Prediction Method for Hydrodynamic Problems of Two Bodies Operating in Close Proximity

The Navy's plan to launch and retrieve Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs) from submarines will require precise control of the UUV when it is in close proximity to the submarine hull. The hydrodynamic forces experienced by the UUV when it is near the submarine are significantly different from those it experiences when it is far away. In order to design a successful control system for the UUV, therefore, a method is needed that can predict these hydrodynamic forces when the two bodies are close together. The objective of the proposed effort is to develop a capability to predict the hydrodynamic loads and trajectories of a UUV and submarine while operating in close proximity and possibly colliding with each other. The basis of the proposed effort would be an existing unsteady computer code, USAERO, which already has a very general capability for computing flows about multiple body configurations in arbitrary motion. Under the proposed Phase I effort, certain modifications would be implemented which would demonstrate the feasibility of the approach. Further improvements would be identified for a Phase II follow-on effort that would productionize the method as a useful and effective tool in the design environment.