Dynamic artificial wave facility for surfing practice

Abstract

Disclosed is a facility including an artificial wave generator having an element for driving moving water along a predetermined path, including a first body profiled as a hydrofoil, orientated upright, having a leading edge towards the front, a trailing edge towards the rear, first and second main faces extending respectively on a first side and a second side, between the leading and trailing edges, and being configured with respect to the path so that when the generator is in service, a lift force directed towards a wave development zone is applied on the first body; and a second body profiled as a hydrofoil, orientated horizontally, having a leading edge towards the front, a trailing edge towards the rear, first and second main faces extending respectively on a first side and a second side.

Claims

1. Artificial wave facility for the practice of surfing, comprising: a support (11; 55) having an upper surface (14) comprising an edge zone (15), a wave progression zone (16) and a culminating zone (17), the wave progression zone (16) extending, in an upwards slope, from the edge zone (15) to the culminating zone (17); water situated over said edge zone (15) and said wave progression zone (16); an artificial wave generator (12), comprising at least one water driving member movable over the edge zone (15) along a predetermined path (21), said wave generator (12) and said upper surface (14) of the support (11; 55) being configured such that when the wave generator (12) is in use, the movable member is laterally followed by a wave (22) moving in the water towards the wave progression zone (16) in contact with which the generated wave (22) breaks towards the culminating zone (17); wherein said movable member (20′) of the wave generator (12) comprises: a first body (60) shaped with a cross-section of a lift-generating wing, oriented upright, having a leading edge (62) facing forward, a trailing edge (63) facing rearward, a first main face (64) extending on a first side between the leading edge (62) and the trailing edge (63), and a second main face (65) extending on a second side, which is an opposite side to the first side, between the leading edge (62) and the trailing edge (63), the first main face (64) facing towards the wave progression zone (16), said first body (60) being configured in relation to said predetermined path (21) such that when the wave generator (12) is in use, a lift force directed towards the wave progression zone (16) acts on the first body (60); and a second body (61) shaped with a cross-section of a lift-generating wing, having a lying-down orientation, mechanically connected to the first body (60), projecting at least partly from the first main face (64) of the first body (60), having a leading edge (68) facing forward, a trailing edge (69) facing rearward, a first main face (70) extending on a first side between the leading edge (68) and the trailing edge (69), and a second main face (71) extending on a second side, which is an opposite side to the first side, between the leading edge (68) and the trailing edge (69), the second main face (71) facing downward, said second body (61) being configured in relation to said predetermined path (21) such that when the wave generator (12) is in use, an upwardly directed lift force acts on the second body (61).

2. The facility according to claim 1, wherein the first main face (70) of the second body (61) is an extrados face, the second main face (71) of the second body (61) is an intrados face, the extrados face (70) having a developed length greater than the developed length of the intrados face (71).

3. The facility according to claim 2, wherein said first body (60) extends above and below said second body (61).

4. The facility according to claim 2, wherein the leading edge (68) of said second body (61) is forward of the leading edge (62) of said first body (60).

5. The facility according to claim 2, wherein the trailing edge (69) of said second body (61) is rearward of the leading edge (62) of said first body (60) and forward of the trailing edge (63) of said first body (60).

6. The facility according to claim 2, wherein said second body (61) is shaped with a cross-section of a lift-generating wing according to the NACA 9630 airfoil.

7. The facility according to claim 1, wherein said first body (60) extends above and below said second body (61).

8. The facility according to claim 7, wherein the leading edge (68) of said second body (61) is forward of the leading edge (62) of said first body (60).

9. The facility according to claim 7, wherein the trailing edge (69) of said second body (61) is rearward of the leading edge (62) of said first body (60) and forward of the trailing edge (63) of said first body (60).

10. The facility according to claim 1, wherein the leading edge (68) of said second body (61) is forward of the leading edge (62) of said first body (60).

11. The facility according to claim 10, wherein the trailing edge (69) of said second body (61) is rearward of the leading edge (62) of said first body (60) and forward of the trailing edge (63) of said first body (60).

12. The facility according to claim 1, wherein the trailing edge (69) of said second body (61) is rearward of the leading edge (62) of said first body (60) and forward of the trailing edge (63) of said first body (60).

13. The facility according to claim 1, wherein said second body (61) is shaped with a cross-section of a lift-generating wing according to the NACA 9630 airfoil.

