Computational Fluid Dynamics Study of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle with Vectorial Thrusters

On account of complex, dangerous and limited area are urgently explored, an underwater machine which can substitute for people to complete the underwater detection is needed imminently. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have been developed to accomplish the tasks of resource exploration in the sea. However, much higher requirements of mobility and maneuverability are of great concern with the accelerated development of AUV. Recently, vectorial thrusters have been applied to ships and offshore platforms, which can increase propulsion efficiency and flexibility. In this paper, a novel small scale AUV with vectorial thrusters is designed, the hydrodynamic performance, pressure distribution, resistance under different angles of attack (AOAs) in vertical plane motion are calculated by Computer Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The numerical simulation suggests the best underwater gesture of the new-type AUV, beyond that the content of this article will provide a basic reference for the further research of motion control.

I. Introduction

Many mineral resources, energy, and biological resources are reserved in the ocean, which is particularly significant to the economic development. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are important equipment for marine environmental monitoring, resource investigation and all kinds of underwater engineering operations [1]. They are widely employed for underwater observation, seabed salvage and ocean survey work. However, with the accelerated development of AUV, much higher requirements of mobility and maneuverability which have attracted many researchers' attention. Nowadays, how to enhance the maneuverability of AUVs is an important issue in the domain of international navigation [2].