plane (dwl) to the base plane at about L/2 and defining an angle between: the base plane and an oblique plane, said oblique plane being defined by: ;a line at the intersection of the transom stern and the design waterline plane (dwl) and a point located on said surface at about 0.2L from the transom stern wherein, said angle is between 12.5° and 14.0°. ;SUMMARY OF INVENTION ;The seagoing properties of the hull configuration of the embodiments of the invention are improved, such that the hull's pitching and heaving movements are reduced, compared to the movements of conventional hulls travelling at the same rate of speed, as well as the previous Ramform hulls, and these movements are also retarded such that the improved hull does not exhibit correspondingly large movements until the wave length/hull length ratio is more than twice as large, while at xhe same time the improved hull's resistance to propulsion is reduced to a similar degree. Also, embodiments of the present invention provide for very smooth, substantially homogeneous, two-dimensional flow of water under the hull and past the stern, resulting in very low turbulence, and very quiet running. Further still, embodiments of the present invention ;31 4 8 7 4' ;- 5 - ;provide for an improved propulsion placement to take advantage of the smooth water flow. ;According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a ship of a displacement type with Ramform type hull, a transom stern, a longitudinal length of L, and defining a base plane and a design waterline plane (dwl), the ship comprising: ;approximately sinusoidal waterlines; and a surface extending from the transom stern at the design waterline plane ;(dwl) to the base plane at about L/2 and defining an angle between: the base plane and an oblique plane, said oblique plane being defined by: ;a line at the intersection of the transom stern and the design waterline plane (dwl) and a point located on said surface at about 0.2L from the transom stern; and a Froude Number of between 0.1 and 0.35. ;According to still a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided a ship of a displacement type with a Ramform type hull, a transom stern, a longitudinal length of L, and defining a base plane and a design waterline plane (dwl), the ship comprising: ;approximately sinusoidal waterlines; and ;314 8 ;a surface extending from the transom stern at the design waterline plane (dwl) to the base plane at about L/2 and defining an angle between: the base plane and an oblique plane, said oblique plane being defined by: ;a line at the intersection of the transom stern and the design waterline plane (dwl) and a point located on said surface at about 0.2L from the transom stern; a bulge in the hull arranged along a water-contacting portion of the hull, from about the bow to about the transom stern. ;According to still a further embodiment, there is provided a ship of a displacement type with a Ramform type hull, a transom stern, a longitudinal length of L, and defining a base plane and a design waterline plane (dwl), the ship comprising: ;approximately sinusoidal waterlines; and a surface extending from the transom stern at the design waterline plane (dwl) to the base plane at about L/2 and defining an angle between: the base plane and an oblique plane, said oblique plane being defined by: ;a line at the intersection of the transom stern and the design waterline plane (dwl) and a point located on said surface at about 0.2L from the transom stern; and a bulb, said bulb comprising: ;314 87 4 ;- 7 - ;an upper bulb surface, said upper bulb surface being substantially flat, ;an uppermost portion of said upper bulb surface, said uppermost portion being located at about the design waterline plane (dwl), ;a cross-sectional width of said bulb, said cross-sectional width being greater than a cross-sectional height of said bulb at a transverse cross-section, said transverse cross-section being located midway between: ;a first transverse forward perpendicular plane located at a distance L from the transom stern, and a second transverse forward perpendicular plane passing through an uppermost point on the bulb. ;According to still a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided a ship of a displacement type with a Ramform type hull, a transom stern, a longitudinal length of L, and defining a base plane and a design waterline plane (dwl), the ship comprising: ;approximately sinusoidal waterlines; and a surface extending from the transom stern at the design waterline plane (dwl) to the base plane at about L/2 and defining an angle between: the base plane and an oblique plane, said oblique plane being defined by: ;a line at the intersection of the transom stern and the design waterline plane (dwl) and ;314 8 7 4 ;- 8 - ;a point located on said surface at about 0.2L from the transom stern; and at least one stabilizing fin, located approximately at the transom stern such that turbulence at the stern of the hull is reduced, and wherein said stabilizing fin further comprises a control surface flap. ;According to still a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided a ship of a displacement type with a Ramform type hull, a transom stern, a longitudinal length of L, and defining a base plane and a design waterline plane (dwl), the ship comprising: approximately sinusoidal waterlines; and a surface extending from the transom stern at the design waterline plane (dwl) to the base plane at about L/2 and defining an angle between: ;the base plane and an oblique plane, said oblique plane being defined by: a line at the intersection of the transom stern and the design waterline plane (dwl) and a point located on said surface