Numerical simulation and experimental study of hydrodynamic performance on a maneuvering SUBOFF

Abstract

This study focuses on the maneuverability of underwater vehicles by establishing a numerical towing tank and a numerical rotating arm basin for hydrodynamic analysis of maneuvering motions. Using CFD and overset grid techniques, the primary hydrodynamic coefficients of the standard SUBOFF model were obtained. Additionally, the flow characteristics around the model during oblique motion and turning maneuvers, as well as the effects of viscosity on the surrounding flow field, were analyzed. Maneuverability experiments for the SUBOFF model were carried out in a rotating arm basin, investigating the force characteristics in both single-plane and spatial turning motions. The linear and nonlinear viscous hydrodynamic coefficients during horizontal plane rotation, ascent, and descent in the vertical plane were determined, and the effects of turning radius, drift angle, and angle of attack on the primary hydrodynamic forces were examined. The rotational derivatives and experimental data obtained were compared with international experimental results, validating the feasibility and accuracy of the numerical simulations from both theoretical and experimental perspectives. The maneuverability experiments contribute to the advancement of rotating arm test techniques for underwater vehicles, while the experimental data help to fill gaps in the hydrodynamic coefficient database of the SUBOFF model, particularly regarding angular velocity-dependent coefficients.