The VT i-Ship Lab has been assigned the task of designing and building a Personal Hydrofoil Craft capable of carrying two people, featuring the distinctive capabilities of foiling and diving. This thesis examines the attributes of fully submerged hydrofoils and their prospective advancements. Diverse configurations of fully submerged hydrofoils are scrutinized, accompanied by an exploration of their respective stability characteristics. A comprehensive analysis is conducted on the design space trade-offs, incorporating potential flow-based methodologies such as the lifting line and vortex lattice methods, encompassing considerations for the free surface, structural computations, and propulsion optimization. In conjunction with the design study computational fluid dynamics is employed to verify the estimated values and to fine-tune the system allowing for a robust low-fidelity system that can quickly estimate the appropriate hydrofoil arrangement for the desired conditions. Various hydrofoil and craft configurations are explored discussing the trade-offs with a final design being chosen and a thorough mechanical design pursued. / Master of Science / The VT i-Ship Lab is conducting research on a watercraft known as a "Personal Hydrofoil Craft." This vehicle is designed to carry two people, glide on the water's surface, and dive underwater. Hydrofoil crafts use specialized underwater wings to reduce resistance and enhance efficiency. Our focus is on fully submerged hydrofoils, studying their stability and efficiency. We employ computer simulations and advanced methods to design and optimize these submerged hydrofoils. The goal is to enhance our understanding of their functionality and performance through real-life experiments. This research has the potential to improve watercraft technology, leading to more efficient and stable boats in the future. By exploring the science behind hydrofoil designs, we aim to contribute valuable insights to the field of water transportation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/117842 |
| Date | 02 February 2024 |
| Creators | Dougherty, Hugh Raymond Robert |
| Contributors | Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Brizzolara, Stefano, Brown, Alan J., Stilwell, Daniel J. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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