Research on modeling and prediction of horizontal maneuvering motion of underwater vehicles based on CFD

To achieve safe navigation and intelligent control of underwater vehicles, it is essential to establish a mathematical model that can accurately describe their maneuvering motions. In this study, the hydrodynamic performance of a designed underwater vehicle was investigated using STAR-CCM+, and a three-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) horizontal-plane maneuvering model was developed. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations covering straight-line resistance, oblique towing, and typical captive-motion cases were used to identify the key hydrodynamic derivatives required by the model. The resulting coefficients were then applied to predict horizontal-plane maneuvers and were validated against CFD-based self-propulsion simulations. The comparisons show that the baseline 3-DOF model provides reasonable maneuvering predictions; however, discrepancies remain when the vehicle experiences rotational motion. By further examining the self-propulsion flow field in turning conditions, a yaw-rate-related rudder inflow effect was identified. Importantly, even when only straight-line rudder-force test data are available, introducing an effective rudder angle correction term to account for the angular-velocity-induced inflow at the rudder significantly improves prediction accuracy, bringing the maneuvering responses into closer agreement with the self-propulsion CFD results. Overall, the improved model demonstrates reliable capability for predicting the horizontal-plane maneuvering behavior of the designed underwater vehicle.