A Propulsion-Enabled Control System for Precise Submarine Maneuvering

U.S. Navy submarines are equipped with an increasing number of actuators, including azimuth thrusters, that can enable an unprecedented level of maneuverability with a properly designed and executed control system. In this Phase II effort, Impact Technologies has teamed with L-3 Communications and Virginia Tech to continue development of an automated submarine propulsion-enhanced control (ASPEC) system to achieve highly-precise control for autonomous execution of course-keeping, mooring/unmooring, mine avoidance, and collision avoidance. The retrofit control system features an energy-shaping control system with Lyapunov stability guarantees, a nonlinear optimal control allocation scheme to ensure fault-tolerant operation, and a safety-preserving guidance system. A detailed design and integration effort will be undertaken in Phase II which will emphasize integration with existing voyage management systems (VMS). Planned simulation studies will extend Phase I results by assessing maneuverability amidst realistic sea disturbances, providing opportunities to demonstrate and quantify vehicle safety in various operating modes (e.g. station-keeping and course-following). The effort will culminate in representative field trials conducted on a mature scaled, autonomous submarine platform developed by Virginia Tech. The muli-phased effort will provide strong opportunities to demonstrate the technology to stakeholders and ensure widespread adoption of the commercialized product on board submarines and similarly-outfitted Navy vessels.