at about 0.2L from the transom stern; and a water-contacting bulge on each side of the hull arranged from the bow to the edge of the transom stern, said bulges joining together at about the stem of the ship defining a tonguelike shape with a flattened upper surface, said ;314 87 4 ;-9- ;flattened upper surface located at about the design waterline plane (dwl). ;According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a ship of a displacement type with a Ramform type hull, a transom stern, a longitudinal length of L, and defining a base plane and a design waterline plane (dwl), the ship comprising: ;approximately sinusoidal waterlines; and a surface extending from the transom stern at the design waterline plane (dwl) to the base plane at about L/2 and defining an angle between: the base plane and an oblique plane, said oblique plane being defined by: ;a line at the intersection of the transom stern and the design waterline plane (dwl) and a point located on said surface at about 0.2L from the transom stern; and a propeller located such that the axis of said propeller is substantially parallel to the base plane of the ship. ;Further aspects of this invention, which should be considered in all its novel aspects will become apparent from the following description given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings. ;DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ;Figure 1: ;314 8 ;- 10 - ;Is a top plan view of a hull made according to an embodiment of the present invention. ;Figure 2: ;Is a side elevation of the hull of Figure 1. ;Figure 3: ;Is a bottom plan view of the hull of Figure 1. ;Figure 4: ;Is a side view of the aft portion of the hull of Figure 1. ;Figure 5: ;Is a bottom plan view of a hull made according to an embodiment of the present invention. ;Figure 6: ;Is a sectional view of one half of the hull of Figure 1 at L/2. ;Figure 7: ;Is a side view of a huli made according to an embodiment of the present invention. ;Figure 7: ;Is a cross section of an element provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. ;314 8 7 4 ;-11 - ;Figure 8: ;Is a side view of the bow of a hull made according to an embodiment of the present invention. ;Figure 8A: ;Is the principal cross section taken through line A of Figure 8. ;Figure 9: ;Is a side view of a hull showing how the bulb is formed as an integral part of bulge. ;Figure 10: ;Shows the diesel-electric power plant and the deck it is located upon. ;Figure 11: ;Shows the increased deck area and the extended hull supporting it. ;Figure 12: ;Shows the open transom stern. ;DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION ;Referring now to Figure 1, according to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a hull 10 with more rounded lines than conventional hull configurations, expressed by the term for leanness of line L/V^^, where L is the length of the hull at the design waterline (dwl) corresponding to the depth T to the summer free board (see Figure 2), and V is the displacement volume of the ;31 4 8 7 4 ;- 12- ;hull at the design waterline. Further according to this embodiment, is about 3 or greater, but the specific resistance to propulsion compared to conventional hull configurations is not increased. At the same time, the present embodiment provides that the hull beam B is such that the L/B ratio is between about 1 and about 2, preferably between about 1.4 and 1.9. The preferred ratio has been found to be about 1.8. According to this embodiment, B is the maximum beam of the hull at the design waterline (dwl). According to this embodiment, the height of the metacentre of the hull 10 is more than doubled in relation to conventional hull configurations of the same length. ;According to a further embodiment of the invention, the displacement distribution in the longitudinal direction approximates a Rayleigh wave. Such a wave is accomplished in the present embodiment with substantially squarely cut off, approximately harmonic sinusoidal waterlines (Figure 2: dwl, 1, 2, 3) with extremity or stationary points 12 and 14 at the ends of the hull fore and aft, while at the same time the base lines of the waterlines (Odw|, 0-|, ®2» ®3) frorT1 the design waterline (dwl) and at increasing depths from this gradually are displaced in the direction of forward propulsion, shortened so far that an approximately oblique surface (s), which may be straight, is defined. Further, in accordance with this embodiment, surface (s) which comprises the stern half of the hull 10 and permits utilisation of various propulsion systems. ;One such propulsion system is disclosed in the Ramde European * 767 patent, wherein the propeller (f) is shown substantially parallel to the approximately oblique surface (s). Such a design was believed to afford advantages with that particular non-conventional hull, to take advantage of 314 87 water flow parallel to the surface (s). However, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the axis of the propeller is mounted to be substantially parallel to the baseline of the ship, as seen in Figure 4.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, according to a further embodiment of present invention, a ratio B1/t1 is defined at a transverse section through the hull 10 below the design waterline (dwl) at a distance of about 0.15 Lfrom the stem, wherein (B1) is the beam at the design waterline (dwl) and (t 1) is the depth of the hull (measured from the same waterline). According to this embodiment, the ratio B1/t1 is about 15. According to an alternative embodiment, the ratio B1/t1 is greater than the corresponding ratio for a section at L/2 where the beam (B2) and depth (t2) are measured in the same way.

