Lockheed Martin Corporation

Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.

Other

Lockhead Martin Corp.

Navatek, Ltd.

Terrence Wayne Schmidt

Jeffrey E Kline

Anthony J Mannino

Gary M Noland

Bruce W Cobb

Gary Shimozono

Steven J Schmitz, Sr

Lewis D Madden

A system and method that reduces spatial positioning control requirements for maintaining reduced wave-making resistance of at least one following vessel in a fleet operating in a seaway, by determining a position of the at least one following vessel within a coordinated zone, which is a zone within a reduced wave-making resistance region of the Kelvin wake of at least one lead vessel, at which a surge motion of the vessels is synchronized with each other. By positioning the at least one following vessel in the coordinated zone, the spatial positioning control requirements of the at least one following vessel can be reduced.

Reduced positioning control requirements for maintaining reduced wave-making resistance of a vessel operating in a seaway

A supervisory propulsion controller module, a speed and position sensing system, and a communication system that are incorporated on marine vessels to reduce the wave-making resistance of the multiple vessels by operating them in controlled and coordinated spatial patterns to destructively cancel their Kelvin wake transverse or divergent wave system through active control of the vessels separation distance with speed. This will enable improvement in the vessel's mobility (speed, payload and range), improve survivability and reliability and reduce acquisition and total ownership cost.

Multiple marine vessels employing spatial control to reduce wave-making resistance

It is an object of the present invention to provide a means of constructing an Autonomous fully-Submersible Offshore Marine Platform (ASOMP) of considerable warfighting or commercial capability which is mobile and can autonomously transport to a hazardous operating area in a low-observable reduced vulnerability manner, fully submerge to avoid the military or environmental threat hazard, hibernate until needed, perform fully submerged mobility and mission operations, surface and provide Barge and SWATH surface ship mobility and mission operations, resubmerge if the hazardous threat appears and relocate to a new operating area. Another object of the present invention is to provide a fully autonomous and submersible low-cost 'lily-pad' that surfaces when called and provides a main deck platform at appropriate freeboard and seakeeping motions to function as a refueling landing zone and pier to extend the range of aircraft and marine vehicles operating in a high-threat environment.

Autonomous submersible offshore marine platform

A traction cell for use in a track drive of an amphibious or all-terrain vehicle includes a rigid section for connection to a track drive and at least one semi-rigid compliant section which is connected to the rigid section. The semi-rigid compliant section has a bottom surface to which a penetration resistant sole is secured on a rear face which is raked relative to the vertical.

Buoyant track amphibious transporter and traction cells therefor

A ship has interchangeable mission modules. For example, a ship has a frame with a mission-module bay disposed therein. The bay is operable to receive a mission module having a mission-module system and an interface that facilitates the coupling between the mission-module system and the ship. As such, a plurality of different types of mission modules can be interchanged quickly and easily to provide the ship with different mission capabilities. Each mission-module is generally self-contained such that all the equipment necessary to perform the specific mission is contained within the single mission-module. Each mission-module is either a single unit or multiple units combined together to form an integrated unit. Thus, the ship is capable of transitioning from one mission to another simply by ejecting one mission module and replacing with another mission module.

Mission module ship design

A ship having a multi-mode hull where the draft, seakeeping, and payload-carrying capacity are varied to match the requirements of the required mission. For example, the ship has a hull with first and second hull portions and with an interconnecting hull structure, and has a ballasting system within the hull portions and operable to adjust the draft of the vessel in conjunction with the payload carried by the ship so that the ship can perform a designated mission. The hull is designed to have an adjustable hull depth according to the payload carried to perform the mission and augmented by the ballasting system so as to optimize draft, and thus hull mode, to meet mission requirements. As a result, the ship operates in four distinct modes as follows: very shallow draft (logistics mode), shallow draft (catamaran mode), moderate draft (SWATH mode), and deep draft (stealth/low-freeboard mode).

Vessel with a multi-mode hull

A method for outfitting a vessel such as a water ship for a particular mission includes maneuvering the vessel toward a mission module, capturing the mission module with the vessel, and coupling the mission module to the vessel. Such method allows one to interchange mission modules, and thus outfit a vessel for different missions, quickly and easily.

