Traditionally, underwater vehicles have been using propellers for locomotion but they are not only inefficient but generate large acoustic signature. Researchers have taken inspiration from efficient swimmers like fish to address the issue with alternate propulsion mechanism. Mostly, research on fish locomotion involved studying a foil tethered to a fixed point inside uniform flow. A major drawback of such study is that neither it resembles a freely swimming fish nor it takes into consideration the dynamics of moving fish on propulsive forces. Hence, in our current study, we focus on comparing the performance of a free swimming fin over tethered fin both experimentally and numerically. Experimentally, we focus on the oscillatory form of locomotion where the caudal fin pitches to generate necessary thrust as seen in boxfish. We intend to investigate the Caudal fin kinematics and its physical properties on locomotion performance. To better understand, we build an automated robo-physical model that swims in a circular path so as to carry extensive experiments. We focus on understanding the effect of flexibility, shape and thickness of caudal fin on performance. Currently, we have studied three different flexibility and for each flexibility, we studied three different shape. We found there must be an optimal flexibility for minimising the Cost of Transport (COT). We also propose that the steady forward speed linearly varies with tail tip velocity. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of thickness of fin and considered uniform and tapered fin with equal area moment of inertia. Numerically, we investigated the effect of phase offset between heave and pitch motion on the performance of a freely swimming fin and compared that to a tethered fin. A freely-swimming fin self propels and moves with steady speed while a tethered fin remains stationary and actuates under uniform flow. We model the fin as a rigid body undergoing prescribed motion in an inviscid fluid and solved for coupled interaction using panel method. We show the effect of phase offset for optimum performance and found a significant difference between tethered and freely swimming fin. / M.S. / Underwater vehicles use propeller based mechanism but they are inefficient and generate noise. Researchers have taken inspiration from nature to replace propellers with efficient propulsion mechanism. In the current study, we design a robotic model to understand the effect of various kinematic and physical properties of tail fin on performance. Our research is unique from past study in the aspect that most research involved studying performance using a robotic model fixed at its position which does not resemble a freely-swimming fish. Hence, in our current study, we focus on comparing the performance of our freely swimming model with tethered fin. The robot has one degree of freedom and can pitch its tail to generate thrust. We intend to investigate the tail fin kinematics and its physical properties on locomotion performance. We focus on understanding the effect of flexibility, shape and thickness of fin on performance. Currently, we have studied three different flexibility and for each flexibility, we studied three different shape. We showed there exists an optimal flexibility for maximising efficiency. For any fin undergoing combined pitch and heave motion, there exists a phase offset between them which will maximise the performance. Researchers have tried to understand its impact using both experiment and numerical simulation. In the current study, we study the impact of phase offset between pitch and heave for a freely-swimming fin and compare that to a fixed fin. A freely-swimming fin self propels and moves with steady speed while a tethered fin remains stationary and actuates under uniform flow. We show the effect of phase offset for optimum performance and found a significant difference between tethered and freely swimming fin.

A ship must be designed for efficiency and economy, thus there is an everlasting desire for the design of better and better ships. One of the important factors which directly influence the worthiness of a design is its resistance. Throughout decades of ship design, the resistance is given top most importance as a design objective. With the increase in computational speeds of both software and hardware, there has been an opportunity for optimizing ship hulls using iterative methods of design and modification. A method for calculating resistance for a given hull geometry and to optimize it using optimization algorithms are required for achieving better hulls. The resistance is calculated using a panel method for a given hull and the hull geometry is later changed by applying Lackenby's method of longitudinal shift of stations. An optimization algorithm extracts the best possible design out of the numerous design alternatives possible.

This thesis work started as an attempt to create a computational tool to model hydrodynamics problems involving lifting flows. The method employed to solve the problem is potential flow theory. Despite the fast evolution of computers and the latest developments in Navier-Stokes solvers, such as the Ranse methods; potential flow theory offers the possibility to create or use existing computational tools, which allow us modeling hydrodynamics problems in a simpler manner. Navier-Stokes solver can be very expensive from the computational point of view, and require a high level of expertise in order to achieve reliable models. Based on the above, we have developed a lifting flow modeling tool that we hope can serve as the starting point of a more elaborated method, and a valuable alternative, for the solution of different hydrodynamics problems. Key words highlighting important concepts related to this thesis work are: Vortex, circulation, potential flow, panel methods, Sources, doublets.

