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Corresponding Author

El-Kady, Mohamed

Subject Area

Mechanical Power Engineering

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

This paper presents a numerical solution procedure for the prediction of the flow pattern created under a stationary hovercraft using the irrotational flow model. A finite difference computer program using a rectangular grid was employed in this study. Three flow patterns are investigated. These flow patterns are the flow pattern at constant mass flow rate M, flow pattern at constant skirt height and the flow pattern at constant mean pressure along the underside of the hovercraft floor. It, also, determines the dependence of the pressure distribution on the relative height of the skirt and the mass flow rate. The relation between the mass flow rate and the skirt height, at constant average pressure along the underside of the hovercraft, was also obtained. The results show that the flow pattern changes with the variation the skirt height, while there is no change in the flow pattern with the increase of the mass flow rate, if the skirt . height is kept constant. It also explains the practical limitation of the unability of a hovercraft to operate over very rough seas.

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