A Double-Stage Surrogate-Based Shape Optimization Strategy for Blended-Wing-Body Underwater Gliders

In this paper,a Double-stage Surrogate-based Shape Optimization(DSSO)strategy for Blended-Wing-Body Underwater Gliders(BWBUGs)is proposed to reduce the computational cost.In this strategy,a double-stage surrogate model is developed to replace the high-dimensional objective in shape optimization.Specifically,several First-stage Surrogate Models(FSMs)are built for the sectional airfoils,and the second-stage surrogate model is constructed with respect to the outputs of FSMs.Besides,a Multi-start Space Reduction surrogate-based global optimization method is applied to search for the optimum.In order to validate the efficiency of the proposed method,DSSO is first compared with an ordinary One-stage Surrogate-based Optimization strategy by using the same optimization method.Then,the other three popular surrogate-based optimization methods and three heuristic algorithms are utilized to make comparisons.Results indicate that the lift-to-drag ratio of the BWBUG is improved by 9.35%with DSSO,which outperforms the comparison methods.Besides,DSSO reduces more than 50%of the time that other methods used when obtaining the same level of results.Furthermore,some considerations of the proposed strategy are further discussed and some characteristics of DSSO are identified.

Optimal Matching Analysis of Net Buoyancy and Pitching Angle for Underwater Gliders

Control parameter optimization is an efficient way to improve the endurance of underwater gliders(UGs),which influences their gliding efficiency and energy consumption.This paper analyzes the optimal matching between the net buoyancy and the pitching angle and proposes a segmented control strategy of Petrel-L.The optimization of this strategy is established based on the gliding range model of UG,which is solved based on the approximate model,and the variations of the optimal control parameters with the hotel load are obtained.The optimization results indicate that the segmented control strategy can significantly increase the gliding range when the optimal matching between the net buoyancy and the pitching angle is reached,and the increase rate is influenced by the hotel load.The gliding range of the underwater glider can be increased by 10.47%at a hotel load of 0.5 W.The optimal matching analysis adopted in this study can be applied to other UGs to realize endurance improvement.

A hybrid forecasting model for depth-averaged current velocities of underwater gliders

In this paper,we propose a hybrid forecasting model to improve the forecasting accuracy for depth-averaged current velocities(DACVs) of underwater gliders.The hybrid model is based on a discrete wavelet transform(DWT),a deep belief network(DBN),and a least squares support vector machine(LSSVM).The original DACV series are first decomposed into several high-and one low-frequency subseries by DWT.Then,DBN is used for high-frequency component forecasting,and the LSSVM model is adopted for low-frequency subseries.The effectiveness of the proposed model is verified by two groups of DACV data from sea trials in the South China Sea.Based on four general error criteria,the forecast performance of the proposed model is demonstrated.The comparison models include some well-recognized single models and some related hybrid models.The performance of the proposed model outperformed those of the other methods indicated above.

Design,hydrodynamic analysis,and testing of a bioinspired controllable wing mechanism with multi-locomotion modes for hybrid-driven underwater gliders

Hybrid-driven technology,which can improve the sailing performance of underwater gliders(UGs),has been successfully used in ocean observation.However,a hybrid-driven UG(HUG)with an added tail propeller is still unable to achieve backward and turning motion with a body length radius,and the hydrodynamic pitch moment acting on the HUG that is mainly caused by the fixed-wing makes it difficult to achieve high-precision attitude control during fixed-depth navigation.To solve this problem,a two-degree-of-freedom bioinspired controllable wing mechanism(CWM)is proposed to improve the maneuverability and cruising ability of HUGs.The CWM can realize five motion modes:modifying the dihedral angle or anhedral angle,changing the frontal area of the wing,switching the wing from horizontal to be a vertical rudder,flapping the wing as propulsion,and rotating the wing as a vector propeller.First,the design process of the CWM is provided,and hydrodynamic forces in each motion mode of three CWMs with different trailing edge sweepback angles(TESA)and attitude angles are analyzed through computational fluid dynamics simulation.The relationship between hydrodynamics and the attitude angles or TESA of the CWM is analyzed.Then,experiments are conducted to measure the hydrodynamics of the CWM when it is in a flapping wing mode and rotating the wing as a vector propeller,respectively.The hydrodynamic forces obtained from the simulation are consistent with data measured by a force sensor,proving the credibility of the simulated hydrodynamics.Subsequently,by applying the results of the hydrodynamic force in this study,the flapping trajectory of the wingtip is planned using the cubic spline interpolation method.Furthermore,two underwater demo vehicles with a pair of CWMs are developed,and experiments are conducted in a water tank,further validating and demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed CWM.

