Study on Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Submarine Model Platforms

Recent advancements in unmanned submersibles, such as ROV and UUV, have revolutionized traditional submarine design by strategically relocating the sail to a forward position, optimizing spatial utilization. This significant alteration directly impacts submarine hydrodynamics, prompting extensive research through model experiments and computational analysis to comprehensively understand the resulting changes. Moreover, the development of docking systems for unmanned submersibles has stimulated further investigations into submarine attitude control and stability, particularly during docking procedures. Maintaining a stable attitude is paramount for ensuring precise docking maneuvers, necessitating careful considerations of sail configuration, control surface layout, and overall submarine geometry. In this study, CWC model tests were conducted to understand the hydrodynamic characteristics of a submarine model platform used for evaluating the UUV launch and recovery system. The tests focused on various combinations of appendages. The results, particularly in terms of the sail position and rudder configuration, show that positioning the sail forward and using the X-rudder configuration is most advantageous for the resistance reduction and position control.