In this paper a precorrected FFT-Fast Multipole Tree (pFFT-FMT) method for solving the potential flow around arbitrary three dimensional bodies is presented. The method takes advantage of the efficiency of the pFFT and FMT algorithms to facilitate more demanding computations such as automatic wake generation and hands-off steady and unsteady aerodynamic simulations. The velocity potential on the body surfaces and in the domain is determined using a pFFT Boundary Element Method (BEM) approach based on the Green’s Theorem Boundary Integral Equation. The vorticity trailing all lifting surfaces in the domain is represented using a Fast Multipole Tree, time advected, vortex participle method. Some simple steady state flow solutions are performed to demonstrate the basic capabilities of the solver. Although this paper focuses primarily on steady state solutions, it should be noted that this approach is designed to be a robust and efficient unsteady potential flow simulation tool, useful for rapid computational prototyping. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

Evaluation of motion characteristics of ships and offshore structures at the early stage of design as well as during operation at the site is very important. Strip theory based programs and 3D panel method based programs are the most popular tools used in industry for vessel motion analysis. These programs use different variations of the Green’s function or Rankine sources to formulate the boundary element problem which solves the water wave radiation and diffraction problem in the frequency domain or the time domain. This study presents the development of a 3D frequency domain Green’s function method in infinite water depth for predicting hydrodynamic coefficients, wave induced forces and motions. The complete theory and its numerical implementation are discussed in detail. An in house application has been developed to verify the numerical implementation and facilitate further development of the program towards higher order methods, inclusion of forward speed effects, finite depth Green function, hydro elasticity, etc. The results were successfully compared and validated with analytical results where available and the industry standard computer program WAMIT v7.04 for simple structures such as floating hemisphere, cylinder and box barge as well as complex structures such as ship, spar and a tension leg platform.

A numerical panel method based on the potential flow theory has been refined and applied to the simulations of steady and unsteady cavitating flows inside water-jet pumps. The potential flow inside the water-jet is solved simultaneously in order to take the interaction of all geometries (blades, hub and casing) into account. The integral equation and boundary conditions for the water-jet problem are formulated and solved by distributing constant dipoles and sources on blades, hub and shroud surfaces, and constant dipoles in the trailing wake sheets behind the rotor (or stator) blades. The interaction between the rotor and stator is carried out based on an iterative procedure by considering the circumferentially averaged velocities induced on each one by the other. The present numerical scheme is coupled with a 2-D axisymmetric version of the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solver to evaluate the pressure rise on the shroud and simulate viscous flow fields inside the pump. A tip gap model based on a 2-D orifice equation derived from Bernoulli’s obstruction theory is implemented in the present method to analyze the clearance effect between the blade tip and the shroud inner wall in a global sense. The reduction of the flow from losses in the orifice can be defined in terms of an empirically determined discharge coefficient (CQ) representing the relationship between the flow rate and the pressure difference across the gap because of the viscous effect in the tip gap region. The simulations of the rotor/stator interaction, the prediction of partial and super cavitation on the rotor blade and their effects on the hydrodynamic performance including the thrust/torque breakdown of a water-jet pump are presented. The predicted results, including the power coefficient (P*), head coefficient (H*), pump efficiency (η), thrust and torque coefficients (KT and KQ), as well as the cavity patterns are compared and validated against the experimental data from a series of on the ONR AxWJ-2 pump at NSWCCD. / text

A three dimensional viscous/inviscid interactive boundary layer method for predicting the effects of fluid viscosity on the performance of fully wetted propellers is presented. This method is developed by coupling a three dimensional low-order potential based panel method and a two dimensional integral boundary layer analysis method. To simplify the solution procedures, this method applies a reasonable assumption that the effects of the boundary layer along the span wise direction (radially outward for propeller blades) could be negligible compared with those along the stream wise direction (constant radius for propeller blades). One significant development of this method, compared with previous work, is to completely consider the effects of the added sources on the whole blades and wakes rather than evaluate the boundary layer effects along each strip, without interaction among strips. This method is applied to Propeller DTMB4119, Propeller NSRDC4381 and DTMB Duct II for validation. The results show good correlation with experimental measurements or RANS (ANSYS/FLUENT) results. The method is further used to develop a viscous image model for the cases of three dimensional wing blades between two parallel slip walls. An improved method for hydrofoils and propeller blades with non-zero thickness or open trailing edges is presented as well. The method in this thesis follows the idea of Pan (2009, 2011), but applies a new extension scheme, which uses second order polynomials to describe the extension edges. A improved simplified search scheme is also used to find the correct shape of the extension automatically to ensure the two conditions are satisfied. / text

A two-dimensional viscous-inviscid interactive boundary layer method is applied to three dimensional problems of flow around ducts and ducted propellers. The idea is to predict the effects of fluid viscosity on three dimensional geometries, like ducts, using a two-dimensional boundary layer solver to avoid solving the fully three dimensional boundary layer equations, assuming that the flow is two-dimensional on individual sections of the geometry. The viscous-inviscid interactive method couples a perturbation potential based inviscid panel method with a two-dimensional viscous boundary layer solver using the wall transpiration model. The boundary layer solver used in the study solves for the integral boundary layer characteristics given the edge velocity distribution on the geometry. The viscous-inviscid coupling is applied in a stripwise manner but by including the interaction e ffects from other strips. An important development in this thesis is the consideration of eff ects of other strips in a more rational and accurate manner, leading to improved results in the cases examined when compared to the results of a previous method. In particular, the effects of potentials due to other strips arising out of the three dimensional formulation are considered in this thesis. The validity of assuming two-dimensional flow along individual sections for application of viscous-inviscid coupling is investigated for the case of an open propeller by calculating the boundary layer characteristics in the direction normal to the assumed direction of two-dimensional flow from data obtained by RANS simulations. Also, a previous method which models the flow around the trailing edge of blunt hydrofoils has been improved and extended to three dimensional axisymmetric ducts. This method is applied to ducts with blunt and sharp trailing edges and to a ducted propeller. Correlations of results with experiments and simulations from RANS are shown. / text

