Abstract
Autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is an unmanned tether-free vehicle which is powered by battery or fuel cell. The weight of the AUV is a major issue to be decided when considering its performance. To manufacture a propeller that is lighter in weight and able to carry the pressure applied to the blades is an involving process. The present study investigates the performance of the propeller of an AUV, manufactured by additive manufacturing, using ABS plastic material. The propeller blade designed in SolidWorks was transferred to the CUBPRO (DUO), followed by setting the parameters for a 3D printing machine. A comparative study was carried out for ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) material between the required dimensions and a 3D printed model dimension propeller blade. An error analysis was carried out and we observed that ABS material is the most suitable for an AUV propeller. A stress-strain analysis for the propeller was carried out using the Finite Element Method.
Highlights
A conventional manufacturing technique such as investment casting is quite time-consuming and costly when it comes to the manufacturing of complex parts
Advances in the area of Additive Manufacturing (AM) methods have considerably increased the realization of intricate designs in physical
Stereolithography is a 3D printing technique that works on the principle of using laser to harden liquid resin for the manufacture of 3D geometry
Summary
A conventional manufacturing technique such as investment casting is quite time-consuming and costly when it comes to the manufacturing of complex parts. Stereolithography is a 3D printing technique that works on the principle of using laser to harden liquid resin for the manufacture of 3D geometry It involves a process whereby a photosensitive liquid is converted into a 3D solid with the help of a low-power laser, depositing material layer by layer. In addition to FDM and Stereolithography, there is another popular technique known as Selective Laser Sintering This is a technique whereby a bed of powder, either in the form of resin, polymer, or even metal, is subjected to a high-power directional heating source, which allows it to be partially or fully melted and fused into a 3D component in a layer by layer manner. The geometry of an AUV propeller is complex that requires a difficult process to manufacture through conventional methods. The developed propeller was analysed for its suitability to be used as a propeller by analysing its blade strength and stress distribution
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