A watercraft according to the present disclosure may include an outer hull that defines an interior or hull cavity, and a ballast system located within the hull cavity. The ballast system may include at least three ballast tanks longitudinally distributed along the hull cavity, and each of the tanks being configured to be independently operated enabling selective entrapment of ballast at three or more different longitudinal locations to enable an intentional shifting of the longitudinal center of gravity (LCG) of the watercraft relative to the design location of the LCG of the watercraft. The watercraft may include at least a forward, a center, and an aft ballast tank, and in some embodiments, additional tanks, in some cases in sponsons, may be included and/or one or more of the forward, center and aft tanks, may be further subdivided for additional active LCG control.

Disclosed herein are aquatic substructures capable of supporting a weight such as a wind tower and turbine. The aquatic substructures may include a central column and at least one buoyancy container connected by means of a system of cables and beams as described herein.

The present invention provides a novel floating and renewable energy-powered desalination vessel, which also functions as a wind turbine generator and wave energy generator platform. With energy derived from the wind and waves, the vessel performs reverse osmosis within a vertically positioned cylindrical section extending below a buoyancy chamber. The cylindrical section contains reverse osmosis membranes located above a seawater screening and filtration system, which serve as ballast. The entire vessel and power systems are configured to have the center of mass below the center of buoyancy, forming a vertically stable floating structure with minimum pitch, roll, and wave heave in high sea states. The electric power generated is utilized internally to produce desalinated water or hydrogen from the desalinated water's electrolysis, power an onboard data center, or power delivery to a shoreside power grid. In addition to a wind turbine generator and a wave energy generator, a photovoltaic array or a marine current generator may be utilized to power these applications. Alternatively, the desalination vessel operates with the assistance of shore-based power provided by cable.

A suspension system for a vessel (1) having at least one left hull (11), at least one right hull (12) and a chassis portion (10), the suspension system including supports (20) for at least partially supporting the chassis portion relative to the left and right hulls, and a front left and back left damping ram (31, 33) connected between the chassis portion and longitudinally spaced points on the at least one left hull, a front right and back right damping ram (32, 34) connected between the chassis portion and longitudinally spaced points on the at least one right hull. The suspension system further includes a deck attitude control system (250) comprising a controller (252), sensors, and a respective actuator arrangement for each of at least two orthogonally spaced damper rams. The actuators control a position of at least one point on the chassis relative to at least one reference.

A control system for a suspension system of a multi-hulled vessel, the vessel including a chassis portion, at least two hulls moveable relative to the chassis portion. The suspension system of the vessel provides support of at least a portion of the chassis above the at least two hulls, and includes adjustable supports and at least one motor to enable adjustment of a support force and/or displacement of the adjustable supports. The control system includes a fender friction force input for receiving at least one signal indicative of a friction force on a fender portion between a fixed or floating object and the vessel chassis portion, and in response to the fender friction force input, the control system is to adjust the support force and/or displacement between the chassis portion and the at least two hulls to reduce or minimize the friction force on the fender portion.

Hull with variable geometry for a vessel (11), comprising a completely immersed part (12), configured to provide part of the buoyancy thrust and integral with an emerged part (13) of the hull by means of one or more uprights (14), and one or more immersed wing surfaces (15) which, in a situation in which the vessel travels at a sufficiently high speed, are configured to provide the remaining part of the vertical thrust required to keep the vessel (11) above the surface of the water at a predetermined height; the hull comprises one or more supports (16a, 16b, 16c) connected to the wing surfaces (15) and associated with floating elements (17a, 17b, 17c) which are mobile with respect to the completely immersed part (12); the floating elements (17a, 17b, 17c) are fixed to the supports (16a, 16b, 16c) or mobile with respect to the supports (16a, 16b, 16c), therefore the floating elements (17a, 17b, 17c) are substantially cooperating with the completely immersed part (12) and with the wing surfaces (15); the wing surfaces (15) are configured to move with respect to the completely immersed part (12) or to remain fixed with respect thereto and the floating elements (17a, 17b, 17c) are configured to increase their immersion as the speed of the vessel decreases, and therefore provide the vertical thrust to maintain or adjust the distance of the vessel from the water in a manner that is optimal and functional for the use of the vessel, even at reduced speeds or when the vessel is stationary.

A vessel is provided herein which comprises a primary hull and at least two hull members capable of being deployed from or retracted into tunnels or underneath overhangs in the primary hull. In various embodiments, the vessel comprises a means for controllably deploying and retracting the hull members. These members may further comprise a propulsion means capable of propelling the vessel. In other embodiments the vessel comprises a failsafe mode allowing the hull members to fully retract into the vessel during times of destress. In various embodiments, the vessel is a landing craft capable of loading and unloading cargo without the burden of an overhang cross beam.

A ground effect craft having a ground effect wing, a plurality of sponsons, and a control system is disclosed. The ground effect wing may include a fore ground effect wing and an aft ground effect wing. The ground effect wing may generate a stabilizing moment on at least one sponson to stabilize the ground effect craft. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to the body. The plurality of sponsons may be dynamically coupled to each other. The dynamic coupling may permit the sponsons to move relatively independent of the body and each other, thereby stabilizing the ground effect craft. The ground effect craft may include a stabilizing wing.

A suspension system for a multi-hulled vessel including: a chassis and at least one left hull and at least one right hull; a front left, a back left, a front right and a back right support arrangements with respective rams; a first adjustment accumulator having a fluid chamber and a gas chamber; and a first actuator to transfer or effectively transfer fluid between the fluid chamber of the first adjustment accumulator and at least one compression chamber of a respective ram of a first support arrangement comprising one or more of the front left, front right, back left or back right support arrangements. A static pressure in the gas chamber of the first adjustment accumulator being within 25% of a static operating pressure in the at least one compression chamber of the at least one ram of the first support arrangement.

An offshore floating support apparatus includes an underwater base, an anchor unit and a plurality of supporting units. The anchor unit is connected to the underwater base and is adapted to be attached to a water bed. The supporting units are connected to and surround the underwater base. Each of the supporting units has a support member that defines a receiving space for receiving water therein and that has a valve component operable to establish fluid communication between the receiving space and external environment for adjusting quantity of water received in the support member.