Only power units of very high power output concentration can be used for air cushion vehicles; in this case high power/weight ratio is more important than minimum fuel consumption. Because of the low weight (and volume), lightweight gas turbines prove to be the optimal solution for air-cushion crafts, also from an economical point of view. The hovercraft SEDAM NAVIPLANE N 500 with a weight of approx. 240 to is the largest air-cushion vehicle that has been built up till now. The power system consists of five independent lightweight gas turbines, AVCO LYCOMING TF 40, three of which are used as propulsion engines and two to activate the lift fans. The installations of the turbines as well as the engineering of the system control is being carried out by KLOECKNER-HUMBOLDT-DEUTZ AG. The independent arrangement of the propulsion and lift fan drives results in favourable fuel consumption and in important savings in weight, so that an increased economy can be expected. Projects for hovercrafts in the range of some 1000 tons are being discussed at present. The development of such big crafts however, is very expensive and international cooperation - as already in practice with NAVIPLANE N 500 - would be desirable. (Kursetz)
Leight weight gas turbine engines as power plants for air cushion vehicles-power package of SEDAM-naviplane N 500
Gewichtsleichte Gasturbinenantriebe fuer Luftkissenfahrzeuge - Antriebssystem der SEDAM-NAVIPLANE N 500
1977
42 Seiten, 45 Bilder
Conference paper
English
Automotive engineering | 1977
|Automotive engineering | 1977
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Leight-Source Gehörschutz-Automat
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