Numerical analysis of control surface effects on AUV manoeuvrability

Autor(es)

Dantas, J. L. D. ^[1] ; de Barros, E. A. ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Mechatron Engn & Mech Syst, BR-05508900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: APPLIED OCEAN RESEARCH; v. 42, p. 168-181, AUG 2013.
• Citações Web of Science: 21

Resumo

Computational fluid dynamics, CFD, is becoming an essential tool in the prediction of the hydrodynamic efforts and flow characteristics of underwater vehicles for manoeuvring studies. However, when applied to the manoeuvrability of autonomous underwater vehicles, AUVs, most studies have focused on the determination of static coefficients without considering the effects of the vehicle control surface deflection. This paper analyses the hydrodynamic efforts generated on an AUV considering the combined effects of the control surface deflection and the angle of attack using CFD software based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes formulations. The CFD simulations are also independently conducted for the AUV bare hull and control surface to better identify their individual and interference efforts and to validate the simulations by comparing the experimental results obtained in a towing tank. Several simulations of the bare hull case were conducted to select the k-omega SST turbulent model with the viscosity approach that best predicts its hydrodynamic efforts. Mesh sensitivity analyses were conducted for all simulations. For the flow around the control surfaces, the CFD results were analysed according to two different methodologies, standard and nonlinear. The nonlinear regression methodology provides better results than the standard methodology does for predicting the stall at the control surface. The flow simulations have shown that the occurrence of the control surface stall depends on a linear relationship between the angle of attack and the control surface deflection. This type of information can be used in designing the vehicle's autopilot system. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 09/10205-3 - Investigação numérica de esforços hidrodinâmicos sobre veículos autônomos submarinos
• Beneficiário: Ettore Apolonio de Barros
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular