A fairing device and method for the reduction of vortex-induced vibrations or motions, the minimization of drag about a substantially cylindrical element immersed in a fluid medium, comprising; a fairing rotatably mounted about the cylindrical element, the fairing comprising a shell with a mainly cylindrical cross-sectional shape with an outer diameter (D) following the outer diameter of the cylindrical element from an upward stagnation point of 0 degrees to at least 90 degrees, and which at 90 degrees continues as two fin-like portions in an aft direction, further comprising that the fin-like portions are convexly curved aft of 90 degrees thus tapering towards each other and defining a tail end opening or gap less than the fairing standoff height. A method for mounting, storage, and deployment of the fairing device is also disclosed.

A faired towing cable employed on a ship for towing a submersible body launched at sea is provided. The cable comprises a core and a fairing joined to the core. The fairing is profiled so as to reduce the hydrodynamic drag of the cable. The fairing comprises several leading edges and several trailing edges joined to the leading edges. One trailing edge is held directly on two adjacent leading edges.

A skeg mounts from the stern of a towing vessel and extends below the waterline. A channel in the skeg protects cables for steamers and a source of a seismic system deployed from the vessel. Tow points on the skeg lie below the water's surface and connect to towlines to support the steamers and source. A floatation device supports the source and tows below the water's surface to avoid ice floes. The streamers can have vehicles deployed thereon for controlling a position on the streamer. To facilitate locating the streamers, these vehicles on the streamers can be brought to the surface when clear of ice floes so that GPS readings can be obtained and communicated to a control system. After obtaining readings, the vehicles can be floated back under the surface. Deploying, using, and retrieving the system accounts for ice at the surface in icy regions. In addition, handling the seismic record can account for noise generated by ice impact events.

The invention is a chevron ribbon fairing that reduces hydrodynamic drag on marine cables towed by a vessel. The fairing is the shape of a V, with an angle between the legs of the V chosen on the basis of the predicted cable angle relative to the flow. The chevron angle is twice the cable angle. The tip of chevron ribbon fairing is woven into the outer armor strands of the steel cable or molded to a jacketed cable. When the cable is at shallow angles to the fluid flow, the fairing aligns with the flow, a presents a reduced cross sectional area to the fluid flow behind the towed cable. The chevron design allows the ribbon to naturally align with the fluid flow even as the ribbon rotates about its axis. This ensures a reduction in tangential drag regardless of the level of cable tension.

A fairing device for the reduction of vortex-induced vibrations or motions, and for minimizing the drag about a substantially cylindrical element immersed in a fluid medium, comprising; a fairing rotatably mounted about the cylindrical element, the fairing comprising a shell with a mainly cylindrical cross-sectional shape with an outer diameter (D) following the outer diameter of the cylindrical element from an upward stagnation point of 0 degrees to at least +/90 degrees, and which at +/90 degrees continues as two fin-like portions in an aft direction, whereby the fin-like portions are convexly curved aft of +/90 degrees thus tapering towards each other and are defining a tail end opening or gap less than the fairing standoff height. A method for mounting, storage, and deployment of the fairing device is also disclosed.

A cable fairing (fairing) (40) for reducing the flow resistance for a cable (45) has a wing formed cross section with a wide, rounded front and a tapered tail, a through-going cable channel (46) for the cable (45) perpendicular to the cross section of the widest part of the cross section. The wing profile comprises an elastic material of sufficient stiffness to maintain the shape when it is towed thereby causing flow resistance. The cable fairing (40) has slots (42) cut into the elastic material from the tail towards the cable channel (46), so that the tail comprises slats (41) which can be bent parallel to the cable channel (46) to reduce the cross-section of the cable fairing. By this is low flow resistance, as from a stiff cable jacket, combined with sufficient elastic deformability so the cable (45) with attached cable fairings (40), can be winched and pass through narrow openings in the deployment and retrieval, and wound onto a reel for storage and transport.

A foil having a leading edge, trailing edge, chord and span is attached between a first head float position and bottom submerged position below the head float on the array. The foil being flexible along its span and has a first interior conduit rearward of the leading edge and a second interior conduit forward of the trailing edge. The conduits are centered on the chord and separated by a distance. A first cable having a first length is strung inside the first conduit and a second cable having a second length is strung inside the second conduit, and an adjustment mechanism is used to vary the length of the first cable relative to the length of the second cable and vice versa.

An in-line planer board assembly incorporates hydrofoil designs at various key locations in order to maximize fluid movement efficiencies. Optionally, the planer board assembly further includes a spring-loaded fishing line release, also exemplified in a universal embodiment for use with other planer boards. Another option is a snap-in forward line release bracket useful when an angler wishes to fish from the opposite side of the boat, or for creating a smaller storage space requirement while storing the planer boards away between angling trips.

The invention is directed to a towing adaptation system for optimizing the pitch attitude, hydrodynamic lift and drag forces on an underwater acoustic vessel. The towing adaptation system an underwater vessel to which is attached a first adapter plate and a second adapter plate, with each adapter plate having a plurality of vertically displaced staged attachment points. Corresponding attachment points of the first and second adapter plates form attachment pairs, with each attachment pair calibrated to provide a desired cable angle, hydrodynamic lift, and drag force, at a predetermined steady-state speed, for optimizing performance.

A fairing element to fair an elongate element comprising a canal to accept the elongate object and being profiled in such a way as to reduce the hydrodynamic drag of the elongate object when the elongate object is at least partially immersed, the fairing element comprises a leading edge and a trailing edge, the fairing element being intended to be pivot-mounted on the elongate element around the longitudinal axis of the canal, the fairing element comprising a bearing edge comprising a first bearing edge which is mitered with respect to the leading edge, the first bearing edge being arranged in such a way that the distance between the leading edge and the bearing edge, considered perpendicular to the leading edge, decreases continuously, along an axis parallel to the leading edge, from a first end of the first bearing edge to a second end of the bearing edge, the fairing element being referred to as a mitered fairing element, the mitered fairing element comprising a first part and a second part which are joined together along a first bearing edge so that the fairing element can pass from a deployed configuration in which the trailing edge is parallel to the leading edge to a folded configuration in which the fairing element is folded along the first bearing edge.