Ocean EngineeringPub Date : 2025-10-07DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.122937
Yunxuan Song, Guofang Chen, Yimin Chen, Jian Gao
{"title":"Reinforcement learning-based fast-dual-tree RRT path planning for unmanned underwater vehicles","authors":"Yunxuan Song, Guofang Chen, Yimin Chen, Jian Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.122937","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.122937","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (RRT) algorithms are widely used in path planning of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) due to their high efficiency in exploring high-dimensional spaces. However, their effectiveness and practical applicability are limited by the high computational cost associated with kinodynamic constraints and complex environments. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a reinforcement learning-based fast-dual-tree rapidly-exploring random tree (RL-FDTRRT) algorithm to generate feasible and optimal paths. The proposed planning framework consists of a workspace tree and a state space tree. The workspace tree is guided by a reinforcement learning-based obstacle avoidance strategy to reduce redundant sampling. An improved experience replay strategy is integrated into the training process to accelerate convergence of the reward function. With the workspace tree serving as the heuristic tree, the state-space tree employs a motion-reachability-based parent-seeking strategy to compute executable and optimized paths that satisfy the motion constraints of UUVs. Additionally, a bias factor is introduced during the sampling process to ensure the probabilistic completeness of the algorithm. Finally, the proposed algorithm is validated on both a two-dimensional lake map and a three-dimensional ocean map. Experimental results demonstrate that the RL-FDTRRT algorithm outperforms representative RRT-based algorithms in terms of path feasibility and computational efficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"342 ","pages":"Article 122937"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145269293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean EngineeringPub Date : 2025-10-07DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123054
Shutian Li , Guoping Wang , Bin He , Genyang Wu , Yibing Hou , Yu Feng , Jinxin Tang
{"title":"Analysis and rapid prediction of underwater vehicle hydrodynamic loads during water-exit integrating CFD with GA-LSTM","authors":"Shutian Li , Guoping Wang , Bin He , Genyang Wu , Yibing Hou , Yu Feng , Jinxin Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123054","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123054","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The water-exit process of underwater vehicles, characterized by trans-media dynamics, strong nonlinearities, and fluid-structure coupling, is significantly influenced by ocean environmental conditions. The efficient prediction of associated hydrodynamic loads has emerged as a critical focus in both engineering practice and theoretical research. This paper aims to achieve a high-precision, rapid prediction of water-exit loads. Therefore, an efficient computational methodology based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and a GA-LSTM strategy was proposed to predict the macroscopic loads during water-exit under coupled wind-wave-current fields. Optimal Latin Hypercube Design (OLHD) has been used to systematically execute batch numerical simulations of various combinations of sea state levels, initial speeds and marine environmental parameters. This approach generated a comprehensive sample set that spanned the whole parametric space of dynamic load responses. The integration of the Genetic Algorithm's (GA) global search capability with the time-series analysis of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks has enabled the development of a highly effective predictive model for unsteady trans-media loads. A comparative analysis between model predictions and CFD simulation results demonstrates that this neural network approach enables rapid and accurate prediction of the variation patterns of external loads acting on the underwater vehicle under wind-wave-current coupled field, trained on high-fidelity CFD data. This methodology provides a robust theoretical and methodological underpinning for the simulation of trajectories and attitude dynamic for underwater vehicles during trans-medium process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"342 ","pages":"Article 123054"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145269290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean EngineeringPub Date : 2025-10-07DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123050
Guanning Liu , Robert Mayon , Nataliia Sergiienko , Dezhi Ning
