Summarizing - Research Paper Example

Research done by Office of Naval Research reveals that hydrofoils in water operate on same principle as an aircraft wing (1954). The paper categorizes hydrofoil design in four types – Multiple-Foil Ladder system, Surface-Piercing V Foil system, Submerged Foil with Planing Surface Control system and Fully Submerged Foil system – and discusses their strengths and weaknesses. Analyses done based on speed and size conclude that hydrofoils are not feasible in lager size applications due to growth in foil size that increases design complexity and that they fall in the high speed category though their speeds have a certain limit.

In his report on hydrofoil design, Elwyn Baker (1975) examines two super-cavitating hydrofoil models; TAP-1 and TAP-2 with his design considerations being takeoff capabilities and span-wise twist distribution. The aim was to select a two-dimensional section whose design theory and techniques are available that can be used to design hydrofoils befitting set criteria. TAP-1 is intended to operate under full ventilation while TAP-2 is desired to operate under natural cavity. By use of computer models and simulations, numerical results were obtained that upon comparison help in selecting the best shape and surface of section onto which to build the hydrofoils.

Karim, Suzuki and Kai (2004) demonstrate how to optimize the design of a hydrofoil and marine propeller using micro-genetic algorithm (µGA) which is genetic algorithm (GA) but only covering a smaller population and fewer simple genetic parameters. µGA is preferred because it has faster convergence. The algorithm randomly initializes hydrofoil parameters and the generated hydrofoil is analyzed by potential based boundary element method. GA then updates the design parameters over generations to achieve improved hydrofoil meeting design constraints.

It has been shown that the algorithm is successful in design