• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.493-500
• /
• 2018

This paper addresses a decentralized observer-based output-feedback formation control problem for multiple unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). The complex nonlinear model for a UUV is feedback-linearized. It is assumed that each UUV in the formation exploits only the information regarding itself and the immediate predecessor, which imposes structural constraints on the formation controller gain matrices. The design condition is presented as a two-stage linear matrix inequalities problem. The synthesized controller demonstrates its own advantages through a numerical example.

• IEMEK Journal of Embedded Systems and Applications
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.157-163
• /
• 2014

This paper demonstrates the benefit of using MOOS-IvP in the development of control system for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles(UUV). The demand for autonomy in UUVs has significantly increased due to the complexity in missions to be performed. Furthermore, the increased number of sensors and actuators that are interconnected through a network has introduced a need for a middleware platform for UUVs. In this context, MOOS-IvP, which is an open source software architecture, has been developed by several researchers from MIT, Oxford University, and NUWC. The MOOS software is a communication middleware based on the publish-subscribe architecture allowing each application to communicate through a MOOS database. The IvP Helm, which is one of the MOOS modules, publishes vehicle commands using multi-objective optimization in order to implement autonomous decision making. This paper explores the benefit of MOOS-IvP in the development of control software for UUVs by using a case study with an auto depth control system based on self-organizing fuzzy logic control. The simulation results show that the design and verification of UUV control software based on MOOS-IvP can be carried out quickly and efficiently thanks to the reuse of source codes, modular-based architecture, and the high level of scalability.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.526-539
• /
• 2015

Stirling engines are regarded as an efficient and promising power system for underwater devices. Currently, many researches on one-dimensional model is used to evaluate thermodynamic performance of Stirling engine, but in which there are still some aspects which cannot be modeled with proper mathematical models such as mechanical loss or auxiliary power. In this paper, a four-cylinder double-acting Stirling engine for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) is discussed. And a one-dimensional model incorporated with empirical equations of mechanical loss and auxiliary power obtained from experiments is derived while referring to the Stirling engine computer model of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The P-40 Stirling engine with sufficient testing results from NASA is utilized to validate the accuracy of this one-dimensional model. It shows that the maximum error of output power of theoretical analysis results is less than 18% over testing results, and the maximum error of input power is no more than 9%. Finally, a Stirling engine for UUVs is designed with Schmidt analysis method and the modified one-dimensional model, and the results indicate this designed engine is capable of showing desired output power.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.237-244
• /
• 2020

In this study, we investigate surge force, heave force, and pitch moment, which are vertical plane hydrodynamics acting on Manta-type unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), using a model test and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. Assessing the maneuvering hydrodynamic characteristic of an underwater glider in the initial design stage is crucial. Although a model test is the best approach for obtaining the maneuvering hydrodynamic derivatives for underwater vehicles, numerical methods, such as Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations, have been used owing to their efficiency in terms of time and cost. Therefore, we conducted an RANS-based CFD calculation and a model test for Manta-type UUVs. In addition, we conducted a validation study through a comparison with a model test conducted at a circular water channel (CWC) in Korea Maritime & Ocean University Furthermore, two RANS solvers (Star-CCM+ and OpenFOAM) were used and compared. Finally, the maneuvering hydrodynamic forces obtained from the static drift and resistance tests for a Manta-type UUV were presented.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.58-63
• /
• 2011

Underwater vehicles such as UUVs (Unmanned Underwater Vehicles) and ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) use sonar to detect their underwater environment or other underwater vehicles. The underwater vehicles designed recently have an electrical power system with high rotational speed. This system can generate high frequency vibrations above 10 kHz, and these vibrations can cause bad (negative) effects on the performance of the sonar. In many previous investigations, numerical analyses have been used for high frequency vibration problems. In this study, an experimental analysis was carried out, and a circular cylindrical shell was considered as the hull structure of an underwater vehicle. Frequency transfer functions for the circular cylindrical shell were identified using an experimental vibration analysis in the air and in a fully-submerged condition. We compare the frequency transfer functions in the air and water to obtain hydro-elastic effects. It is found that the dynamic characteristics of the circular cylindrical shell are changed by varying the response position.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.781-787
• /
• 2011

Mine countermeasure missions(MCMs) may induce the loss of human and ship because of the covert of mine. In recent years, unmanned underwater vehicles(UUVs) have emerged as viable technical solution for conductimg underwater search, surveillance, and clearance operations in support of mine countermeasure missions because of her autonomy and long time endurance capability. This paper introduces a technical approach to mine countermeasure mission effectiveness analysis and presents some simulation-based analysis results for engineering of the UUV system definition which could be support analysis of alternatives for system definition and design.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.410-416
• /
• 2012

In recent years, unmanned underwater vehicles(UUVs) have emerged as viable technical solution for conducting underwater search, surveillance, and clearance operations in support of mine countermeasure missions(MCMs) because of her autonomy and long time endurance capability. It is necessary for UUV for MCM system design to define system specification from various configuration alternatives. This paper introduces a simulation model for mine countermeasure mission effectiveness analysis and presents some simulation results under various tide conditions for validation of the proposed simulation model.

• Journal of the Korea Society for Simulation
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.21-33
• /
• 2020

This study develops a simulator for determining the sonar sensor configuration of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) based on a scenario, in order for UUVs to conduct an effective anti-submarine warfare (ASW). First, we analyze the missions and operational concepts of UUVs in the field of ASW, and then select a Hold-at-Risk scenario as the one with the highest priority. Next, for modeling the components of a simulator, the motion, acoustic characteristic, and environment condition of the platforms (UUV and target submarine) are specified. Especially, based on the beam pattern of each sonar configuration considered in this paper, the passive sonar equation is used to verify target detection, and we further estimate the azimuth and elevation of the target using amplitude and phase of the received signal, respectively. The simulation results show the performance tendency depending on the sonar sensor configurations of a UUV, and the simulator provides a high applicability under various scenarios.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.194-200
• /
• 2016

Recently, UUVs (unmanned underwater vehicles) have increasingly been applied in various science and engineering applications. In-water inspection, which used to be performed by human divers, is a potential application for UUVs. In particular, the operational safety and performance of in-water inspection missions can be greatly improved by using an underwater robotic vehicle. The capabilities of hovering maneuvers and automatic image mosaicking are essential for autonomous underwater visual inspection. This paper presents the development of a hover-capable autonomous underwater vehicle system for autonomous in-water inspection, which includes both a hardware platform and operational software algorithms. Some results from an experiment in a model basin are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the developed system and algorithms.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
• /
• v.8 no.5
• /
• pp.475-486
• /
• 2016

Four-rotor dish-shaped unmanned underwater vehicles (FRDS UUVs) are new type underwater vehicles. The main goal of this paper is to develop a quick method to optimize the design of hydraulic support landing platform for the new UUV. In this paper, the geometry configuration and instability type of the platform are defined. Computational investigations are carried out to study the hydrodynamic performance of the landing platform using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method. Then, the response surface model of the optimization objective is established. The intelligent particle swarm optimization (PSO) is applied to finding the optimal solution. The result demonstrates that the stability of landing platform is significantly improved with the global objective index increasing from 1.045 to 1.158 (10.86% higher) after the optimization process.