{"title":"Point absorber wave energy converter arrays coupled with a V-shaped breakwater energy concentrator","authors":"Guanning Liu , Robert Mayon , Nataliia Sergiienko , Dezhi Ning","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123050","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123050","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Point Absorber Wave Energy Converter (PA-WEC) represents a promising technology for harnessing wave energy but enhancing its energy capture efficiency remains a pivotal challenge. This study introduces an innovative WEC system that integrates an array of heaving PA-WECs with a V-shaped breakwater wave-reflector. The energy-focussing characteristics of the V-shaped breakwater intensify the wave field in localised regions, revealing multiple energy-focussing positions and temporally alternating focussing sites. The V-shaped breakwater enhances the energy capture of the PA-WECs, with oscillation amplitudes at focussing positions approximately three times greater than those in open-sea conditions, thereby validating the system's potential for improving wave energy conversion efficiency. The synergistic operation of multiple PA-WEC devices, facilitated by phase differences in float oscillations, allows the array to harvest more wave energy over time, thereby boosting the amalgamated energy absorption efficiency. The capture-width-ratio (<em>CWR</em>) of the devices is related to their damping coefficient, with optimised damping significantly improving the efficiency of the whole system. Increasing the number of PA-WEC devices markedly enhances the energy capture capability of the array system and improves the output energy stability. This research provides crucial theoretical insights for optimised design of wave energy harvesting systems and holds considerable promise for practical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"342 ","pages":"Article 123050"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145269285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean EngineeringPub Date : 2025-10-07DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123073
Siqing Liu , Zhaoyang Tian , Yonggang Jia , Shuangling Dai , Shuji Yang , Yongzhi Liang , Yibo Wang , Yuechu Wu , Jing Li , Jingjing Zhang , Xing Xu , Manchao He
{"title":"Evaluation of the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio method for marine subsurface assessment under ocean-bottom currents","authors":"Siqing Liu , Zhaoyang Tian , Yonggang Jia , Shuangling Dai , Shuji Yang , Yongzhi Liang , Yibo Wang , Yuechu Wu , Jing Li , Jingjing Zhang , Xing Xu , Manchao He","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123073","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123073","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the characteristics and long-term stability of shallow submarine geological structures is a key challenge in marine engineering geology. The horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) method offers a promising approach to addressing this challenge. However, unlike terrestrial environments, marine settings are influenced by dynamic factors such as ocean currents, whose potential impacts remain unclear. In this study, we conducted laboratory flume experiments to analyse the noise characteristics generated by currents at different velocities and their effects on HVSR spectral curves and directional features. Combined with in-situ seafloor observations, we assessed the applicability of the HVSR method in marine engineering geology. Results showed that currents amplified HVSR spectral amplitudes in the low-frequency range (<1 Hz) and that the direction of maximum HVSR amplitude was approximately orthogonal to the direction of flow. This phenomenon reduced the maximum resolvable thickness for HVSR-based stratigraphic interpretation and affected the determination of subsurface interface geometry. Additionally, temporal variability in currents interfered with the detection of long-term changes in sediment stability. To mitigate these effects, we recommend optimising sensor deployment through shielding or buried ocean bottom seismometer configurations and integrating time–frequency analysis with concurrent flow-field monitoring to identify stable observation windows. This study systematically demonstrates how seafloor currents influence HVSR calculations, providing a theoretical basis and technical support for geological hazard mitigation in marine engineering applications, including methane hydrate extraction and ocean drilling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"342 ","pages":"Article 123073"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145269096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean EngineeringPub Date : 2025-10-07DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123076
Xuesheng Qian , Shufeng Bao , Yuping Yang , Jinwen Zhang , Jingping Xu
{"title":"Quantifying the stable impact forces of submarine debris flows on laid-on-seabed pipelines","authors":"Xuesheng Qian , Shufeng Bao , Yuping Yang , Jinwen Zhang , Jingping Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123076","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123076","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Two novel methodologies, termed Approach I and Approach II, have recently been developed to quantify the hydrodynamic coefficients of submarine debris flows acting on deepsea pipelines. Prior applications of these approaches mainly considered pipelines suspended highly above the seabed, leaving the influence of seafloor effects largely unexamined. In practice, however, pipelines are typically installed directly on the seabed, underscoring the need to evaluate hydrodynamic coefficients under realistic boundary conditions. To address this gap, we conducted simulations using ANSYS CFX to examine the interactions of two debris flow types, each at nine