Submersíveis em velocidade constante e pequenas cotas de submersão são aqui considerados e os efeitos da superfície livre no fluxo são levados em conta. O problema de geração de onda devido ao avanço de corpos submersos é abordado no presente estudo. Neste problema de contorno, as condições de superfície livre são linearizadas. A formulação diferencial é condicionada como um problema de integração através da aplicação da segunda identidade de Green. A discretização do problema conduz a um sistema linear no potencial de velocidades, que se supõe ser distribuído através de B-splines parabólicas nos painéis. A contribuição desta dissertação tem foco em propor diretrizes para a aplicação do método descrito em condições operacionais típicas de cascos de submarinos em movimento de avanço em cotas periscópicas de submersão. Os resultados numéricos obtidos através destes procedimentos são comparados a resultados publicados existentes para sua de validação. / Submersibles in constant ahead velocity at small submergences are here considered, the free surface effects on the flow are taken into account. The wave generating problem due to submerged bodies advance is addressed in the present study. In this boundary value problem, the free surface conditions are linearized. The differential problem is conditioned into an integral problem through the application of Green\'s second identity. The discretization of the problem leads to a linear system in the velocity potential, that is supposed to be distributed according to parabolic B-splines into the panels. The contribution of this dissertation focus on guidelines for the application of the above method on typical operational conditions of submarine vessels under ahead motion at snorkelling submergences. The numerical results obtained through these procedures are compared to existent published results with the aim of validation.

A capacidade de prever os movimentos de uma plataforma de petróleo sujeita a ondas é bastante importante no contexto da engenharia naval e oceânica, já que esses movimentos terão diversas implicações no projeto deste sistema, com impactos diretos nos custos de produção e tempo de retorno do investimento. Esse trabalho apresenta os fundamentos teóricos sobre o problema de comportamento no mar de corpos flutuantes sujeitos a ondas de gravidades e um método numérico para solução do problema 2D no domínio do tempo. A hipótese básica adotada é a de escoamento potencial, que permitiu a utilização do método de elementos de contorno para descrever a região fluida. Optou-se pela utilização de fontes de Rankine como função de Green no desenvolvimento do método, o qual será abordado somente no contexto linear do problema matemático, delimitado através de um procedimento combinado entre expansão de Stokes e série de Taylor. As simulações são realizadas no domínio do tempo sendo, portanto, resolvido o problema de valor inicial com relação às equações do movimento e equações que descrevem a superfície-livre combinadas com dois problemas de valor de contorno, um para o potencial de velocidades e outro para o potencial de aceleração do escoamento. As equações integrais de contorno permitem transformar o sistema de equações diferenciais parciais da superfície livre num sistema de equações diferenciais ordinárias, as quais são resolvidas através do método de Runge-Kutta de 4a. ordem. As equações integrais são tratadas de forma singularizada e o método utilizado para discretizar as mesmas é de ordem baixa tanto para a função potencial quanto para a aproximação geométrica, sendo as integrações necessárias realizadas numericamente através de quadratura Gauss-Legendre. O algoritmo numérico é testado e validado através de comparações com soluções analíticas, numéricas e experimentais presentes na literatura, considerando os problemas de geração de ondas, cálculo de massa adicional e amortecimento potencial através de ensaios de oscilação forçada, testes de decaimento e, por último, resposta em ondas. Os resultados obtiveram boa concordância com aqueles adotados como paradigma. / The ability to predict the seakeeping characteristics of an offshore structure (such as an oil platform) is very important in offshore engineering since these motions have important consequences regarding its design and therefore its cost and payback period. This work presents the theoretical and numerical aspects concerning the evaluation of the 2D seakeeping problem under the potential flow hypothesis, which allows the use a Boundary Elements Method to describe the fluid region with Rankine sources as Green function. The linearized version of the mathematical problem is built by a combined Stokes expansion and Taylor series procedure and solved in time domain. The initial value problem concerning the motion and free surface equations are solved combined to the boundary value problems considering the velocity and acceleration flow potentials, which transform the partial differential equations of the free surface into ordinary differential equations, that are solved using the 4th order Runge-Kutta method. The integral equations are solved in its singularized version using a low order method both for the potential function and the geometrical approximation, with the terms of the linear system evaluated using Gauss Legendre quadrature. The numerical scheme is tested and validated considering analytical, numerical and experimental results obtained in the literature, concerning wave generation, added mass and potential damping evaluation, decay tests and response to waves. The results achieved good agreement with respect to those used as paradigm.