Flow structures of gaseous jets injected into water for underwater propulsion

Gaseous jets injected into water are typically found in underwater propulsion, and the flow is essentially unsteady and turbulent. Additionally, the high water-to-gas density ratio can result in complicated flow structures; hence measuring the flow structures numerically and experimentally remains a challenge. To investigate the performance of the underwater propulsion, this paper uses detailed NavierStokes flow computations to elucidate the gas-water interactions under the framework of the volume of fluid （VOF） model. Furthermore, these computations take the fluid compressibility, viscosity, and energy transfer into consideration. This paper compares the numerical results and experimental data, showing that phenomena including expansion, bulge, necking/breaking, and back-attack are highlighted in the jet process. The resulting analysis indicates that the pressure difference on the rear and front surfaces of the propul- sion system can generate an additional thrust. The strong and oscillatory thrust of the underwater propulsion system is caused by the intermittent pulses of the back pressure and the nozzle exit pressure. As a result, the total thrust in underwater propulsion is not only determined by the nozzle geometry but also by the flow structures and associated pressure distri- butions.

Numerical study on ignition start-up process of an underwater solid rocket motor across a wide depth range

Solid rocket motors have important applications in the propulsion of trans-media vehicles and underwater launched rockets.In this paper,the ignition start-up process of an underwater solid rocket motor across a wide depth range has been numerically studied.A novel multi-domain integrated model has been developed by combining the solid propellant ignition and combustion model with the volume of fluid multiphase model.This integrated model enables the coupled simulation of the propellant combustion and gas flow inside the motor,along with the gas jet evolution in the external water environment.The detailed flow field developments in the combustion chamber,nozzle,and wake field are carefully analyzed.The variation rules of the internal ballistics and thrust performance are also obtained.The effects of environmental medium and operating depth on the ignition start-up process are systematically discussed.The results show that the influence of the operating environment on the internal ballistic characteristics is primarily reflected in the initial period after the nozzle closure opens.The development of the gas jet in water lags significantly compared with that in air.As the water depth increases,the ignition delay time of the motor is shortened,and the morphology evolution of the gas jet is significantly compressed and accelerated.Furthermore,the necking and bulging of the jet boundary near the nozzle outlet and the consequent shock oscillations are intensified,resulting in stronger fluctuations in the wake pressure field and motor thrust.

Swimmer with submerged SiO_(2)/Al/LiNbO_(3) surface acoustic wave propulsion system

Acoustic propulsion system presents a novel underwater propulsion approach in small scale swimmer.This study introduces a submerged surface acoustic wave(SAW)propulsion system based on the SiO_(2)/Al/LiNbO_(3) structure.At 19.25 MHz,the SAW propulsion system is proposed and investigated by the propulsion force calculation,PIV measurements and propulsion measurements.3.3 mN propulsion force is measured at 27.6 V_(pp).To evaluate the miniature swimmer,the SAW propulsion systems with multiple frequencies are studied.At 2.2 W,the submerged SAW propulsion system at 38.45 MHz demonstrates 0.83 mN/mm^(2) propulsion characteristics.At 96.13 MHz and 24 V_(pp),the movements of miniature swimmer with a fully submerged SAW propulsion system are recorded and analyzed to a maximum of 177 mm/s.Because of miniaturization,high power density,and simple structure,the SAW propulsion system can be expected for some microrobot applications,such as underwater drone,pipelinerobotand intravascularrobot.

Radial Clearance Control and Internal Leakage Analysis of a Tri-Proportion Controller

The tri-propellant thermal propulsion system is one of the hottest subjects in the field of underwater vehicles recently. To improve efficiency of underwater vehicles, a method of radial clearance control of the tri-proportion has been proposed. Based on analyzing the factors which influence the pressure decrease and leakage of the tri-proportion controller, a method is used for precision analysis and proportion adjustment by using the median optimizing theory. Analysis results show that accuracy of the proportion controller is dependent on all the leakage, while the leakage is decided by radial clearance and pressure; the leakage can be controlled effectively and the accuracy of the proportion can be improved with the radial clearance control method. The method of accuracy analysis and clearance control has value on the design of various hydraulic motors.

A Novel Undulatory Propulsion Strategy for Underwater Robots

Stingrays can undulate their wide pectoral fins to thrust themselves and swim freely underwater.Many researchers have used bionics to directly imitate their undulating mechanism and manufacture undulatory underwater robots.Based on the limitations of the existing undulatory underwater robots,this paper proposes a novel undulatory propulsion strategy,which aims to use the stingray undulating mechanism more thoroughly.First,the mathematical models of both traditional and novel structures are established to accurately describe their undulating mechanism.Then,based on the dynamic mesh technology,the flow field vortex structure they generated is analyzed through fluid-structure interaction simulation,and the thrust force and lateral force generated by them are calculated,which verified that this novel propulsion strategy is indeed more effective.Finally,a prototype robot based on the improved propulsion strategy is manufactured.Compared with the existing stingray robots,the prototype has obvious advantages,thus verifying the accuracy of the simulation results.

Performance study of a water ramjet engine

A performance study of a water ramjet engine is described.The engine is powered by the reaction of a magnesium-based propellant and ingested water.In this study,a solid propellant,which consisted of a large percentage of magnesium,a binder and a small amount of oxidant,was used as a hydro reactive fuel.Cold water was injected into the combustion chamber as a main oxidant.A scaled-down experimental engine was tested in a direct-connect ground testing system to characterize the factors influencing the engine performance.The results show that the increasing of total water/fuel ratio,an addition of secondary water intake along the combustion chamber,a larger magnesium content in the solid propellant,a smaller primary water injection angle towards the coming main flow,and a higher primary injection pressure were all able to promote the engine performance.The maximum engine performance was obtained in test 08,and with all tests,an appropriate set of parameters and conditions for the optimum engine performance were determined