A Deformation Model of a Bag-Finger Skirt and the Motion Response of an ACV in Waves

In this paper, the effect of a skirt deformation on the responses of an Air Cushion Vehicle in waves is investigated. The air in the bag and plenum chamber is assumed to be compressible and to have a uniform pressure distribution in each volume. The free surface deformation is determined in the framework of a linear potential theory by replacing the cushion pressure with the pressure patch which is oscillating and translating uniformly. And the bag-finger skirt assumed to be deformed due to the pressure disturbance while its surface area remained constant. The restoring force and moment due to the deformation of bag-finger skirt from equilibrium shape is incorporated with the equations of heave and pitch motions. The numerical results of motion responses due to various ratios of the bag and cushion pressure or bag-to-finger depth ratios are shown.