Experimental and numerical simulation study of drag reduction on AUV grooved surfaces

Abstract

In the study of hydrodynamic performance of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), drag reduction is a crucial aspect that can significantly lower energy consumption and enhance operational range. Groove drag reduction, a form of passive drag reduction technology, is widely employed across various fields due to its simple structure and broad applicability. Implementing grooved surfaces on AUVs is an effective solution for reducing drag. This paper investigates the resistance of AUVs with grooved surfaces through experimental methods and comparative testing. A full-scale numerical simulation utilizing two-phase flow is also conducted, revealing that the resistance reduction results align closely with the trends observed in model tests. The maximum drag reduction achieved in the experiments is 8.13%. While discrepancies exist between numerical and experimental results, the overall physical principles remain consistent.