Cooperative Sampling Path Planning of Underwater Glider Fleet with Simultaneous Launch and Recovery

As low-cost and highly autonomous ocean observation platforms,underwater gliders encounter risks during their launch and recovery,especially when coordinating multi-glider deployments.This work focuses on cooperative path planning of an underwater glider fleet with simultaneous launch and recovery to enhance the autonomy of sampling and reduce deployment risks.Specifically,the gliders collaborate to achieve sampling considering the specified routines of interest.The overall paths to be planned are divided into four rectangular parts with the same starting point,and each glider is assigned a local sampling route.A clipped-oriented line-of-sight algorithm is proposed to ensure the coverage of the desired edges.The pitch angle of the glider is selected as the optimizing parameter to coordinate the overall progress considering the susceptibility of gliders to currents and the randomness of paths produced by complex navigational strategies.Therefore,a multi-actuation deep-Q network algorithm is proposed to ensure simultaneous launch and recovery.Simulation results demonstrate the acceptable effectiveness of the proposed method.

Coordinate Control,Motion Optimization and Sea Experiment of a Fleet of Petrel-Ⅱ Gliders

The formation of hybrid underwater gliders has advantages in sustained ocean observation with high resolution and more adaptation for complicated ocean tasks. However, the current work mostly focused on the traditional gliders and AUVs.The research on control strategy and energy consumption minimization for the hybrid gliders is necessary both in methodology and experiment. A multi-layer coordinate control strategy is developed for the fleet of hybrid underwater gliders to control the gliders' motion and formation geometry with optimized energy consumption. The inner layer integrated in the onboard controller and the outer layer integrated in the ground control center or the deck controller are designed. A coordinate control model is proposed based on multibody theory through adoption of artificial potential fields. Considering the existence of ocean flow, a hybrid motion energy consumption model is constructed and an optimization method is designed to obtain the heading angle, net buoyancy, gliding angle and the rotate speed of screw propeller to minimize the motion energy with consideration of the ocean flow. The feasibility of the coordinate control system and motion optimization method has been verified both by simulation and sea trials. Simulation results show the regularity of energy consumption with the control variables. The fleet of three Petrel-Ⅱ gliders developed by Tianjin University is deployed in the South China Sea. The trajectory error of each glider is less than 2.5 km, the formation shape error between each glider is less than 2 km, and the difference between actual energy consumption and the simulated energy consumption is less than 24% actual energy. The results of simulation and the sea trial prove the feasibility of the proposed coordinate control strategy and energy optimization method. In conclusion, a coordinate control system and a motion optimization method is studied, which can be used for reference in theoretical research and practical fleet operation for both the traditional gliders and hybrid gliders.

Shape Optimization for A Conventional Underwater Glider to Decrease Average Periodic Resistance

As a type of autonomous underwater vehicle(AUV),underwater gliders(UG)are getting increasing attention in ocean exploration.To save energy and satisfy the mission requirements of a longer voyage,shape optimization for UGs has become a key technique and research focus.In this paper,a conventional UG,including its fuselage and hydrofoil,is optimized,which aims to decrease the average resistance in one motion cycle.To operate the optimization progress for the complex object,multiple free form deformation(FFD)volumes are established for geometric parameterization.High-fidelity simulation models are employed for objective function evaluation and gradients calculation.And sequential quadratic programming(SQP)method is adopted as an optimization algorithm.The optimization results show that there exists a UG with symmetrical and non-horizontal hydrofoils that has lower resistance.

Response of the upper ocean to tropical cyclone in the Northwest Pacific observed by gliders during fall 2018

The evolution of thermohaline structure at the upper ocean during three tropical cyclones(TCs)in the Northwest Pacific was studied in this study based on successive observation by two new-style underwater gliders during fall 2018.These remote-controllable gliders with CTD sensor enabled us to explore high frequency responses of temperature,salinity,mixed and barrier layers in the upper ocean to severe TCs in this area.Results showed that three significant cooling-to-warming and stratification destructing-to-reconstructing processes at the mixed layer occurred during the lives of three TCs.The maximal cooling of SST all reached≥0.5℃although TCs with different intensities had different minimal distances to the observed area.Under potential impacts of solar radiation,tide and inertial motions,the mixed layer depth possessed significant high-frequency fluctuations during TC periods.In addition,barrier layers appeared and vanished quickly during TCs,accompanied with varied temperature inversion processes.

