Experimental design and performance of underwater vehicle based on capacity of voyage

Abstract

The SPC-3 UUV robofish prototype is an experimental vehicle especially designed to improve efficiency of thrust and capacity of voyage based on the SPC-2 UUV robofish by Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. According to the record of power acquisition computer and camera which is used to measure the power and velocity of SPC-3 UUV in the still water, the speed-frequency and power-frequency curve were bulit. According to the estimation of capacity of voyage, the voyage time and voyage on condition of different frequency of flapping foils were calculated, the propulsion frequency could be selected base on the cruising velocity as well as voyage capacity. Experimental result of the long voyage performance in Bei Daihe showed that SPC-3 UUV achieved 22.761 kilometers, and its voyage time was 6.25 h, and obtain a average cruising speed as 1.03 m/s using the optimal frequency ranging from 1.5~1.6Hz of the flapping foils.