Virginia Tech® home

Patents

  • S. Brizzolara, C. Gray, L. Faison, M. Williams (2019). Stepped Cambered Planing Hull with Hydrofoils SCPH2 for lower drag and superior seakeeping in waves. US 10,189,544B2, patent grant. A technology for high speed planing crafts, consisting of a variable cambered bottom with a step a particular shape after-body and a stern hydrofoil stabilizer. The new technology has been proven to reduce by 30% the drag of conventional high speed deep-V planing hulls.
  • E. B. Brizzolara, S. Brizzolara “Marine Tunnel Thruster”. Italian Patent # GE2011A000036. International (WIPO) patent PCT/IB2012/051653, US patent US20160628 (2017). An innovative tunnel geometry and additional devices to improve the efficiency and thrust of long tunnel thrusters (i.e. with high diameter/length ratios). The patented new t.t. configuration is valid for auxiliary thrusters for maneuvering at zero speed (including station keeping, dynamic positioning) of large offshore as well as for main thrusters of seagoing vessels.
  • S. Brizzolara “Watercraft Device”. Italian Patent # GE2011A000011 (2011), US patent US8763546 B2 (2014). An innovative Autonomous Surface Vehicle with unconventional SWATH hull form, optimized for minimum drag and motions in waves, for launching and recovering of AUVs.
  • S. Brizzolara “Watercraft Device”. Italian Patent # GE2011A000012 (2011), US patent US8820260 B2 (2014). A special HYbrid HYdrofoil SWATH (HY2SWATH) Vehicle, with wing in ground effect, capable of reaching a max speed of 120 knots in Sea State 3 flying on two pairs of negative dihedral super-cavitating surface piercing hydrofoils. The patent includes the new design of the special dual-operating-mode super-cavitating hydrofoil section (SCSB-I section).
  • S. Brizzolara (2005) “Stabiliser Fin”, European Patent #120138.3-2312. A new type of fin stabilizer with particular devices able to increase the lift force and the hydrodynamic efficiency at high angle of attack. The new fins have been installed with success by Fincantieri on a series of offshore patrol vessels for the Italian Navy.
  •