Usage of Double-Helical Propulsion Principle in Underwater Vehicles

The Thesis describes a new underwater vehicle propulsion type developed by the author. Flow and vehicle interaction dynamics are studied, and factors impacting the flow, control methods and the ability to move in other media (in addition to fluid) are reviewed. A geometry of the propulsion system was created by studying its hydrodynamic properties using special CFD software. A mathematical model for the control system was created. The dynamics of the underwater vehicle were modelled with the multibody dynamics modelling software MSC Adams, using the developed control system and the water resistance model developed with CFD software. Flow dynamics were combined with multibody mechanism dynamics using the metamodeling and numerical experiment approach. Numerical experiments in bulk or granular media were performed using the discrete element method, simulating the vehicle movement using the EDEM software. Within the framework of the Thesis, a prototype of the model was also created for observing the model behaviour in real-life conditions. High-quality and good fit results were obtained from the mathematical model and the physical prototype dynamics, proving the performance of both the new propulsion principle and the control system.