An air cushion vehicle is supported by forcing air into the chamber created by a skirt around the periphery of the vehicle as shown in Fig. P3.106. The air escapes through the 3-in. clearance between the lower end of the skirt and the ground (or water). Assume the vehicle weighs 10,000 lb and is essentially rectangular in shape, 30 by 65 ft. The volume of the chamber is large enough so that the kinetic energy of the air within the chamber is negligible. Determine the flowrate, Q, needed to support the vehicle. If the ground clearance were reduced to 2 in., what flowrate would be needed? If the vehicle weight were reduced to 5000 lb and the ground clearance maintained at 3 in., what flowrate would be needed?
