Benjamin Johnson with Cyrus Taylor

Advanced Hydrofoil Systems

In standard boating design, the hull of the boat is pushed through the water by the propulsion system.  The result of this is that most of the energy is used to displace this water.  Hydrofoils seek to overcome this drag by lifting the boat out of the water using the same principals that airplane wings used to lift the aircraft.  Thus, the boat’s propulsions system needs only to overcome the drag on the wings which remain in the water and the craft is removed from the turbulence of the water’s surface.  The purpose of our project will be to develop a feasible design for a hydrofoil system and determine its viability in the boating market.