Numerical Study of the Effect of Wing Position on Autonomous Underwater Glider

R.V. Shashank Shankar; Rajagopalan Vijayakumar

doi:10.14429/dsj.70.14742

R.V. Shashank Shankar Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi - 110 016
Rajagopalan Vijayakumar Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai - 600 036

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14429/dsj.70.14742

Keywords: Glider, Turning, Spiral path, Helical path, Wings, Position, CFD, STARCCM

Abstract

Autonomous underwater gliders are a class of underwater vehicles that transit without the help of a conventional propeller. The vehicle uses a buoyancy engine to vary its buoyancy and with the help of the wings attached executes its motion. The hydrodynamic characteristics of the vehicle affect the longitudinal and turning motion. This paper discusses the effect of the wing’s position on the vehicle’s lift and drag characteristics. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool is used to estimate the lift, drag, and pitching moment coefficients of the vehicle. The numerical methodology is validated using flow over NACA0012 wing results for low Reynolds numbers, and the results of CFD are discussed for possible application in estimation of glider motion.

Author Biographies

R.V. Shashank Shankar, Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi - 110 016

Lt Cdr R.V. Shashank Shankar obtained BTech in Naval Architecture & Shipbuilding from Cochin University of Science and Technology. He has subsequently completed Diploma in Naval Construction at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. He is presently serving as a commissioned officer in the Indian Navy and is pursuing research at Indian Institute of Technology Madras in the field of maneuverability of autonomous underwater gliders and working at Naval Construction Wing, IIT Delhi.

Rajagopalan Vijayakumar, Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai - 600 036

Cdr (Dr) R. Vijayakumar (Retd.) obtained his PhD from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Currently working as an Associate Professor at Department of Ocean Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He has published 50 paper in refereed journals and conference. His fields of interest include warship design, submarine design, ship hydrodynamics, ship dynamics and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), green ship technologies and autonomous under water vehicles.

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