Hull Vane® and Naiad Dynamics® have announced their collaboration on an innovation called the Dynamic Hull Vane®, an actively controlled version of the patented Hull Vane®. The underwater wing, which improves the performance and comfort of medium-speed displacement vessels, will be presented at the Monaco Yacht Show next week.

“Since its introduction in 2014, the Hull Vane® – essentially an 'underwater spoiler' – has been increasingly applied to reduce the resistance and motion of ships,” explains Bruno Bouckaert, Hull Vane BV’s sales director. “Ideal applications are ships that combine a significant displacement with a relatively high speed, such as superyachts, passenger ships, naval ships, coastguard vessels and fast offshore supply vessels.

“In addition to reduced resistance, the static Hull Vane® provides a reasonable element of pitch damping, enhancing the comfort onboard by reducing vertical accelerations. Vertical accelerations cause the continuous feeling of being alternatingly heavier and lighter, and are a main cause of seasickness. The pitching motions are also a complicating factor in manoeuvres, such as helicopter landings and the launch and recovery of daughter craft.”

In response to market demand for greater pitch reductions than a static device could generate, Hull Vane engineers began collaborating with Naiad Dynamics engineers to develop an actively controlled version of the Hull Vane®. CFD simulations showed that the pitch motion reduction could be doubled from 10-20 per cent with a passive Hull Vane® to 20-40 per cent with an active Hull Vane®.

“The collaboration proved ideal by combining the strengths of each company – particularly the hydrodynamic expertise of Hull Vane BV with the hydraulic, mechanical and control system expertise of Naiad Dynamics,” adds John Venables, CEO of Naiad Maritime Group Inc. “As pioneers in multi-axis ship control and recent Total Ride Control® system solutions supplied for superyachts, Naiad Dynamics was the best fit to support this development.” 

In the superyacht market, Naiad is primarily recognised for its AtSpeed® and AtRest® fin stabilisers and active interceptors, but the company is also highly active in the fast ferry market and naval sectors, with ride control solutions such as active T-foils, lifting foils, canards, yaw fins, and an array of related devices.

Naiad Dynamics and Hull Vane shared the same development goal: design a simple and maintenance-free mechanism to provide reliable service and combine it with established Naiad Dynamics control technologies. The resulting development is the Dynamic Hull Vane®– identical to the passive Hull Vane® below the waterline and adapted from Naiad’s proven active T-foil or fin stabiliser designs above the waterline.

With the Dynamic Hull Vane® off, the vessel has all the benefits of the passive Hull Vane®: more speed and range, less wave making and a quieter vessel. When the sea is rough, operators simply switch it on and the vessel feels as if it has active suspension: less pitching motion, less vertical acceleration, and less slamming. The result is actively controlled efficiency and comfort.

The Dynamic Hull Vane® is being exhibited at Naiad Dynamics’ booth in Darse Sud, stand DS45.

Images: The Dynamic Hull Vane® and Dynamic T-foil

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