Study on the effects of towed array on the resistance and flow characteristics of unmanned underwater vehicle

Abstract

Unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) towing a number of trailing bodies carrying detectors as a UUV-towed array system is widely used in fields such as submarine topography exploration, submarine pipeline laying, and submarine energy survey due to its simple structure. This study employs the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method, using the general submarine models Joubert BB2 and Persia 110 as tug and towing models, to calculate the hydrodynamic performance of the towed system under full control constraints, linear control constraints, and plane control constraints respectively, under the condition of infinite depth and fixed speed. The surrounding flow field velocity under the above three conditions is also analyzed. The study gradually explores the drag and lift of the towed body, the pressure distribution on the surface of the hull, and the force on the catenary, as well as the influence of the towing array on the main UUV and the surrounding flow field. The findings demonstrate that the existence of the towed array system will increase the resistance of the main UUV, with drag movement showing periodic reciprocating motion. Furthermore, the control degree of the towed cable becomes lighter the farther away it is from the main UUV, resulting in a larger range of motion.