Variations in Dissolved Oxygen Induced by a Tropical Storm Within an Anticyclone in the Northern South China Sea

Tropical storms(TSs)can induce sea surface cooling,freshening,and phytoplankton blooms.The dissolved oxygen(DO)concentration response to TSs within an anticyclone is still unclear due to the rarity of in situ observations.In this study,we investi-gate the variations in DO concentration attributed to TS‘Haitang’within an anticyclonic eddy in the northern South China Sea based on Chinese underwater glider data.DO concentrations have a higher value at the edge of eddy than at the core.Influenced by TS,DO concentrations decrease remarkably in the subsurface layer in all three regions(inside,edge,and outside of the anticyclonic eddy).The mean DO concentrations decrease more at the edge of the anticyclone than those inside the anticyclone.The recovery time of DO concentration after TS is around one week at the edge of the anticyclone and is>10 days within the eddy.Our observations show that the DO concentrations decrease above the subsurface chlorophyll a maxima layer.Quantitative analysis shows that variations in DO concentration are dominated by horizontal advection and vertical advection terms in the subsurface layer.

Design,Hydrodynamic Analysis,and Testing of a Bio-inspired Movable Bow Mechanism for the Hybrid-driven Underwater Glider

Hybrid-driven Underwater Glider(HUG)is a new type of underwater vehicle which integrates the functions of an Autonomous Underwater Glider(AUG)and an Autonomous Unmanned Vehicle(AUV).Although HUG has the characteristics of long endurance distance,its maneuverability still has room to be improved.This work introduces a new movement form of the neck of the underwater creature into HUG and proposes a parallel mechanism to adjust the attitude angle and displacement of the HUG’s bow,which can improve the steering maneuverability.Firstly,the influence of bow movement and rotation on the hydrodynamic force and flow field of the whole machine is analyzed by using the Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD)method.The degree of freedom,attitude control range and movement amount of the Movable Bow Mechanism(MBM)are obtained,and then the design of MBM is completed based on these constraints.Secondly,the kinematic and dynamic models of MBM are established based on the closed vector method and the Lagrange equation,respectively,which are fully verified by comparing the results of simulation in Matlab and Adams software,then a Radial Basis Function(RBF)neural network adaptive sliding mode controller is designed to improve the dynamic response effect of the output parameters of MBM.Finally,a prototype of MBM is manufactured and assembled.The kinematic,dynamics model and controller are verified by experiments,which provides a basis for applying MBM in HUGs.

Nonlinear Feedforward and Feedback Control Design for Autonomous Underwater Glider

Underwater gliders are highly efficient,buoyancy-driven,and winged autonomous underwater vehicles.Their dynamics are multivariable nonlinear systems with unstable internal dynamics and thus their motion control is a significant challenge.To improve the inherent efficiency and enhance the behavior of the underwater glider over a wide operating regime,a nonlinear feedforward and feedback controller was developed.The nonlinear feedforward control design is based on a new stable inversion technique which determines a causal and bounded solution for the unstable internal dynamics.The feedback control law was designed by a quadratic optimal control method.Simulation results show that the derived control system is able to deal with nonminimum phase system and successfully achieves the tracking of planned output trajectories from initial to final conditions.Furthermore,the control effort is very low,which means the glider with limited power storage has longer range and higher endurance.

Nonlinear Control for Autonomous Underwater Glider Motion Based on Inverse System Method

Autonomous underwater gliders are highly effcient,buoyancy-driven,winged autonomous underwater vehicles. Their dynamics are multivariable nonlinear systems. In addition,the gliders are underactuated and diffcult to maneuver,and also dependent on their operational environment. To confront these problems and to design an effective controller,the inverse system method was used to decouple the original system into two independent single variable linear subsystems. The stability of the zero dynamics was analyzed,and an additional closed-loop controller for each linear subsystem was designed by sliding mode control method to form a type of composite controller. Simulation results demonstrate that the derived nonlinear controller is able to cope with the aforementioned problems simultaneously and satisfactorily.

