UUV Thruster Placement Analysis using CFD

Under Water Robot plays an important role in inspection, operation, research and exploring underwater environment which are dangerous for humans because there are uncertainties concerning the environment and dynamic behavior, designing an underwater robot is a difficult task. This paper investigates the effect and response of the different thruster placement of an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) using ANSYS 17. The researcher simulates the drag force, thruster force, velocity and pressure contour and streamlines of the UUV in various thruster’s location and distance along the main hull. A prototype micro-class UUV was design, fabricated and tested underwater with components consisting of hull, frame and two thrusters. The results from the numerical simulation and the underwater testing was compared and analyze. It was observed that when the thruster is located towards the back of the main hull the drag decreases and when thruster is located near the center of mass the UUV was easier to maneuver. This study shows that the thruster location has a minimal effect on drag but has a notable effect on the stability and maneuverability of the UUV.