Method and system for mission module swapping in a vessel

In one aspect of the invention, a vessel has a liquid-plane greater than one meter/(metric ton)and includes a hull having a total length and a plurality of hull portions each having a length that is less than the total length. Each hull portion buoys the vessel. Each hull portion also protrudes above the liquid-line and includes a wetted area that does not contact the wetted areas of other hull portions when the boat accelerates through Froude numbers between 0.4 and 0.6. In addition, each hull portion includes a cross-sectional area having a perimeter defined by the edge of the wetted area and having an area defined by a plane that intersects the hull portion at the perimeter. The vessel's liquid-plane is the sum of each hull portion's cross-sectional area divided by the cube root of the square of the weight of the boat is at least one. When the vessel accelerates toward a cruising speed, the wetted area of each hull portion does not contact the wetted areas of the other hull portions, the vessel's hull experiences the maximum wave resistance at a lower speed than, and a maximum total resistance that is less than, a long, single hull providing the same buoyancy. Thus, the amount of power required to overcome the hump region and to cruise at a speed that generates a Froude number greater than 0.6 is less than conventional vessels having similar lengths and payload capacities.

Vessel hull and method for cruising at a high Froude number

An efficient double-ended watercraft is disclosed that comprises four low-Froude number hulls: two forward, two aft, two on the port side, and two on the starboard. Each hull comprises an independent engine that drives a propeller shaft and propeller that is located amidships. The propeller shafts on the starboard are collinear, as are the propeller shafts on the port. The propellers on the starboard are near each other and counter rotate, as do the propellers on the port. The propellers are variable-pitch propellers. When the ferry is changes from moving forward to moving in reverse and from reverse to forward, the propellers on the starboard exchange pitch. This enables the ferry to move as efficiently in reverse as it does when forward. The propellers on the port also exchange pitch when changing from moving forward to moving in reverse and from reverse to forward.

Multi-hull watercraft with amidships-mounted propellers

A large-waterplane-area ship operable to efficiently operate at a high-Froude velocity. In one embodiment of the invention, a large-waterplane-area ship includes a hull structure having a plurality of exclusive hull portions protruding from a main body of the hull structure. Each hull portion has a length shorter than the length of the main body and each hull portion has a buoyancy wherein the combined buoyancy of each hull portion is sufficient to support the main body above a waterline. As such, each hull portion acts independently and exclusively of other hull portions with respect to the effects of wave drag. Therefore, the ship overcomes wave drag at lower velocities.

High-Froude hull ship

A method and apparatus for steering a vessel comprising a member rotatable around a first and a second axis.

Two degree of freedom rudder/stabilizer for waterborne vessels

A variable-draft vessel. The variable-draft vessel including a center hull; a first side hull coupled to a first side of the center hull; a second side hull coupled to a second side of the center hull; and at least one cross support coupling the first and second side hulls, wherein the center hull is configured to be vertically translated with respect to the first and second side hulls.

Variable-draft vessel

A ship designed to achieve high speed through the use of multiple, low wave-making resistance, submerged hullform pods is constructed for stable operation during maneuvers with and without a payload. Movable fins on the submerged hullform pods are constructed and are operable to provide the turning and to counteract an inertial moment produced by an elevated center of gravity of the ship so that the ship turns flat or rolls into a turn and does not roll out of a turn. A load balancing pod is movable fore-to-aft and side-to-side to balance the amount and the location of varied payloads on the ship. The movement of the fins may be a tilting movement, or each fin can be maintained at a set angle but extendable out of and retractable into a related pod to create the amount of side force needed for maneuvers and/or to control the amount of lift that might be needed during operation of the ship.

Ship constructions for achieving stability at high speed through the use of multiple, low wave-making resistance, submerged hullform pods and control fins

A small waterplane area high speed ship is disclosed which includes a hull structure having a bow portion and a stern portion with the hull being normally supported above the surface of the water when in operation. A forward set of dual struts depend from the bow portion of the hull structure; these dual struts are subtended by a first transverse displacement foil extending laterally between amd connected to each of the dual struts. A second set of aft dual struts depend from the stern portion of the hull structure; the second set of dual struts are subtended by a second transverse displacement foil extending laterally between and connected to each of said struts. The transverse displacement foils provide the major bouyancy for the ship during operation to maintain the hull above the surface of the water during operation. The forward and aft struts and the foils are spaced longitudinally a predetermined distance selected such that the transverse wave created by each corresponding element is 180.degree. apart.

Small waterplane area high speed ship

The present invention is directed to a vessel that is hull stabilized. The stability is achieved by the particular orientation of the lower hulls. In one embodiment the lower hulls are inclined to the calm water or design waterline.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Terrence Wayne Schmidt