Underwater glider design based on dynamic model analysis and prototype development

Underwater gliders are efficient mobile sensor platforms that can be deployed for months at a time, traveling thousands of kilometers. Here, we describe our development of a coastal 200 m deep underwater glider, which can serve as an ocean observatory platform operating in the East China Sea. Our glider is developed based on dynamic model analysis: steady flight equilibrium analysis gives the varied range of moving mass location for pitch control and the varied vehicle volume for buoyancy control; a stability analysis is made to discuss the relationship between the stability of glider motion and the location of glider wings and rudder by root locus investigation of glider longitudinal- and lateral-directional dynamics, respectively. There is a tradeoff between glider motion stability and control authority according to the specific glider mission requirements. The theoretical analysis provides guidelines for vehicle design, based on which we present the development progress of the Zhejiang University (ZJU) glider. The mechanical, electrical, and software design of the glider is discussed in detail. The performances of glider key functional modules are validated by pressure tests individually; preliminary pool trials of the ZJU glider are also introduced, indicating that our glider functions well in water and can serve as a sensor platform for ocean sampling.

CFD approach to modelling, hydrodynamic analysis and motion characteristics of a laboratory underwater glider with experimental results

Underwater gliders are buoyancy propelled vehicle which make use of buoyancy for vertical movement and wings to propel the glider in forward direction.Autonomous underwater gliders are a patented technology and are manufactured and marketed by corporations.In this study,we validate the experimental lift and drag characteristics of a glider from the literature using Computational fluid dynamics(CFD)approach.This approach is then used for the assessment of the steady state characteristics of a laboratory glider designed at Indian Institute of Technology(IIT)Madras.Flow behaviour and lift and drag force distribution at different angles of attack are studied for Reynolds numbers varying from 10^(5) to 10^(6) for NACA0012 wing configurations.The state variables of the glider are the velocity,gliding angle and angle of attack which are simulated by making use of the hydrodynamic drag and lift coefficients obtained from CFD.The effect of the variable buoyancy is examined in terms of the gliding angle,velocity and angle of attack.Laboratory model of glider is developed from the final design asserted by CFD.This model is used for determination of static and dynamic properties of an underwater glider which were validated against an equivalent CAD model and simulation results obtained from equations of motion of glider in vertical plane respectively.In the literature,only empirical approach has been adopted to estimate the hydrodynamic coefficients of the AUG that are required for its trajectory simulation.In this work,a CFD approach has been proposed to estimate the hydrodynamic coefficients and validated with experimental data.A two-mass variable buoyancy engine has been designed and implemented.The equations of motion for this two-mass engine have been obtained by modifying the single mass version of the equations described in the literature.The objectives of the present study are to understand the glider dynamics adopting a CFD approach,fabricate the glider and its variable buoyancy engine and test its trajectory in water and compare it with numerically obtained trajectory in the vertical plane.

Dynamic Model and Motion Characteristics of an Underwater Glider with Manta-inspired Wings

An underwater glider with bionic wings controlled by two operating modes is proposed to perform a variety of marine exploration tasks.The system composition of the vehicle and the structural design of wings inspired by manta ray are presented.The bionic wings can keep outstretched or realize oscillating motions according to the operating modes of the vehicle.A universal dynamic model of the vehicle was derived from multibody theory.Gliding,sailing and steering motions were simulated based on the dynamic model to illustrate the dynamic behaviors of the vehicle under different types of propulsion techniques.The results obtained through simulated calculation are basically consistent with the experimental data,which indicate that the developed dynamic model is applicable to describe the motion characteristics of the vehicle.Experiments were conducted in coastal area to analyze the propulsive characteristics of the bionic wings and sea trials involving multifarious motions were carried out,the applicability of the vehicle in marine environment was verified.

Nonlinear Pitch Control of an Underwater Glider Based on Adaptive Backstepping Approach

Underwater gliders are highly efficient and long-ranged autonomous underwater vehicles. The typical dynamic modeling in the vertical plane is of multi-input multi-output(MIMO), which is underactuated while easily affected by the ambient environment. To resolve the problems of MIMO, the dynamic model is transformed into a single-input single-output(SISO) system with two dubious parameters, and an adaptive backstepping controller is designed and applied in this paper. A Lyapunov function has been established with the total energy of the system converged in the controller. Contrast result of simulation has demonstrated that the derived nonlinear controller has higher tracking precision and faster response than the proportional-integral-derivative(PID) control method,which indicates its excellent capability to deal with the controlling problems of underwater gliders.