velocities, with two pipeline configurations: on-bottom and semi-embedded. Seven outer diameters were analyzed for each configuration. The results show that both configurations yield stable hydrodynamic coefficients, primarily due to the suppression of vortex shedding by the seabed. Based on these findings, empirical formulas for drag and lift coefficients were established for both configurations using Approaches I and II. The drag coefficient formula for on-bottom pipelines obtained via Approach II was further validated against experimental data, showing strong agreement. A quantitative comparison with existing approaches highlights the applicability of the proposed methods. Overall, these formulations provide a reliable framework for predicting stable impact forces of debris flows on seabed pipelines.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"342 ","pages":"Article 123076"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145270148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean EngineeringPub Date : 2025-10-06DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123008
Chuntong Li , Xiaojian Mo , Xiaomeng Luo , Juyan Zheng , Hang Xie , Deyu Wang
{"title":"Slam-induced loads on a three-dimensional stern model entering into water considering the bottom propeller shaft","authors":"Chuntong Li , Xiaojian Mo , Xiaomeng Luo , Juyan Zheng , Hang Xie , Deyu Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The slamming load characteristics of stern structures under severe sea conditions are a research topic that deserves special attention. However, owing to the complex geometric characteristics of the stern, the current understanding of its slamming load characteristics is still insufficient. This study uses the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method to conduct a numerical simulation study on the water impact problem of the stern structure of a container ship. Unlike previous studies, this calculation specifically considers the influence of the actual propeller shaft on the slamming process. The numerical calculation results were first compared with the existing experimental data for impact load verification, with errors within 10 %. Through numerical simulation, the details of the three-dimensional (3D) free surface flow that was difficult to observe in the experiment were successfully reproduced, and the flow separation and air bubble entrapment phenomena induced by the bottom propeller shaft were captured for the first time. The pressure distribution and slamming force characteristics of the stern surface for falling heights ranging from 250 mm to 900 mm were systematically analyzed, and the impact load‒time history curves of typical measurement points were discussed in detail. The findings reveal that fluid disturbances caused by the bottom propeller shaft weaken the correlation between the impact pressure and initial deadrise angle. Finally, the influences of parameters such as the impact velocity, model scale, shaft size, and model dimensions on the load characteristics were explored. These conclusions can help to improve our understanding of the slamming load characteristics of stern structures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"342 ","pages":"Article 123008"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Path planning for large ships in inland waterways considering risk assessment of AIS data","authors":"Donghao Xu , Youwen Deng , Ping Xin , Xueqian Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.122792","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.122792","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Safe navigation of ships moving in inland rivers is a primary concern because of the complex waterways. In the existing global path planning algorithms, the ships might be guided into the opposite pathways, increasing the probability of collision, and the risk of collision is insufficiently modeled in the event of overtaking or head-on encounter. In this paper, a risk assessment integrated path planning algorithm based on Automatic Identification System (AIS) data is proposed. The Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) algorithm and the Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) algorithm are utilized to analyze AIS data and determine the inflection points of the waterway. A waterway inflection points piecewise improved A* algorithm is devised and used to search for the global path that complies with the navigation rules, and then the Dynamic Window Approach (DWA) algorithm is incorporated into the AIS based collision risk assessment so as to account for the maneuvering characteristics and environmental factors in the assessment of collision risk. Comparison of results of different path planning algorithms shows that the proposed method performs better in terms of collision avoidance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"342 ","pages":"Article 122792"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145269163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean EngineeringPub Date : 2025-10-06DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123079
Hengliang Qu , Xin Li , Kai Zhu , Xueyan Li
