Design of Supplementary Thrusting Unit for a Miniature Autonomous Submarine
Abstract
The focus of this work is to design and construct a version of the secondary propulsion
units used on US Navy submarines for the Virginia Tech 690 autonomous underwater
vehicle. These units were used to demonstrate a control system developed in a separate
study which allowed the vehicle to autonomously perform advance maneuvers such as
course-keeping, mooring and obstacle avoidance. The study of the miniaturized thrusters
prompted an in-depth look into two thruster designs. The first was a retractable rim-driven
propeller design which was found to be too power inefficient for implementation.
The final design was an azimuthing ducted propeller capable of vectoring thrust 360
degrees. Two body sections containing an implementation of the ducted propeller design
were constructed and mounted to the 690 vehicle. Tests were successfully conducted in a
pool.
units used on US Navy submarines for the Virginia Tech 690 autonomous underwater
vehicle. These units were used to demonstrate a control system developed in a separate
study which allowed the vehicle to autonomously perform advance maneuvers such as
course-keeping, mooring and obstacle avoidance. The study of the miniaturized thrusters
prompted an in-depth look into two thruster designs. The first was a retractable rim-driven
propeller design which was found to be too power inefficient for implementation.
The final design was an azimuthing ducted propeller capable of vectoring thrust 360
degrees. Two body sections containing an implementation of the ducted propeller design
were constructed and mounted to the 690 vehicle. Tests were successfully conducted in a
pool.
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- Masters Theses [17384]