Development of Baseline Mathematical Hydrodynamics Models for Submersibles with Adaptive Hydrofoils

Maneuverability and endurance are two key design considerations for diesel-electric submersibles. Exterior hull modifications were considered for opportunities to improve mobility, limiting the impact on the interior layout and design of the submarine. Morphing structures have been tested on aerospace applications and preceding research analyzed hydrodynamic modeling methods of adaptive fins on submersibles. Previous research analyses indicated that rapidly-computed potential flow-based hydrodynamic coefficients could be fused with higher fidelity computational fluid dynamics analyses to generate a model that could predict the loads experienced by a submersible with adapting hydrofoils. With the potential flow theory coefficients derived in previous research to account for adapting hydrofoil effects, a comprehensive high-fidelity baseline hydrodynamic model needed to be built. This paper covers the setup, simulation, design, and output of the high-fidelity CFD-based hydrodynamic model of the baseline submersible. The next phase of research will include combining the potential flow model and CFD-based hydrodynamic model together within 6DOF simulation to demonstrate its capabilities and practicality.