{"title":"Numerical study of turbulence intensity effects on energy-extraction performance of a semi-activated hydrofoil","authors":"Hengliang Qu , Xin Li , Kai Zhu , Xueyan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123079","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123079","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Turbulence is a typical and key environmental dynamic factor influencing the performance of tidal current energy devices. This study numerically investigates the effect of turbulence intensity on the energy-extraction performance of a semi-activated hydrofoil. Three turbulence intensities of 0.9 %, 6.8 %, and 13.6 % were generated and calibrated. Results show that both the heaving response and energy-extraction performance first increase and then decrease significantly with rising turbulence intensity. Compared with the case of 0.9 % turbulence intensity, the maximum efficiency and power coefficient at turbulence intensity of 6.8 % were increased by 5.9 % and 9.7 %, respectively. In contrast, these metrics at turbulence intensity of 13.6 % decrease by 15.9 % and 18.6 %. At moderate turbulence intensity, strong vortical structures enhance fluid–hydrofoil interaction and improve hydrodynamic performance, whereas high turbulence has the opposite effect. To clarify the mechanism, power spectral density of lift, output power, and pressure, along with turbulent kinetic energy and proper orthogonal decomposition of velocity were analyzed. Results indicate that moderate turbulence promotes vortex formation and shedding, while high turbulence disrupts these processes and accelerates vortex dissipation through intensified interactions between small-scale vortices and the boundary layer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"342 ","pages":"Article 123079"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean EngineeringPub Date : 2025-10-06DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123062
Hongqiang Sang , Wuqiang Li , Shuai Zhang , Xiujun Sun , Fen Liu
{"title":"Adaptive obstacle avoidance algorithm for wave gliders in dynamic marine environments based on improved DAPF with multi-model prediction","authors":"Hongqiang Sang , Wuqiang Li , Shuai Zhang , Xiujun Sun , Fen Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123062","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.123062","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Current obstacle avoidance algorithms for wave gliders (WGs) often neglect inherent steering constraints and employ fixed-parameter artificial potential field (APF), which limits adaptability. Additionally, existing algorithms typically assume that the speeds of obstacles are comparable to that of the WG, which is inconsistent with the real marine environment. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a fusion obstacle avoidance algorithm combining an improved dynamic prediction (IDP) collision model with a dynamic APF (DAPF), specifically designed for scenarios involving a single dynamic obstacle (DO). A multi-model hybrid prediction approach based on interactive multiple model (IMM) is used by the IDP for DO prediction, enabling robust adaptation to DO motion states. The DAPF introduces a speed-adaptive repulsion gain coefficient and yaw attraction field constraints through a dynamic elliptical repulsion field mechanism. Compared with improved APF and environmental improved APF (EAPF), simulation results show that IDP-DAPF can increase the minimum obstacle avoidance distance for high-speed obstacles by 36.2 % and reduce the navigation efficiency index by 40.01 %. Sea trials further validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in real marine environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"342 ","pages":"Article 123062"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prescribed-performance time-delay compensation control for UUV trajectory tracking in main-branch water conveyance tunnel transitions under unknown input delays","authors":"Liwen Zhang, Yushan Sun, Puxin Chai, Jiehui Tan, Haotian Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.122941","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.122941","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a novel control framework with delay compensation and prescribed performance guarantees for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) trajectory tracking control in main-branch water conveyance tunnel transitions inspection tasks, addressing systems subject to uncertain time-varying input delays. The methodology integrates prescribed performance functions with a backstepping technique to develop virtual control laws, thereby ensuring bounded transient and steady-state tracking errors. Additionally, the study implements a delay compensator based on the integral of historical control inputs and estimation of uncertain input delays, effectively mitigating the adverse effects of unknown time-varying delays on trajectory tracking performance. Through the construction of Lyapunov-Krasovskii (L-K) functionals and Lyapunov theory, uniform ultimate boundednes of all closed-loop signals is rigorously proven. Simulation and field test results demonstrate that the proposed method maintains tracking errors within prescribed bounds, ensure both transient and steady-state control performance, and significantly enhance navigation safety for UUVs in tunnel entry/exit scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"342 ","pages":"Article 122941"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}