Experimental Investigation of a Lift Augmented Ground Effect Platform

<p>This experimental study investigated the feasibility of applying the concept of a skirtless hovercraft into the production of an operational vehicle. A 0.255 m diameter prototype was designed built and tested. An air bearing table was used as a testing platform virtually eliminating the influence of friction and providing one degree of freedom for the experiments. Static tests were performed at various heights and craft configurations providing a wide range of data for comparison. Lift torque and efficiency were measured and calculated for each setting. Pressure and velocity information was also collected at specific points around the craft when operating at different heights above ground. The results indicate a significant increase in total lift and efficiency when operating the model at close to the ground heights in ground effect compared to the lift produced by the propeller and motor alone. Even more significant changes were found when comparing the in ground effect results with the out of ground effect values of lift and efficiency. The study also investigated the use of Coanda nozzles on the peripheral region of the craft and found them to be less efficient than straight nozzles with similar size and flow rates. Comparisons between the experimental results and previous computational fluid dynamic analysis are also made and presented in this study.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>