Motion Characteristics of an Underwater Glider with Independently Controllable Main Wings

The authors are planning to develop an 'underwater glider with independently controllable main wings' for the use of oceanographic survey, wide-range monitoring of marine environment by using lots of swarm-intelligent underwater gliders. This paper deals with motion characteristics of an experimental underwater glider 'ALEX' as a test-bed of the underwater glider with independently controllable main wings. The glider was designed for much of a high performance of motion. Motion performance of the glider was observed in a tank and a swimming pool. To clarify hydrodynamic characteristics of this underwater glider, three-component force was measured at a circulating flow channel. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was also applied to estimating hydrodynamic forces in various conditions of environmental flow. The CFD result was compared with the 3-component-force test, and it was verified that the experimental underwater glider has hydrodynamic characteristics as expected at the stage of design. Various kinds of experiments lead to the conclusion that the 'underwater glider with independently controllable main wings' had an admirable motion capability as compared with conventional 'underwater gliders with fixed main wings', and therefore practicability of the proposed glider was demonstrated.