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ISSN Online: 2688-7231

ISBN Flash Drive: 978-1-56700-497-7

ISBN Online: 978-1-56700-496-0

Proceedings of the 25th National and 3rd International ISHMT-ASTFE Heat and Mass Transfer Conference (IHMTC-2019)
December, 28-31, 2019, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee, India

Effect of free surface on the hydrodynamic coefficients of an underwater vehicle

Get access (open in a dialog) DOI: 10.1615/IHMTC-2019.820
pages 485-490

Abstract

Underwater vehicles (UV) are an important aspect of today's world with numerous applications in different fields. The study of the effect of free surface is of great concern for underwater vehicles (UV) operating near the shore or while travelling near the surface. The free surface significantly increases the drag on the underwater vehicle. With the advancement of computer processing power and CFD softwares, the study of two phase flows in complex shapes numerically has become possible in recent times. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) method is an important technique to determine the free surface in a multi-phase flow. In the current study, we use the OpenFOAM software to study the free surface effects on the body of an underwater vehicle. The solver is first validated with available literature. A new configuration is taken based on the Myring equations and simulation is done for a submergence depth of d/D=0.75 and for a velocity of 1.4 m/s. The results are compared with the experimental and numerical results of Afterbody1. The new UV has a lower drag coefficient, thus making it a better model. The free surface wave generated by the movement of the new UV is compared with the free surface waves generated by Afterbody1. The factors responsible for the reduced drag are also studied.