3-D Structural Design And Simulation Analysis Of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)

Since ocean contains giant natural resources, developing and using marine resources wisely is of great importance to human survival and development. Underwater robot is an important mean to study and exploit ocean. Autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), as a branch of the underwater vehicles, has so many advantages such as adaptable to environmental conditions, extensive scope of activity, convenient in operation and so on, which makes it to be a hot research field.According to the qualification of design specification, on the basis of the first open-frame AUV, design and develop a prototype of second AUV, including design of compressive cabin, pushers'order, the camera space adjusting mechanism, integral layout and material selection. Because AUV's work environment is very complex and it is very important to the safety of integral structure, the thickness of holding bulkhead is emphatically designed. The specific method is: discriminate the belonging type of the capsule, then pick the suitable equation and design calculating is proceeded by using trial method. Static analysis of the capsule is introduced by using COSMOSWorks, and the strength calibration is completed. These can guarantee the safety of compressive cabin and the reliability of AUV's design.To research the resistance and flow condition of AUV, we study the hydrodynamical characteristics of it. Because the energy is carried by AUV and it is limited, the AUV has dome on bow, and the form of it is optimal designed to minimize the energy wasting. On the basis of above, confirm the basic size. Through the combination of streamline form and semi-circle form, constitute four different models, then the numerical simulations to their external flow field are processed by the CFD analysis software Fluent and gain the force condition and drag coefficient of every model. According to comparative analysis the results and considering the impact of size, pick out the optimization model and the optimization design is finished. So far the hypothesized prototypical design of AUV is carried out. Research the situation of viscous flow field around AUV, through the three-dimensional simulation of AUV's hydrodynamic force. By using five grid models and three turbulence models, simulate the AUV's movement, then in comparison with the calculative value of the formula and considering the computational speed, the optimum grid model and turbulence model is got, as a basic condition of the subsequent simulation. Then simulate AUV's movement in different velocity, working depth and Reynold's number, and get many hydrodynamic performance, including the viscous drag, pressure drag, total drag, every drag coefficient, surface pressure distribution, the pressure and velocity distribution and so on. Besides heave movement of AUV is also simulated. The research proves that the computer simulation is useful in the field of AUV's hydrodynamic characteristics research, and the resulting data can provide the reference basis for the experiment and further study of AUV.