Hydrofoils, Solar Power — The Wave of Boating Future

Researcher develops technologies that could lead to new class of boater. Konstantin Matveev, faculty member at Washington State University and expert in marine vehicle technology, will showcase his research and what may be the future of pleasure boating and transoceanic transportation at the “Boats Afloat Show” Sept. 13-17 in Seattle. The benefits of his research include reduced fuel consumption, increased speed and a smoother ride in rough waters. One promising technology arising from his research is the implementation of aerodynamic support of high-speed marine craft by using wings, giving the craft the effect of flying while on the water. He helped create a hydrofoil-submarine vehicle for the movie “xXx” (read as “Triple X”), which starred Vin Diesel. Such technology could lead to a new class of marine pleasure vehicles that operate at speeds of around 100 miles per hour and possess amphibious capabilities. Matveev’s research also advances the development of more economical means of transoceanic transportation. In his recent work, done in collaboration with European companies, 18 percent drag reduction was demonstrated in tests with air-lubricated supertanker models.

Matveev, along with students from the WSU School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, will give demonstration runs of the school’s boat from the 2005 Solar Splash competition, an annual international event. He will also present examples of hydrofoil and solar panel material developed in his research.

He is establishing a research group at WSU that will develop and test high-performance marine vehicles for commercial, personal and military use. Matveev can be reached at 509.335.1327, Matveev@wsu.edu. For more information on his research, visit www.hydrofoils.org.