14. The facility according to claim 1, wherein a chord plane passing through the leading edge (68) and through the trailing edge (69) of the second body (61) makes an angle comprised between 6° and 20° relative to the horizontal.

15. The facility according to claim 1, wherein said movable member (20′) further comprises a vane-wall (77) mechanically connected to said first body (60) and second body (61), said vane-wall (77) being oriented upright and disposed laterally along and at a distance from the first body (60) and second body (61) on the side to which faces the second main face (65) of the first body (60).

16. The facility according to claim 1, further comprising a fixed lateral wall (56), oriented upright, which the second main face (65) of the first body faces.

17. The facility according to claim 1, wherein said artificial wave generator (12) further comprises a drive member (76) for driving said movable member (20′), said drive member (76) being fastened to said movable member (20′) by the apex of said first body (60).

18. The facility according to claim 1, wherein the first main face (64) of the first body (60) is an extrados face, the second main face (65) of the first body (60) is an intrados face, the extrados face (64) having a developed length greater than the developed length of the intrados face (65).

19. The facility according to claim 18, wherein said first body (60) is shaped with a cross-section of a lift-generating wing according to the NACA 9630 airfoil.

20. The facility according to claim 1, wherein a chord plane passing through the leading edge (62) and through the trailing edge (63) of the first body (60) makes an angle comprised between 2° and 20° relative to said predetermined path (21).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The disclosure of the invention will now be continued with the detailed description of embodiments, given below by way of non-limiting illustration, with reference to the appended drawings. In these:

(2) FIGS. 1 to 6 illustrate an facility of the state of the art, already described, from which the facility according to the invention differs solely by the arrangement of the movable members of the wave generator;

(3) FIG. 7 is a view similar to the upper part of FIG. 4 but for the facility according to the invention, FIG. 7 thus showing in a view from above one of the movable members of the wave generator of the facility according to the invention and the immediate surroundings of that movable member;

(4) FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are views of that movable member, respectively in perspective, in front view and in side view;

(5) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the apex of the movable member, showing a mounting lug which the movable member comprises; and

(6) FIG. 12 is a view from above of a variant of the movable member which further comprises a vane-wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

(7) As indicated above, the facility 10′ (FIG. 7) according to the invention is identical to the facility 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6, apart from the fact that the movable members 20 of the wave generator 12 are replaced by movable members 20′ arranged differently.

(8) For convenience, with the exception of numerical references 10′ and 20′, for similar parts, the same numerical references have been kept as for the facility 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6.

(9) The movable member 20′ of the wave generator 12 comprises two bodies shaped with a cross-section of a lift-generating wing, respectively a body 60 and a body 61.

(10) The body 60 is oriented upright, vertically here, and the body 61 has a lying-down orientation, here horizontal.

(11) The bodies 60 and 61 are mechanically connected to each other.

(12) The body 60 has a leading edge 62 facing forward, a trailing edge 63 facing rearward, a first main face 64 extending on a first side between the leading edge 62 and the trailing edge 63, a second main face 65 extending on a second side, which is an opposite side to the first side, between the leading edge 62 and the trailing edge 63, a first lateral face 67 extending from one to the other of the main faces 64 and 65, and a second lateral face 68 extending from one to the other of the main faces 64 and 65.

(13) The first main face 64 faces towards the wave progression zone 16. The second main face 65 faces away from the wave progression zone 16. The first lateral face 66 faces upwards The second lateral face 67 faces downwards.

(14) Here, the first main face 64 of the body 60 is an extrados face, the second main face 65 of the body 60 is an intrados face, the extrados face 64 having a developed length greater than the developed length of the intrados face 65.

(15) Here, the body 60 is shaped with a cross-section of a lift-generating wing according to the NACA 9630 airfoil.

(16) Here, the cord plane passing through the leading edge 62 and by the trailing edge 63 of the body 60 makes an angle, relative to the path 21, and more specifically relative to the local direction of the path 21 (the tangent to that path at the place where the movable member 20′ is located), of 13°.

(17) Broadly speaking, an angle comprised between 2° and 20° is particularly suitable for producing the effects sought on the water in which the movable member 20′ moves.

(18) The body 61 projects partly from the face 64 of the body 60.

