{"title":"Adaptive cooperative formation control for underactuated multiple surface vessel systems with random disturbances","authors":"Liqiang Yao , Qinxue Xu , Zhaojing Wu , Likang Feng","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.120984","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.120984","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The adaptive cooperative formation control of underactuated multiple surface vessels in random environment is studied in this paper. To address the challenge of an underactuated surface vessel system subjected to random disturbances, second-order moment processes are introduced and the model of underactuated surface vessel system operating in random environment is subsequently formulated. Next, the underactuated surface vessel system model with random disturbances is converted into a fully actuated system model with 2-degree-of-freedom through two coordinate transformations. Based on this, an adaptive cooperative controller design strategy is proposed for each following surface vessel, ensuring that all vessels can achieve and maintain a predefined formation in the mean square sense throughout the voyage. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is demonstrated by simulation results.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 120984"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143679220","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 : 2025-03-24DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.120967
Thobani Hlophe , Paul H. Taylor , Jeff E. Hansen , Hugh Wolgamot , Michael V.W. Cuttler
{"title":"Comparison of vector wave displacements from a moored and a drifting Spotter buoy—From an accidental Indian Ocean voyage","authors":"Thobani Hlophe , Paul H. Taylor , Jeff E. Hansen , Hugh Wolgamot , Michael V.W. Cuttler","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.120967","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.120967","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate measurement of ocean wave parameters is essential for marine engineering and environmental monitoring. This study analyses a unique dataset from a Sofar Spotter buoy that detached from its mooring in the Southern Indian Ocean. Originally deployed in 330 m deep water offshore of Perth, Western Australia, the buoy drifted southwest towards the Southern Ocean during the austral winter before returning to the coast, where it was eventually recovered. The complete deep-water displacement record, covering both moored and drifting modes, provides a rare opportunity to evaluate the Spotter buoy’s performance across different configurations. Analysing ten months of data, we developed methods to detect and correct signal spikes, assessed how buoy motion affects measurement fidelity, and compared these findings to theoretical expectations. Additionally, we examined variations in buoy performance between moored and drifting modes, providing insights into buoy trajectories and movement patterns. This research advances the understanding of buoy-based wave measurement systems and lays a foundation for improving data accuracy in various oceanographic applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 120967"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143679221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ocean EngineeringPub Date : 2025-03-24DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121042
Aijun Cui , Yi Ma , Yang Jiang , Shaohui Li , Jingyu Zhang , Ruifu Wang
{"title":"Synchronous inversion of bathymetry and wave height using wave textures and sun glint signals","authors":"Aijun Cui , Yi Ma , Yang Jiang , Shaohui Li , Jingyu Zhang , Ruifu Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121042","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121042","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Waves and sun glints in optical remote sensing images present opportunities for inverting water depth and wave height, rather than being considered as unwanted noise. This study focuses on the simultaneous inversion of water depth and wave height from satellite images, without the use of auxiliary data, aiming to improve data utilization efficiency. Firstly, ocean dynamic parameters, such as wavelength, are derived using wave textures and the imaging delay mechanism. Then, the parameters derived in the previous step are used in the linear dispersion relation to give support for water depth-related research. Simultaneously, wave height inversion is achieved by integrating sea surface roughness obtained from sun glints with the wavelength utilized in the water depth inversion process. Water depth around Oahu Island and Beidao Island is derived, and wave heights near multiple buoy stations worldwide are retrieved. The results indicate that: 1) based on the wave textures, the MAE (Mean Absolute Error) of the depth inversion experiments for Beidao and Oahu Islands are 3.08 m and 2.06 m, respectively; the MRE (Mean Relative Error) are 51.4 % and 30.9 %, respectively; 2) the MRE of the wave height inversion results is 32.4 %, and the MAE is 0.35 m. Thus, water depth and wave height can be obtained using wave and glint information.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 121042"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143679222","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":"Multi-environment robotic locomotion through integrated pectoral and caudal fin propulsion","authors":"Jingshu Peng , Yuanhao Xie , Qifan Yang , Yongxia Jia , Weixi Huang , Guangming Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.120982","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.120982","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amphibious robots, inspired by aquatic and terrestrial animals, play a vital role in advancing robotic capabilities across diverse environments. This study proposes a novel design for stingray-inspired amphibious robots to enhance propulsion efficiency. First, a pectoral fin propulsion system, also known as an undulating-fin system, is introduced, reducing the robot’s size and weight while enabling effective locomotion in both aquatic and terrestrial settings. Additionally, a combined propulsion system integrating undulating fins with dual caudal fins is developed to improve underwater propulsion efficiency further. The performance of the proposed design is evaluated through fluid dynamics analyses and validated with real-world experiments, demonstrating superior swimming speeds, enhanced underwater maneuverability, and versatile motion gaits compared to single propulsion modes. The robot achieves a minimum Cost of Transport of 3.25 for aquatic locomotion and 5.08 for terrestrial locomotion, outperforming several existing amphibious robots. These advancements highlight the valuable insights for the development of efficient and versatile amphibious robots.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 120982"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143679130","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 : 2025-03-24DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121015
