Page 13 - Theory and Design of Air Cushion Craft

xii Preface

There are three parts to this book. The first chapter gives a general introduction to
hovercraft, which introduces briefly the classification of hovercraft, and the develop-
ment and civil and military applications of the hovercraft in China and abroad in the
last three decades. The second part, from Chapters 2 to 9, systematically describes
ACV and SES theory - primarily the hydrodynamics and aerodynamics of cushion
systems. The third part, from Chapters 11 to 16, describes the design methods of ACV
and SES, including the design criteria and standards for craft performance, lift system
design, skirt design, hull structure design, and methods for determining the principal
dimensions of craft.
The principles for material presented in this book are to describe the features of air
cushion technology, and give sufficient design information to allow the reader to pre-
pare a basic project design. Engineering subjects which are similar to those for con-
ventional ships are not covered here, being available to the student in existing naval
architecture or marine engineering texts. Thus, stability here covers only the calcula-
tion method for stability of ACV and SES on cushion, and not stability of hovercraft
while floating off cushion.
With respect to the design of machinery and propulsion systems of ACV and SES,
for instance, air or water propeller design, water-jet propulsion installation and
machinery installtion in hovercraft, which is rather different from that on conven-
tional ships, these are covered in summary in the last chapters.
The intent is to guide the reader on how to perform machinery and systems selec-
tion within ACV or SES overall design. Detail design of these systems requires sup-
port of specialists in turbo-machinery, piping design, etc. who will normally be
included in the project team. The student is referred to specialists in these fields for
interface engineering advice, or to the marine or aeronautical engineering department
at his college or university.
The intended audience for this book are teachers and students, both at undergrad-
uate and postgraduate level in universities, and engineers, technicians and operators
who are involved in ACV/SES research, design, construction and operation or wish to
work in this field.
During the writing of this book, the authors have had the help and support from
senior engineers and researchers of MARIC and used research results and theories
from many sources, such as the references listed at the end of this book, and they
would like to express sincere thanks to those authors for their inspiration. Meanwhile
the authors also would like heartily to thank Professor IS. Dong of the Chinese Naval
Engineering Academy for his help and revision suggestions for this book.
Hovercraft and component manufacturers throughout the world have kindly sup-
plied data and many of the photos. Our thanks for their continuing support and
advice.
Alan Bliault and Liang Yun
August 1999