Underwater Vehicle Load Separation Handling

Generally, autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) consists of load and launch vehicle and is inseparable. In this paper, a special kind of AUV from which loads with different aims can separate is investigated. There is little information at present about the studies on maneuverability of AUV with load separation. As a sub-item of the "research on maneuverability and load separation of low-velocity AUV", a national defence project in "the tenth five-year-plan", the thesis mainly contains some studies concerning maneuverability of AUV after load separation. The main results can be summarized as following:1. For AUV and mass-varying AUV in 6 degrees of freedom (DOF), the dynamic equations of motion with applying generalized vector notation are derived. In these equations, the attitudes are represented by the 4-parameter unit quaternion (Euler parameters) and Euler angles.2. A motion law for load in 3DOF after separates from AUV is derived. The possibility of impact between load and launch vehicle after separation is investigated. The model for load's motion is simulated and analyzed.3. It is investigated that the course of seawater inflow in launch vehicle. The variation of launch vehicle's mass, centriod and moment because of seawater inflow is studied. The dynamic equations of motion for launch vehicle with seawater inflow are derived.4. Applying Lagrange scheme, the model of AUV's practical motion before load entirely separate from launch vehicle is derived. The movement of AUV fell into three phrases and is simulated and analyzed apart.