DRAG REDUCTION OF A HULL BY ELECTROLYSIS

An experiment was conducted to study the drag reduction on a hull resulting from injection of gas bubbles into the boundary layer by electrolysis. The resulting drag reduction on an eighteen foot model was found to depend on the towing velocity and the time-rate of gas bubbles produced at the electrodes. The drag reduction obtained at a fixed current of 4 amperes was found to vary between 3.2% at the lower towing speeds and 17.5% in the middle of the speed range. With increasing speed, the bubble injection had a diminishing effect. For the maximum drag reduction, the power requirement was 50.4 watts. Projecting these results to prototype application, it appears that the effect is a function of the wetted surface area of the hull. (Author)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Report on A Trident Scholar Project.
• Corporate Authors:

  United States Naval Academy

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Thornton, W A
• Publication Date: 1974-5-21

Media Info

• Pagination: 90 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Boundary layer; Drag; Fluid resistance; Hulls
• Uncontrolled Terms: Hull resistance
• Old TRIS Terms: Boundary layer control; Drag reduction
• Subject Areas: Design; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00072541
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: USNA-TSPR-63 Res. Rept.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 19 1974 12:00AM