The Blockage Effect on Resistance Coefficients Estimation for AUVs with Different Configurations in the Towing Tank

Abstract

When a resistance test of an underwater vehicle model is conducted in a towing tank, the blockage effect will inevitably occur, particularly since the experimental model is relatively large. This paper investigates the estimation of resistance coefficients for an Axisymmetrical Rotary Body Underwater Vehicle (ARBUV) and a Blended Wing Body Underwater Vehicle (BWBUV). The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method is employed to predict the resistance of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). In order to quantify the blockage effect on the resistance coefficients of AUVs with different configurations, the resistance coefficients of AUVs are calculated in the infinite domain and finite domain under various blockage ratios. Through analysis of the resistance results, velocity distribution, and pressure distribution, the action law of the blockage effect is provided. It indicates that blockage effects have a greater influence on the pressure resistance for ARBUV. Surprisingly, the resistance coefficients of BWBUV are less affected, though it is closer to the sidewalls. It suggests that the blockage ratio of ARBUV and BWBUV should be separately smaller than 0.375% and 2.5% in the towing tank test. The towing tank experiments satisfy the blocking ratio with a Reynolds number greater than 107, which saturates the blocking effect and further reduces the effect on the drag coefficient.