A comparative study of biomimicry-inspired design forms for autonomous underwater vehicles

• Autorzy: Gürsel Kadri Turgut , Taner Mesut

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.2478/pomr-2025-0034

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Industrial development and surveying projects related to oil and natural gas resources and undersea pipelines require comprehensive geological, geophysical, and oceanographic research to be conducted in offshore and coastal areas. These research activities are typically conducted by research vessels or smaller craft that are specially equipped for specific tasks, which often require considerable labour. However, this research method incurs high operating costs and poses risks to occupational safety and property, particularly due to the harsh weather conditions at sea. In addition, highprecision measurements cannot always be effectively taken using these vessels at the sea surface during such projects. Consequently, research institutions and organisations have made significant advancements in developing autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) over the past two decades. The aim of this study was to identify an optimal design form for AUVs to enable them to examine the geomorphological, geological, and geophysical structures of the seafloor while also supporting oceanographic research. To achieve this, computational fluid dynamics analyses were conducted on the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Suboff submarine model, and the results were validated using experimental data obtained from the literature [1]. After successfully confirming the accuracy of the simulations, which were executed using the commercial software STAR CCM+ (Simulation of Turbulent Flow in Arbitrary Regions - Computational Continuum Mechanics, C++ based), various AUV designs were created based on commonly used geometric shapes for torpedoes. In addition, biomimicry principles were employed to develop AUV models with minimal viscous resistance and energy consumption during underwater operations. The following models, all with the same displacement, were systematically analysed: a mature goose-beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), a mature sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), an adapted form of the submarine shark (Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white shark), four biomimicry-inspired hybrid models and four torpedo-shaped AUVs. The findings from these analyses are discussed in detail.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

form development; biomimicry; autonomous underwater vehicle; CFD analysis; Marine research

• Wydawca: Gdańsk University of Technology, Faculty of Ocean Engineering & Ship Technology
• Czasopismo: Polish Maritime Research
• Rocznik: 2025
• Tom: nr 3
• Strony: 33--46
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 36 poz., rys., tab.

Twórcy

autor

Gürsel Kadri Turgut

• Dokuz Eylül University, Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology, Department of Naval Architect; Izmir; Turkey

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9681-680X

autor

Taner Mesut

• Bursa Technical University – Faculty of Maritime Department of Naval Architecture; Turkey
• Marine Engineering Department of Naval Architect; Bursa; Turkey

• https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4904-2098

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