Study of Maneuverability the AUV flexibly Coupled to the Surface Repeater

Abstract The towed surface radio communication module (SRCM) allows the high-speed communication channel between the control station and an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to be organized and significantly simplifies the navigation support. Herewith, disturbances by the communication cable acting on the SRCM and AUV are significantly affecting the whole system’s parameters. The paper aims to calculate the additional drag force acted on the vehicle by affecting the towed SRCM and communication cable on the AUV in steady conditions and along typical maneuvering trajectories. A model of an underwater tethered motion control system considers the AUV dynamics, and the communication cable is proposed. A kinematic model of the SRCM has been developed. This model determines the submerging of the communication module and hydrodynamic resistance during towing. The paper presents the results of modeling the tethered system’s movement along typical trajectories typical for survey-search AUV. The results allow the additional requirements to the vehicle’s propulsion system and the required additional buoyancy of the SRCM to be obtained.