(19) The body 61 has a leading edge 68 facing forward, a trailing edge 69 facing rearward, an extrados face 70 extending on a first side between the leading edge 68 and the trailing edge 69, an intrados face 71 extending on a second side, which is an opposite side to the first side, between the leading edge 68 and the trailing edge 69, the extrados face 70 having a developed length greater than the developed length of the intrados face 71, a first lateral face 72 extending from one to the other of the main faces 70 and 71, and a second lateral face 73 extending from one to the other of the main faces 70 and 71.

(20) The face 70 faces downwards. The face 71 faces upwards. The face 72 faces towards the wave progression zone 16. The face 73 faces away from the wave progression zone 16.

(21) Here, the body 60 extends above and below the body 61.

(22) More specifically, the body 60 extends for approximately two-thirds of its length above the body 61 and the body 60 extends for approximately one third of its length below the body 61.

(23) Here, the leading edge 68 of the body 61 is forward of the leading edge 62 of the body 60; the trailing edge 69 of the body 61 is rearward of the leading edge 62 of the body 60 and forward of the trailing edge 63 of the body 60.

(24) Here, the body 61 is shaped with a cross-section of a lift-generating wing according to the NACA 9630 airfoil.

(25) Here, the chord plane passing through the leading edge 68 and through the trailing edge 69 of the body 61 makes an angle of 13° relative to the horizontal;

(26) Broadly speaking, an angle comprised between 2° and 20° is particularly suitable for producing the effects sought on the water in which the movable member 20′ moves.

(27) For its mounting on the rest of the wave generator 12, the movable member 12′ has at its apex a mounting lug 75, shown only in FIGS. 11 and 12.

(28) The lug 75 projects from the lateral face 66.

(29) Here, the lug 75 is formed by the continuation of a core beam comprised by the movable member 20′.

(30) To drive the movable member 20′, the wave generator 12 comprises a member, here an arm 76 (FIG. 12) which is fastened to the movable member 20′ by the lug 75 located at the apex of the body 60.

(31) FIG. 12 shows a variant of the movable member 20′ which further comprises a vane-wall 77 mechanically connected to the first body 60 and second body 61.

(32) Here, the vane-wall 77 is oriented upright and disposed laterally along and at a distance from the first and second bodies 60 and 61 on the side to which faces the face 65 of the body 60.

(33) The mechanical connection between the vane-wall 77 and the rest of the movable member 20′ is made by a continuation of the arm 76 which engages on a mounting lug 78 located at the apex of the vane-wall 77.

(34) The vane-wall 77 makes it possible to give an effect of additional deflection of the water situated rearward of the movable member 20′ and/or a stabilization effect which may be particularly useful if the movable member 20′ moves at low speed; and/or a protective effect against external disturbance, for example natural waves present in the aquatic environment where the facility is located.

(35) When the facility 10′ is implemented as shown in FIG. 6, the fixed lateral wall of the pond 56, which is oriented upright and which the face 65 of the body 60 faces, may also provide such an effect of additional deflection and/or of stabilization.

(36) It will be noted that the edge zone 15 also has the capability of participating in the shape that the water takes rearward of the movable member 20′; and that in a variant not illustrated of the movable member 20′, the vane-wall also comprises a portion located below the body 61, or possibly solely below the body 61.

(37) In variants not shown: the body 60 is oriented upright differently from the vertical orientation, for example with a small tilt or greater tilt relative to the vertical, while being closer to the vertical than to the horizontal. the body 61 has a lying-down orientation, different from the horizontal orientation, for example with a small tilt or greater tilt relative to the horizontal, while being closer to the horizontal than to the vertical. the mutual arrangement of the bodies 60 and 61 is different in the front-to-back direction and/or the top-to-bottom direction, for example with the body 60 having a part forward of the body 61 and/or the body 60 being positioned entirely above the body 61; the shape with a cross-section of a lift-generating wing of the body 60 is different from a NACA 9630 asymmetrical airfoil, for example is a symmetrical airfoil, that is to say that the faces 64 and 65 are mirror images of each other; The shape with a cross-section of a lift-generating wing of the body 61 is different from a NACA 9630 asymmetrical airfoil, for example another NACA asymmetrical airfoil or an asymmetrical airfoil other than NACA; and/or driving arm 75 is replaced by a drive member different from an arm, for example a wheel rim, and/or the vane-wall 77 is mechanically connected to the rest of the movable member 20′ differently than by the continuation of an arm, for example by a spacer linked to a wheel rim.

(38) Numerous other variants are possible according to circumstances, and in this connection it is to be noted that the invention is not limited to the examples described and shown.