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Efficiency analysis and prototyping of a buoyancy-powered underwater glider

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Date Issued:
2000
Summary:
Limited development of buoyancy powered underwater vehicles has occurred with little analysis of the efficiency of this form of propulsion. A nondimensional method of analysis of the propulsion efficiency of these vehicles has been developed. A dimensional analysis was conducted by applying the nondimensional propulsion efficiency to the analysis of vehicles with various hull and wing sizes. Propulsion efficiencies of 70% to 75% were found to be obtainable with existing wing designs. A prototype was designed and built using the relationships between actual hull and wing size obtained from the dimensional analysis. This prototype was tested at sea to determine the accuracy of the prediction of performance of an underwater glider. These tests showed that the method of buoyancy propulsion is both predictable and reliable when applied to an underwater glider.
Title: Efficiency analysis and prototyping of a buoyancy-powered underwater glider.
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Name(s): Williams, Douglas Bartlett.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Dunn, Stanley E., Thesis advisor
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2000
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 91 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Limited development of buoyancy powered underwater vehicles has occurred with little analysis of the efficiency of this form of propulsion. A nondimensional method of analysis of the propulsion efficiency of these vehicles has been developed. A dimensional analysis was conducted by applying the nondimensional propulsion efficiency to the analysis of vehicles with various hull and wing sizes. Propulsion efficiencies of 70% to 75% were found to be obtainable with existing wing designs. A prototype was designed and built using the relationships between actual hull and wing size obtained from the dimensional analysis. This prototype was tested at sea to determine the accuracy of the prediction of performance of an underwater glider. These tests showed that the method of buoyancy propulsion is both predictable and reliable when applied to an underwater glider.
Identifier: 9780599667426 (isbn), 15784 (digitool), FADT15784 (IID), fau:12536 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): College of Engineering and Computer Science
Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2000.
Subject(s): Gliders (Aeronautics)
Prototypes, Engineering
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15784
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.