PNGinc Documents

October 31, 2001

The Future of Marine Propulsion Systems

Merging Hull Design with Jet Drives

Jet drives will soon become the drive system of choice as jet technology performance and fuel economy surpasses conventional prop designs. People are looking toward jet drives as the 21st century system of choice, but major performance hurdles must be overcome first. 

What's holding up progress? Marine systems of the past were cobbled-together messes of disjointed technologies, with hull designers drafting hulls with no regard to propulsion systems. Even today, propulsion systems designers figure that somehow installers will bring everything together -- although there isn't even one boat builder who designs boat & drive as a single unit.

A few innovators are coupling gas turbines with water jets and are getting them up to high speed -- however, fuel economy and ultra-high speed performance are still lacking.

The approach PNGinc is taking considers the vessel's hull as an integral part of the drive, and vice versa. We make use of the best planing concepts & merge them with the best jet drive concepts to produce a faster, more fuel-efficient design.