|
|
Article: Power prop. (U.S. Coast Guard has developed an asymmetrical screw for marine engines)
- Article from:
- Popular Science
- Article date:
- October 1, 1987
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1987 Bonnier Corporation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Power prop
The excited voice on the phone was that of Gary Larimer, a U.S. Coast Guard naval architect and project officer for an experimental program aimed at improving the efficiency of our power boats: "Commander, the results are the same as our last data. We did it . . . we got fifteen-percent fuel savings out of the boat, and more speed too!'
What our small research group, led by Larimer under my direction, had set out to achieve two years before was now a proven success. By placing sets of custom-designed fins in front of specially twisted propellers, we had cut the fuel consumption of our 41-foot patrol boat by 15 percent while increasing its top ...