According to a further embbdiment of the invention a further hull ratio e = Cp/Cc|w| is defined, wherein Cp is the hull's longitudinal prismatic coefficient, expressed from the following equation: Cp = V/(AL/2xL), and wherein C^w^A^i/LB, wherein L is the design waterline, A is the area of a transverse section up to the waterline at L/2, V is the displacement volume to the design waterline, A,jw| is the waterline area, and B is the maximum beam at the waterline. According to this embodiment, the hull parameter e is about 1 or greater.

Referring again to Figure 1 according to a further embodiment of the invention, the design waterline's areal centre of gravity (LCF) is located around 0.2 L aft of midship, and the improved hull's volumetric centre of gravity 314874 (buoyancy) (LCB) at the depth of the design waterline (dwl) around 0.075 L forward of areal centre of gravity, which may be expressed as LCF - LCB = 0.075 L.

Referring now to Figure 5, according to a further embodiment, hull 10 is configured in the region from the stern poet and forward to about 0.3 L to be provided with turbulence-controlling appendages (for example, fixed or flexible fin-like means (v)) in the streamline direction mounted approximately perpendicular relative to the hull 10 and located approximately at the transition between the bottom and ^ides of the hull. According to another example, the turbulence-controlling appendages are longitudinal grooves in the form of pointed, rectangular or wave-like grooves (x) which decrease in depth in the direction of forward propulsion, and which, at about 0.3 L from aft, terminate in and coincide with the even portion of the oblique surface (s) and whose depth (d) will usually be about 0.02 B.

Referring again to Figure 1, the hull 10 is shown with the approximately harmonic sinusoidal waterlines around the design waterline (dwl) with extremity points around the hull's bow and stern ends, wherein the areal centre of gravity (LCF) is about 0.2 L aft of L/2 and where the length/breadth ratio L/B of the design waterline is about 2.

Figure 2 shows the an embodiment of the invention's hull below the design waterline (dwl) in vertical section, where it is seen that the base lines are substantially squarely cut off. Further in accordance with this embodiment, there are approximately harmonic sinusoidal waterlines (O^], O-j, O2, O3) along a 314 8 7 4 sloped generally planar surface (s), which are displaced in the direction of forward propulsion of the vessel, and which coincide with the base plane (g) at about L/2. Further, the distance between the areal centre of gravity (LCF) and the buoyancy centre of gravity (LCB) of the hull 10 at the depth of the design waterline (dwl) is about 0.075L. The generally planar surface (s) in some embodiments takes the form of a curved surface with a very large radius, (for example between about 3 and about 5 times the maximum beam, and in a specific embodiment, about 4).

