• home
• current students
• graduate
• events

Presenter: Mr. Aaron Saunders - Department of Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor:

Date: Thu, July 18, 2002
Time: 11:00:00 - 12:00:00
Place: EOW 430

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

Streamlined Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV's) have traditionally been used in high-speed missions that require the vehicle to traverse long distances. Some new applications require an AUV capable of completing missions including both high-speed straight-line runs and slow maneuvers or station keeping tasks. At low, or zero, forward speeds the AUV's control surfaces become ineffective, and this presents difficulties in accommodating these station-keeping missions. To enable or improve an AUV's low speed maneuverability, while maintaining a low drag profile, through-body tunnel thrusters have become a popular addition to modern AUV systems.

Improvements in the mathematical models used to describe the dynamics of underwater thrusters have led to improved control systems, capable of precise low speed maneuvering. Presently there are several dynamic models that have been developed to represent the performance of tunnel thrusters. However, these models do not include the effects of forward vehicle motion or yawed orientation on 'through-body' thrust performance. In order to adapt the current tunnel thruster models to include the effects of vehicle motion, an experimental system was designed to characterize the effects of forward vehicle speed and yaw angle on tunnel thruster performance. The design and setup of the experimental system will be discussed. Additionally, trends shown by the experimental results are highlighted and a method for modifying conventional tunnel thruster models is presented.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Coffee and Cookies Will be Provided

For Further Information Please Contact: Aaron Saunders (721-8923)