[SAB]

Don Burg, the inventor of a new patent-pending ship hull concept, the 'Ship with Wave Energy Engulfing Propulsors' or 'SWEEP', has combined the advantages of a bulbous bow with those of an air-lubricated ship (ALS) to significantly reduce the wave drag of displacemnt hull forms.The SWEEP concept takes advantage of the inward turning water around a bulbous bow, thereby sucking wave energy, thereby reducing wave drag, and accelerating the wave-making water flow into a high flow propulsor(s). The flow from the bow mounted waterjet is discharged into an air layer beneath the hull. The air layer needs very little blower power to be maintained. What this all means is that a SWEEP can be efficient over a large operating speed range. For example a 122m SWEEP can obtain a total drag reduction of around 15%-20% @ 20 knots, and a 40% reduction @ 45 knots. Studies carried out to date show the SWEEP concept is technically feasible and further analysis and model testing is planned as the next step in development.