Energy consumption optimization of steady-state gliding for a Blended-Wing-Body underwater glider

Abstract

In order to improve the performance of underwater gliders, the shape of a new underwater glider was designed with the Blended-Wing-Body (BWB). In this paper, the relationships between steady-state gliding motion parameters and energy consumption for the Blended-Wing-Body underwater glider (BWBUG) have been researched. Firstly, the steady gliding motion modeling of the BWBUG was built to describe the relationship between the motion parameters and steady-state gliding. Then, an energy consumption model was built to describe the relationships among the energy consumption of one steady-state gliding motion cycle and steady gliding motion parameters. An optimization model was established according to the optimal target with the minimal energy consumption per nautical mile. The hydrodynamic numerical simulations of BWBUG presented in this paper were carried out using the commercial code Fluent. Finally, the effect of the optimization model to reduce energy consumption is evaluated on the BWBUG.