Kunpeng Duan , Shanling Dong , Zhen Fan , Senlin Zhang , Yaqing Shu , Meiqin Liu
{"title":"Multimode trajectory tracking control of Unmanned Surface Vehicles based on LSTM assisted Model Predictive Control","authors":"Kunpeng Duan , Shanling Dong , Zhen Fan , Senlin Zhang , Yaqing Shu , Meiqin Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Modern intelligent ships are evolving into highly collaborative, complex, and tightly integrated systems. Diverse operation modes emerge as different mission requirements, which lead to increased demands for precision and reliability in control. In this paper, a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) assisted Model Predictive Control (MPC) method is proposed to fit each operating condition of trajectory tracking for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs). Firstly, the LSTM network is utilized to predict the behaviors of the controlled system, inspired by the robust representational capabilities of deep learning. Based on this mechanism, the different operation modes of USVs could be automatically matched without the switching strategy or building multiple models for each mode. Then, additional collision avoidance constraints are added to the MPC to enhance safety measures and address the optimization problem. Finally, a case study including three different trajectory tracking scenarios is conducted to validate the proposed method. The simulation results show that the model is proven to have the high control accuracy and effective collision avoidance response within the confines of obstacles under the disturbed environment. The model could be used to provide invaluable guidance to decision making such as the remote control of human-computer interaction and maritime rescue.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 121015"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143679218","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 : 2025-03-24DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121001
Ting Yu , Gaopeng Xu , Qi Zhang , Tiejun Liu
{"title":"A dynamic docking system of AUV based on bearings-only acoustic and visual coupled localization","authors":"Ting Yu , Gaopeng Xu , Qi Zhang , Tiejun Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dynamic docking and recovery can effectively enhance the flexibility and efficiency of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) missions while broadening the application fields of AUVs. This paper investigates AUV dynamic docking tasks based on passive sonar and monocular vision. Firstly, a dynamic docking system suitable for long distance recovery of AUVs is designed, equipped with both acoustic and optical beacons to provide guidance information at varying distances. Subsequently, for long distance guidance, an acoustic guidance scheme based on passive sonar using bearings-only information is developed, specifically including initial bearing calibration and stable tracking methods. Furthermore, for short distance guidance, a multi-sensor fusion docking localization method based on acoustic and optical guidance is designed to ensure the accuracy and stability of the final docking guidance process. Finally, real-vehicle experiments for AUV dynamic docking were conducted on the lake. The analysis of the experimental data demonstrated the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 121001"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143679219","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 : 2025-03-24DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.120990
Haihan Jiao , Jiaming Liu , Lu Xu , Feng Shi , Hui Jin , Yongchun Fan
{"title":"Study on hot spot stress distribution and fatigue life assessment of KK-type cast steel nodes based on scaled model test","authors":"Haihan Jiao , Jiaming Liu , Lu Xu , Feng Shi , Hui Jin , Yongchun Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.120990","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.120990","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of cast steel nodes (CSN) in marine structures reduces weld concentration and optimizes structural design. However, these nodes are subjected to cyclic loading, which poses significant fatigue risks. This study investigates the fatigue life of KK-type CSN under cyclic loading to enhance their application by refining spatial CSN calculation methods. Firstly, the extrapolation points of hot spot stress (HSS) in the girth butt weld of CSN are identified, and the effects of varying slopes and reduction thicknesses on the stress concentration factor (SCF) of the weld are analyzed. The weld configuration utilized in finite element (FE) simulations and fatigue tests is established. Subsequently, a regression equation for calculating the SCF of CSNs is developed by identifying the key geometric parameters influence the SCF of the welds. The HSS for each weld in the tested CSN are then calculated, identifying the vulnerable regions prone to fatigue failure. The proposed regression equations are validated by comparing FE results with fatigue test outcomes. Finally, the fatigue life of CSN is compared to that of welded tubular nodes (WTN) under identical conditions, demonstrating that the use of CSN can improve the overall fatigue performance of jacket structures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 120990"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143679217","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 : 2025-03-23DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121021
