The present invention relates to a hybrid ship hull with a curved mid-body section having a low blocking factor, in which different parts of the hull are made of different materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hybrid ship hull whose outer hull on the starboard and port sides of the mid-section are made of hybrid composites such as glass-reinforced plastic composites (GRP) or of panels with a light framing and connected to an inner longitudinal bulkhead made of straight steel box framing construction, or of a straight steel construction similar to conventional or modified double-hull construction, whereby the stern and bow sections can also be made of composite GRP. All framing is preferably made of stainless steel for low magnetic signature.
The present invention also relates to high-speed ships with multi-hull vessels such as catamaran and trimaran with hybrid constructions whose hulls are made of hybrid constructions and whose cross structures are of steel construction.
A brief technical discussion is believed desirable to place the significance of this invention into proper perspective.
Current ship hulls are made of steel which is magnetic. Additionally, the present shipyard design uses the conventional single-hull construction with longitudinal stringers and transverse framing. To achieve a non-magnetic capability, stainless steel hulls are recently being investigated for the next generation of Navy ships. Furthermore, to achieve lower costs in connection with the use of stainless steel, a new advanced double-hull concept is being addressed. The double-hull concept also results in increased ship survivability. However, residual welding stresses lead to large plate (dishing) deformations during the fabrication process of steel hulls. These deformations which are called “hungry horse,” increase the hull's detection. Stainless steel hulls are expected to result in much higher residual stresses and, hence, in much higher “hungry horse” deformations. The only means to assure tight manufacturing tolerances is to relieve the residual stresses by heat treatment which is very expensive, or to use some advanced welding technology such as laser welding, that could minimize the residual stresses. However, such advanced welding technologies are normally not available at shipyards. The best alternative is to build the hull out of composites which permits the achievement of very tight dimensional tolerances. However, several studies have shown that for hulls longer than 200 feet, even carbon fiber composites would not provide the required stiffness and compressive strength that are required for the hull. Additionally, the cost of carbon fiber composites is prohibitive for this size of ships with the current cost of $12 to $18/lb. for carbon fiber compared to $0.45/lb. for high strength steel and $3/lb. for stainless steel. Known low-cost/high-performance composite materials, such as glass fiber composites (GRP) using resin transfer molding processing, that are now being used in patrol boats, corvettes and mine hunters, do not have the stiffness nor the in-plane strength required for long hulls of combatant ships or other large commercial ships. The load-carrying mechanism for long Navy combatants is by axial tension and compression in the hogging and sagging mode between waves. The in-plane strength of the composites therefore becomes the critical design factor. For small ships or boats, the bending strength of the composites is critical. The technology of known composite sandwich construction, common in connection with smaller ship lengths or boats, would not add to the carrying capability for sea loads in long ship hulls. GRP composites, however, are the best choice to achieve all of the magnetic, radar cross section and hydrodynamic signature requirements as well as low maintenance costs.
Composite hulls for Naval vessels of lengths less than 300 feet are presently being built using GRP or carbon fiber sandwich constructions that may use a patented process called “SCRIMP,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,215 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,325 or other room-temperature curing processes. In such prior art constructions, the entire hull is made of the same material which is very different from a hybrid construction where more than one material is used. In addition, this type of construction would not be able to sustain the sea loads for curved mid-body hulls for large ships of a length greater than 300 feet.
A composite-type hull construction that combines composites and steel is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,580 to Blount and by others remotely related to Blount's patent. These other patents which are referenced in Blount are sandwich-type constructions wherein a synthetic foam material is sandwiched between inner and outer shells and hence are not hybrids of two different materials.
In the U.S. Blount Pat. No. 4,365,580, a steel hull construction is used consisting of an inner box-like structure with a fiberglass outer hull. The steel box is carrying all the sea loads (bending moments and shear), while the composite shell and foam transmits the water pressure to the box. Thus, the hull of this patent resembles a steel hull covered with an add-on parasitic composite skin that gives it the shape. This patent as well as the patents cited therein thus represent sandwich-type constructions in which a synthetic foam material is sandwiched between inner and outer shells and therefore are not hybrids of two different materials.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,813 to Kennedy addresses a composite laminated panel for containment vessels such as double-hull oil tankers. It is composite in the sense that it is a steel double-hull with an elastomer core inbetween. However, this patent is not concerned with the problems addressed by the present invention because the steel carries all sea loads and the elastomer merely acts in shielding the inner hull from cracks when the outer hull is pierced, ruptured or penetrated. The U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,571 to Critchfield et al. describes some types of connections between composite and steel hybrid constructions which can be used in conjunction with hull constructions as disclosed in my prior patent. The main focus of the Critchfield patent is the connection between two different sections; namely, a fiber-plastic and a metallic hull section, whereas the instant invention relates to hulls with a curved mid-body section made of composites with light framing on the inside thereof for the mid-body section that transmit the sea loads to the longitudinal framing or the bulkheads.
My prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,131 incorporates the aforementioned key performance characteristics and requirements. However, the hull of my prior patent is applicable only for straight body hull shapes with a block coefficient ˜1. According to the instant invention, the hull, contrary to my aforementioned prior U.S. patent, uses a composite with a light framing on the inside of the composite for the mid-body section which transmits the sea loads to a longitudinal framing or bulkheads, which together with the deck and bottom carry the major loading whereby the light framing on the inside of the composite transmits the sea loads to the longitudinal framing or bulkheads. The instant invention is for Naval combatants that require a curved mid-body section with a block coefficient ˜0.5, such as in a destroyer artistically represented in
The main difference of this invention compared to the hull construction of my aforementioned prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,131 resides in the following: while the stern and bow sections are preferably made again of hybrid composites, the mid-section on both starboard and port sides are made of hybrid composites with light framing on the inside thereof and with an inner mid-section which according to one embodiment consists of a longitudinal framing or according to another embodiment consists of longitudinal bulkheads. The inner mid-section of the framing of the first-mentioned embodiment of this invention is made of a steel frame which, together with the deck and keel, carry all the sea loads. According to the second aforementioned embodiment, the inner longitudinal bulkheads use either a conventional or a modified double-hull construction as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,124 to Sikora et al. According to this invention, the starboard and port sides of the hull mid-section are constructed with hybrid light metallic framing and continuous composite shells or panels to carry the water pressure loads and transmit the resulting loads through the light deck framing to the inner section. The present invention provides a highly efficient use of materials in carrying the sea loads and providing several key naval requirements. In the instant invention, each material carries the loads which its mechanical properties allows it to carry most efficiently, i.e., the steel carrying the axial loads and providing the high stiffness while the composites carry distributed the pressure loads and providing the low weight and perfect hydrodynamic shape.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a more efficient, cost-effective and lighter weight hull structure, especially for hulls with a length of about 300 feet or larger.
A further object of the present invention resides in a hull construction that accommodates requirements for advanced bow and stern geometries.
Still another object of the present invention resides in a hull construction which permits the realization of advanced hull designs such as the “tumblehome” hull for reduced signature envisioned by the Navy that may use water jet propulsion systems, modified water jets, shrouded propellers or other complex geometries. The complex stern sections associated with these propulsor systems may be long sections requiring double curvature and appendages that are expensive to form with steel plating or forging, not to mention that the steel construction would make these sections extremely heavy.
Another object of the present invention resides in an affordable ship hull that meets future signature requirements and provides a survivability of an order of magnitude higher than the current designs.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention, and wherein:
Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the various views to designate like parts, and more particularly to
In the first embodiment of a hybrid hull according to this invention, illustrated in
In the second embodiment of a hybrid hull of this invention illustrated in
A significant advantage of the construction in
A further advantage of this invention resides in the recognition that stainless steel advanced double-hull constructions, though they have lower magnetic signature, could not be built economically for a ship with a low block coefficient, i.e., a fine bow with curved mid-section. The hybrid hull of this invention with composite bow and stern allows the manufacture of any shape necessary for meeting signature requirements at a much lower cost. Furthermore, the light-weight stern and bow lead to superior sea keeping, maneuvering, fuel efficiency and speed, in addition to reducing the whipping moments in underwater explosions. The use of a composite skin and of stainless steel inner framing for the mid-section offers lighter weight and lower cost than a stainless steel advanced double-hull construction.
A further major advantage of the composite hull of this invention is the ability to have high dimensional control which reduces its signature and allows designers to incorporate other stealth features. The “hungry horse” effect, seen on all welded steel naval ships, increases their radar cross section. It is extremely expensive to reduce these welding distortions, but with composites as used in the present invention, high dimensional control can be easily and economically achieved. In addition, composites are non-magnetic, allow designers to embed absorbing or reflection materials, tailor their electromagnetic and dielectric characteristics, and embed sensors. Composites further offer a high damping and can be tailored to reduce the acoustic signature. Composites finally also require low maintenance and have no corrosion or galvanic problems.
In addition to providing strong foundation for machinery, the stainless steel box frame construction according to
All steel used in the hull of my invention is preferably stainless steel type 316 when not in contact with the water or AL6XN, when in contact with the water. The composites which are preferably used with my invention are E-glass Vinyl Ester (or Epoxy) using the SCRIMP process or other resin-transfer room-temperature process. S2-Glass could also be used in selected areas for added blast and ballistic protection in the port and starboard composite sections.
While I have shown and described several embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is understood that the same is not limited thereto, but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to those skilled in the art, and I do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are encompassed by the scope of the appended claims.
The U.S. Government has a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to practice the subject invention for government use.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5263428 | Mo | Nov 1993 | A |
5570650 | Harley | Nov 1996 | A |
5582124 | Sikora et al. | Dec 1996 | A |
6505571 | Critchfield et al. | Jan 2003 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20050145159 A1 | Jul 2005 | US |