Intelligent Underwater Vehicles

Both underwater and wave gliders are known as autonomous unmanned energy-saving vehicles which have recently found applications for monitoring the world ocean. The paper under consideration discusses simplified mathematical models of these platforms enabling the straightforward parametric investigation into relationships between their parameters and performance. In its first part the paper discusses equations describing the motion of an underwater glider (UG) in a vertical plane as a basis for derivations relating geometric, kinematic and hydrodynamic characteristics of UG and its lifting system with relative differential buoyancy and pitch angle. Obtained therewith are formulae for the estimation of the UG glide path speed, lift-to-drag ratio, range of navigation and endurance. The approach is exemplified for typical cases of the UG conceived as winged bodies of revolution and flying wings. The calculated results feature dependencies of the UG speed on its configuration and volume as well as on the angle of attack for different magnitudes of relative buoyancy. Also considered is an optimal mode of operation, based on the maximization of the lift-to-drag ratio. The second part of the paper is dedicated to the estimation of the thrust and speed of a wave glider (WG), comprising a surface module (float) and underwater module represented by a wing, with the use of a simplified mathematical modeling intended to clarify the influence of the parameters upon the performance of the WG. The derivations led to an equation of forced oscillations of the vehicle accounting for the interaction of the upper and lower modules, connected by a rigid umbilical. The exciting impact of progressive waves of a given length and amplitude is found through the calculation of the variation of a buoyancy force in accordance with the Froude–Krylov hypothesis. The derivatives of time-varying lift with respect to kinematic parameters, entering the equation of vertical motion of the WG, as well as coefficients of instantaneous and time-averaged thrust force, are found by resorting to the oscillating hydrofoil theory. The derivation of the available thrust and the approximate calculation of the drag of the vehicle with account of wave and viscous components enable the evaluation of the speed of the WG for the prescribed geometry of the craft and wave motion parameters. Full article

The paper employs a simplified approach to modeling of dynamics of submersion of a «diving buoy» subject to a depth-wise water density gradient and experiencing compression of the hull due to action of pressure. The latter effect is accounted for through use of well-known boiler formulae of structural mechanics allowing to analyze behavior of hulls made of different materials. Operation of a piston type buoyancy engine is modeled both for a hypothetical case of instantaneous change of buoyancy and for more practical case of finite buoyancy variation. As the analysis includes both acceleration/deceleration and constant speed modes of motion it enables to evaluate full time of submersion to a design depth. Calculated are the vertical position and speed of the vehicle versus time. Due to the fact that during submersion the growth of density results in deceleration and hull compression causes acceleration, the equilibrium condition is formulated which can be seen as hanging mode in which the buoy performs damped oscillations around a depth of hanging with a frequency depending on rates of density and compression. It is shown that to provide constant speed for a general case of density variation one has to secure a corresponding volume variation of the vehicle or a corresponding increment/decrement of differential buoyancy. At the end of the paper estimates are presented showing how much additional buoyancy should be carried on board to keep constant speed of submersion and how much power is needed for corresponding buoyancy control for a given density profile. Full article