Experimental investigations on conventional and unconventional boost systems to assist take-off of hydrofoil crafts

In 2020, a dedicated research regarding the take-off was granted. The objective was to investigate experimentally unconventional solutions to overcome the take-off hump; this challenge implies the risk to identify also not successful solutions but, at the same time, to dare looking beyond the current state of art. Inspired by nature, an impulsive boost could be used to overcome the take-off hump of the hydrofoil craft’s resistance: the modelled mechanics were inspired to the impulsive boost thrust generated by the ink fishes or by a rapidly flapping hydrofoil. Together with the experiments of physical unconventional boost systems, a systematic investigation on the required boost thrust, energy and power was also carried out by means of a dedicated model test set-up. Objective was to answer questions such as:
what kind and how much of boost is needed to let the craft take off? For how long is this boost needed? Which solutions are more promising for further development?