Design and Fabrication of a Compact Waterjet Thruster for Deep-Sea Applications

Abstract

In the context of the growing demand for compact equipment in deep-sea exploration missions, the development of lightweight propulsion systems is confronted with considerable challenges. In view of the necessity to resist high pressure, the design of deep-sea thrusters generally incorporates a bulky configuration. To address this technical bottleneck, this study proposes a novel compact deep-sea thruster based on electromagnetic soft-coupled actuation. The thruster comprises a body support structure, an electromagnetic drive mechanism, and a soft-bodied water bladder. The mechanism in question generates periodic propulsion forces by altering the volume of the bladder in response to pulsed electrical signals. This study investigates the propulsion force and operational cycles of the thruster under varying structural parameters and control currents. A pressure tank is employed to validate the thruster’s pressure resistance, and two typical operational configurations are designed to test its propulsion effectiveness. The findings indicate that the thruster functions reliably at depths in excess of 11 000 m. It has been demonstrated that the two typical configurations are capable of attaining swimming speeds of 92.7 mm/s (1.55 BL/s) and 68.2 mm/s (1.17 BL/s), respectively, thereby demonstrating exceptional propulsion capabilities.