When an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) operates close to a submarine, interaction with the flow and pressure fields of the submarine can adversely affect the motion of the AUV. These interactions can result in uncontrollable motions of the AUV, which in extreme cases can lead to mission failure due to collision with the submarine or the inability of the AUV to maintain the desired trajectory. This paper outlines the steady-state interaction forces and moments acting on the AUV at different fixed speeds and relative positions to the submarine, with an aim to identify the regions where adverse effects due to interaction are minimal. The results presented in this paper are from a series of model scale and full scale Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations on axisymmetric AUV and submarine models at diameter ratios between the two vehicles models of 2.239, 5.723 and 14.634. Validation was carried out for the lower diameter ratio at model scale using captive model experiments. Results show that the adverse effects of the interaction forces and moments were minimal when the AUV's centre of buoyancy is around amidships of the submarine, providing a relatively safe operating path for the AUV.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	hydrodynamic interaction, underwater vehicle,submarine, CFD, AUV
Research Division:	Engineering
Research Group:	Maritime engineering
Research Field:	Ship and platform structures (incl. maritime hydrodynamics)
Objective Division:	Transport
Objective Group:	Water transport
Objective Field:	Water transport not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Leong, ZQ (Dr Zhi Leong)
UTAS Author:	Ranmuthugala, D (Professor Dev Ranmuthugala)
UTAS Author:	Penesis, I (Professor Irene Penesis)
UTAS Author:	Nguyen, H (Dr Hung Nguyen)
ID Code:	102170
Year Published:	2015
Web of Science® Times Cited:	20
Deposited By:	NC Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics
Deposited On:	2015-08-03
Last Modified:	2017-11-03
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