In Figure 3, the hull configuration of Figure 2 is shown in horizontal projection with the waterlines dwl, 1, 2, 3 and g in the examples with a U-frame at the bow end of the hull. According to alternative embodiments of the invention, other known frame forms are used. The embodiment of Figure 3 also has a ratio between beam and depth for a section around 0.15L from the stern and at L/2, where the respective beams and depths are designated B-| and B2 and t-j and t2< According to still a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided a bulge 100, as seen in Figure 6, running from the stern to the bow. According to such embodiment the bulge 100 has a maximum normal distance (d6) from the longitudinal centre line which is larger by between about 0.03 and about 0.04 of the maximum beam than the distance (d62) between the centreline and the hull at the design waterline (dwl) at L/2.

Referring now to Figure 7, according to still a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided stabilising fins 200, having a generally teardrop 3 1 4 87 4 cross-section (Figure 7 A) and a control surfaco flap 202 as shown in Figure 7A. According to one such embodiment, the chord length of the stabilising fin (including the flap 202) is about 3% of L, and the control surface flap 202 has a chord length less than one percent of L. According to one embodiment, such fins 200 are placed as close to the stern corners as is practical. In one embodiment, shown in Figure 7, the trailing edge is in the plane of the transom 700. In an alternative embodiment (not shown) the leading edge of the fin 200 is in the plane of the transom. According to a specific embodiment, the fin 200 is about twice the chord length (including the control surface flap 202).

According to still a further embodiment, seen in Figures 8 and 8A, a bulb 80 is provided at the bow of the hull, substantially below the waterline dwl. According to this embodiment, bulb 80 has a width larger than its height at the transverse cross section midway between the forward perpendicular and a transverse section through the uppermost portion of the bulb. Such a bulb 80 further has a flattened upper surface 82 the foremost upper range 84 of which is raised up to about the waterline (dwl).

Referring now to Figure 9, an embodiment is shown in which bulb 80 is formed as an integral part of bulge 100 and a corresponding bulge (not shown) on the opposite side of the hull, which run from the bow to the edge of the transom 700. In this embodiment, the bulges terminating at about the stem area of the ship by merging into each other forming a tongue-like shape 80 with a flattened upper surface 82.

Further embodiments will occur to those of skill in the art, the above embodiments given by way of example, only.

Claims (10)

314 87 4 -17- WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A ship of a displacement type with a Ramform type hull, a transom stern, a longitudinal length of L, and defining a base plane and a design waterline plane (dwl), the ship comprising: approximately sinusoidal waterlines; and a surface extending from the transom stern at the design waterline plane (dwl) to the base plane at about L/2 and defining an angle between: the base plane and an oblique plane, said oblique plane being defined by: a line at the intersection of the transom stern and the design waterline plane (dwl) and a point located on said surface at about 0.2L from the transom stern; and a Froude Number of between 0.1 and 0.35.

2. A ship of a displacement type with a Ramform type hull, a transom stern, a longitudinal length of L, and defining a base plane, a longitudinal perpendicular center plane, and a design waterline plane (dwl), the ship comprising: approximately sinusoidal waterlines; and a surface extending from the transom stern at the design waterline plane (dwl) to the base plane at about L/2 and defining an angle between: 314 87 4 -18-the base plane and an oblique plane, said oblique plane being defined by: a line at the intersection of the transom stern and the design waterline plane (dwl) and a point located on said surface at about 0.2L from the transom stern, a bulge in the hull, arranged along a water-contacting portion of the hull, from about the bow to about the transom stern.

3. A ship according to claim 2 wherein the furthest normal distance from the perpendicular center plane to a point on said bulge is between .03 and .04 Bmax.

