Numerical Simulation of Hydrodynamic Forces on an Underwater Vehicle Near the Free Surface

Underwater Vehicles (UVs), including Autonomous and Remotely Operated Vehicles, are increasingly utilized in marine applications such as exploration, surveying, and defense. The hydrodynamic performance of UVs, particularly their resistance and lift characteristics near the free surface, plays a cru...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: M. S. Ahmad, M. A. A. Hasnan, N. M. R. Shaharuddin, M. N. A. W. Muhammad Yazid, I. Shah, M. Mohsin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Isfahan University of Technology 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Applied Fluid Mechanics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jafmonline.net/article_2706_918e65953fee69170585fd2cdc588371.pdf
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849254700928466944
author M. S. Ahmad
M. A. A. Hasnan
N. M. R. Shaharuddin
M. N. A. W. Muhammad Yazid
I. Shah
M. Mohsin
author_facet M. S. Ahmad
M. A. A. Hasnan
N. M. R. Shaharuddin
M. N. A. W. Muhammad Yazid
I. Shah
M. Mohsin
author_sort M. S. Ahmad
collection DOAJ
description Underwater Vehicles (UVs), including Autonomous and Remotely Operated Vehicles, are increasingly utilized in marine applications such as exploration, surveying, and defense. The hydrodynamic performance of UVs, particularly their resistance and lift characteristics near the free surface, plays a crucial role in their design and operational efficiency. This research employs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to analyze the behavior of an underwater vehicle operating at various depths near the free surface. Two configurations of the DARPA SUBOFF model: the bare hull (AFF-1) and the fully appended configuration (AFF-8) were investigated. Simulations were conducted under different operating conditions, and numerical results were validated against experimental and existing numerical data to ensure accuracy and reliability. The interaction between the underwater vehicle and the free surface is analyzed to understand its effects on hydrodynamic performance. The findings demonstrate a significant impact of the free surface on resistance and lift, with the appendages in the AFF-8 configuration leading to more pronounced hydrodynamic effects, particularly at higher speeds where wave generation and interaction with the free surface are increased. These results highlight the effects of speed, depth, and vehicle configuration on hydrodynamic performance, providing valuable insights for the design and optimization of UVs. This study serves as a valuable foundation for further exploration of operational strategies and the development of UVs across diverse marine applications.
format Article
id doaj-art-028e0701e47540af8076c49d1348af8a
institution Kabale University
issn 1735-3572
1735-3645
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Isfahan University of Technology
record_format Article
series Journal of Applied Fluid Mechanics
spelling doaj-art-028e0701e47540af8076c49d1348af8a2025-08-20T03:56:04ZengIsfahan University of TechnologyJournal of Applied Fluid Mechanics1735-35721735-36452025-07-011892239225110.47176/jafm.18.9.33922706Numerical Simulation of Hydrodynamic Forces on an Underwater Vehicle Near the Free SurfaceM. S. Ahmad0M. A. A. Hasnan1N. M. R. Shaharuddin2M. N. A. W. Muhammad Yazid3I. Shah4M. Mohsin5Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor,81310, MalaysiaFaculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor,81310, MalaysiaFaculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor,81310, MalaysiaFaculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor,81310, MalaysiaDepartment of Mechatronics Engineering, Air University, Islamabad 44000, PakistanFaculty of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor,81310, MalaysiaUnderwater Vehicles (UVs), including Autonomous and Remotely Operated Vehicles, are increasingly utilized in marine applications such as exploration, surveying, and defense. The hydrodynamic performance of UVs, particularly their resistance and lift characteristics near the free surface, plays a crucial role in their design and operational efficiency. This research employs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to analyze the behavior of an underwater vehicle operating at various depths near the free surface. Two configurations of the DARPA SUBOFF model: the bare hull (AFF-1) and the fully appended configuration (AFF-8) were investigated. Simulations were conducted under different operating conditions, and numerical results were validated against experimental and existing numerical data to ensure accuracy and reliability. The interaction between the underwater vehicle and the free surface is analyzed to understand its effects on hydrodynamic performance. The findings demonstrate a significant impact of the free surface on resistance and lift, with the appendages in the AFF-8 configuration leading to more pronounced hydrodynamic effects, particularly at higher speeds where wave generation and interaction with the free surface are increased. These results highlight the effects of speed, depth, and vehicle configuration on hydrodynamic performance, providing valuable insights for the design and optimization of UVs. This study serves as a valuable foundation for further exploration of operational strategies and the development of UVs across diverse marine applications.https://www.jafmonline.net/article_2706_918e65953fee69170585fd2cdc588371.pdfunderwater vehiclesfree surface interactiondarpa suboffhydrodynamicscomputational fluid dynamics
spellingShingle M. S. Ahmad
M. A. A. Hasnan
N. M. R. Shaharuddin
M. N. A. W. Muhammad Yazid
I. Shah
M. Mohsin
Numerical Simulation of Hydrodynamic Forces on an Underwater Vehicle Near the Free Surface
Journal of Applied Fluid Mechanics
underwater vehicles
free surface interaction
darpa suboff
hydrodynamics
computational fluid dynamics
title Numerical Simulation of Hydrodynamic Forces on an Underwater Vehicle Near the Free Surface
title_full Numerical Simulation of Hydrodynamic Forces on an Underwater Vehicle Near the Free Surface
title_fullStr Numerical Simulation of Hydrodynamic Forces on an Underwater Vehicle Near the Free Surface
title_full_unstemmed Numerical Simulation of Hydrodynamic Forces on an Underwater Vehicle Near the Free Surface
title_short Numerical Simulation of Hydrodynamic Forces on an Underwater Vehicle Near the Free Surface
title_sort numerical simulation of hydrodynamic forces on an underwater vehicle near the free surface
topic underwater vehicles
free surface interaction
darpa suboff
hydrodynamics
computational fluid dynamics
url https://www.jafmonline.net/article_2706_918e65953fee69170585fd2cdc588371.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT msahmad numericalsimulationofhydrodynamicforcesonanunderwatervehiclenearthefreesurface
AT maahasnan numericalsimulationofhydrodynamicforcesonanunderwatervehiclenearthefreesurface
AT nmrshaharuddin numericalsimulationofhydrodynamicforcesonanunderwatervehiclenearthefreesurface
AT mnawmuhammadyazid numericalsimulationofhydrodynamicforcesonanunderwatervehiclenearthefreesurface
AT ishah numericalsimulationofhydrodynamicforcesonanunderwatervehiclenearthefreesurface
AT mmohsin numericalsimulationofhydrodynamicforcesonanunderwatervehiclenearthefreesurface