Numerical Investigation on Transverse Maneuverability of a Vectored Underwater Vehicle Without Appendage

Abstract

[abstFig src='/00280003/13.jpg' width=""300"" text='Solid model of a vectored underwater vehicle' ] Vectored underwater vehicles (VUVs) are receiving increasing research attention, in part for their maneuverability. In our work, we apply a novel vectored thruster based on a spherical parallel mechanism to an underwater vehicle. We present and calculate the scaling factor based on the vectored thruster’s configuration parameters and set up a six DOF kinematic model. We construct a nonlinear dynamic model of the VUV without appendages using the Newton-Euler method. To demonstrate the VUV’s transverse maneuverability, we set up a perturbation model in a complex domain using Laplacian transformation, and propose the stability margin of vectored propulsion as a maneuverability index. Many numerical examples are provided to verify the maneuverability of the VUV.