Ting Wu , Yan Zhang , Xiaofei Yang , Hui Ye , Zhengrong Xiang
{"title":"Predefined-time nearly optimal trajectory tracking control for autonomous surface vehicles with unknown dynamics","authors":"Ting Wu , Yan Zhang , Xiaofei Yang , Hui Ye , Zhengrong Xiang","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121021","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121021","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper investigates the predefined-time nearly optimal trajectory tracking control for autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) with unknown dynamics. Unlike the existing methods, which only ensure asymptotic or finite-time stability, the proposed control method allows users to specify the settling time and convergence accuracy. Firstly, a performance index function that measures tracking error costs and control input energy costs is presented. Due to the difficulty in solving the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equation, a nearly optimal method via reinforcement learning (RL) within the identifier-actor-critic architecture is proposed. Meanwhile, an improved piecewise function including settling time and convergence accuracy is constructed. This piecewise function is embedded into the approximate optimal performance index function and control input, which avoids the chattering and singularity phenomena in the sign function. The control scheme approximates the optimal value function, control policy, and unknown dynamics without relying on the precise knowledge of system dynamics and ensures that tracking errors converge to a specific accuracy within a predefined time. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 121021"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143686498","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 : 2025-03-22DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121002
Yuan-Jie Chen , Haocai Huang , Zheng-Shou Chen
{"title":"AVOA-optimized CNN-BILSTM-SENet framework for hydrodynamic performance prediction of bionic pectoral fins","authors":"Yuan-Jie Chen , Haocai Huang , Zheng-Shou Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The hydrodynamic performance of bionic pectoral fins is crucial for improving Manta Ray robots' propulsion efficiency. However, traditional CFD methods are computationally expensive and inefficient. To address this, we propose AVOA-CNN-BiLSTM-SENet, a novel framework for low-cost, real-time hydrodynamic performance assessment. This framework leverages African vulture optimization algorithm (AVOA) to optimize the hyperparameters of a hybrid model that combines Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory networks (BiLSTM), and Squeeze-and-Excitation Networks (SENet), enhancing multi-scale feature extraction and reducing overfitting. Firstly, an Optimal Latin Hypercube Design (Opt-LHD)-based experimental design is formulated, and a hydrodynamic dataset is generated via CFD simulations. Secondly, the dataset is partitioned for model training and optimization within the proposed AVOA-CNN-BiLSTM-SENet framework. For performance evaluation, the trained model is quantitatively analyzed and benchmarked against four models: support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), gradient boosted decision tree (GBDT), and backpropagation neural network (BPNN). Experimental results show that AVOA-CNN-BiLSTM-SENet framework outperforms all benchmarks in predicting hydrodynamic performance indicators of bionic pectoral fins, with a maximum relative error of no more than 12.4 %. Therefore, the model exhibits superior prediction accuracy and generalization capability, demonstrating strong potential for real-world hydrodynamic applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 121002"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143686489","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 : 2025-03-22DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121026
Zhenfei Guo , Lijie Su , Zongzhe Man , Zhenkun Lei , Hao Jiang , Da Liu , Jiangfan Zhou , Xiao Wei
{"title":"Research and software development of compression buckling for laser-welded stiffened plates based on physics-informed neural networks","authors":"Zhenfei Guo , Lijie Su , Zongzhe Man , Zhenkun Lei , Hao Jiang , Da Liu , Jiangfan Zhou , Xiao Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceaneng.2025.121026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Stiffened plate structures, which enhance overall strength and stiffness, are critical in engineering applications, with stability under compressive loads being a key design consideration. While numerical approaches like finite element analysis are effective, their high computational cost drives interest in data-driven methods for failure load prediction. However, such methods often face challenges related to data quality, generalization and physical interpretability. This study proposed a Physics-Informed Neural Network (PINN) for predicting the compressive buckling failure of stiffened plates, and then developed the SiPFLP software based on the PINN. Firstly, compressive tests on laser-welded stiffened plates, combined with electrical and optical measurement, were conducted to elucidate failure mechanisms. A validated post-buckling analysis was then used to examine how geometric and material parameters influence buckling failure loads. These qualitative physical laws were employed to guide the training of the PINN for failure load prediction. The PINN was subsequently integrated with PyQt5 to develop the SiPFLP software. This research enhances the understanding of buckling failure in laser-welded stiffened plates and provides an innovative, physics-guided and computationally efficient tool for predicting failure loads.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19403,"journal":{"name":"Ocean Engineering","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 121026"},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143686504","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}