Analysis of an efficient air cushion vehicle

Abstract

Off-road vehicle performance can be improved by reducing the vertical load on the supporting surface. This can be achieved by combining a wheel drive and an aerodynamic compensator (directional air fan).

A car with a aerodynamic compensator uses a lift fan that forces air into a pressure chamber (located inside the car body), which then directs the air to the airbag. The air that inflates the airbag lifts the car off the ground.An analysis of the impact of the aerodynamic compensator on the specific pressure of the vehicle on the supporting surface, sound loads during the operation of the aerodynamic compensator, loads on the fan blades, as well as an analysis of the internal flow in the aerodynamic compensator was carried out using Solidworks software. Two variants of the design scheme of a car with an aerodynamic compensator were considered: the compensator contained two and three fans.Based on the simulation conducted for a buggy with two and three fans, which make up the aerodynamic compensation system, it was established: the main air flow speed with two fans reaches about 60 km/h, in the fan zone 130 km/h, and locally at the edges of the blades more than 200 km/h; the main air flow speed with three fans reaches about 80 km/h, in the fan zone 160 km/h, and locally at the edges of the blades more than 250 km/h; the total acoustic power is mainly kept at 30 dBl, the maximum acoustic power occurs with three fans in the fan rotation zone and ranges from 78 dBl to 86 dBl; The main air flow speed in the air cushion propeller shaft reaches about 60 km/h, in the fan zone 130 km/h and locally at the edges of the blades more than 200 km/h.