4. A ship of a displacement type with a Ramform type hull, a transom stern, a longitudinal length of L, and defining a base plane and a design waterline plane (dwl), the ship comprising: approximately sinusoidal waterlines; and a surface extending from the transom stern at the design waterline plane (dwl) to the base plane at about L/2 and defining an angle between: the base plane and an oblique plane, said oblique plane being defined by: a line at the intersection of the transom stern and the design waterline plane (dwl) and 314 a /. - 19 - a point located on said surface at about 0.2L from the transom stern; and a bulb, said bulb comprising: an upper bulb surface, said upper bulb surface being substantially flat, an uppermost portion of said upper bulb surface, said uppermost portion being located at about the design waterline plane (dwl), a cross-sectional width of said bulb, said cross-sectional width being greater than a cross-sectional height of said bulb at a transverse cross-section, said transverse cross-section being located midway between: a first transverse forward perpendicular plane located at a distance L from the transom stern, and a second transverse forward perpendicular plane passing through an uppermost point on the bulb.

5. A ship according to claim 4, wherein a length of said bulb, from said first transverse forward perpendicular plane to said second transverse forward perpendicular plane, is between 0.1 to 0.12 Bmax, and a cross section of said bulb at the middle of said length has a width/ height ratio of about 1.7.

6. A ship according to claim 4, wherein a length of said bulb, from said first transverse forward perpendicular plane to said second transverse forward perpendicular plane, is between 0.1 to 0.12 Bmax. 514 8 - 20 -

7. A ship according to claim 4, wherein a cross-section of said bulb at the middle of said length has a width/height ratio of about 1.7.

8. A ship of a displacement type with a Ramform type hull, a transom stern, a longitudinal length of L, and defining a base plane and a design waterline plane (dwl), the ship comprising: approximately sinusoidal waterlines; and a surface extending from the transom stern at the design waterline plane (dwl) to the base plane at about L/2 and defining an angle between: the base plane and an oblique plane, said oblique plane being defined by: a line at the intersection of the transom stern and the design waterline plane (dwl) and a point located on said surface at about 0.2L from the transom stern; and at least one stabilizing fin, located approximately at the transom stern such that turbulence at the stern of the hull is reduced, and wherein said stabilizing fin further comprises a control surface flap.

9. A ship according to claim 8 wherein a first chord length of said stabilizing fin is about 3 percent of L, and a second chord length of said control surface flap is less than about 1 percent of L.

10. A ship according to claim 8 or claim 9 wherein said stabilizing fin is located at about the stern corners. 314 8 7 4 -22-

14. A ship of a displacement type with a Ramform type hull, a transom stern, a longitudinal length of L, and defining a base plane and a design waterline plane (dwl), the ship comprising: approximately sinusoidal waterlines; and a surface extending from the transom stern at the design waterline plane (dwl) to the base plane at about L/2 and defining an angle between: the base plane and an oblique plane, said oblique plane being defined by: a line at the intersection of the transom stern and the design waterline plane (dwl) and a point located on said surface at about 0.2L from the transom stern; and a water-contacting bulge on each side of the hull arranged from the bow to the edge of the transom stern, said bulges joining together at about the stem of the ship defining a tongue-like shape with a flattened upper surface, said flattened upper surface located at about the design waterline plane (dwl).

15. A ship according to any one of the preceding claims, equipped with a diesel-electric power plant located in a forepart of the ship.

16. A ship according to claim 15 wherein said diesel-electric power plant is located on an uppermost deck. 17. 23 314 A ship according to any one of the preceding claims, having an open transom stern.

18. A ship according to any one of the preceding claims, having an L/B ratio of between 1.4 and 2.

19. A ship as claimed in any one of the preceding claims substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings. MH:MW:ASPEC08914 File Ref: MH501850 END OF CLAIMS R E c E I V E D Intellectual Property Office 2 9 JAN 1998 °f New Zealand