The influence of thruster dynamics on underwater vehicle behaviorand their incorporation into control system design

A nonlinear parametric model of a torque-controlled thruster is developed and experimentally confirmed. The model shows that the thruster behaves like a sluggish nonlinear filter, where the speed of response depends on the commanded thrust level. A quasi-linear analysis which utilizes describing functions shows that the dynamics of the thruster produce a strong bandwidth constraint and a limit cycle, which are both commonly seen in practice. Three forms of compensation are tested, utilizing a hybrid simulation combining an instrumented thruster with a real-time mathematical vehicle model. The first compensator, a linear lead network, is easy to implement and greatly improves performance over the uncompensated system, but does not perform uniformly over the entire operating range. The second compensator, which attempts to cancel the nonlinear effect of the thruster, is effective over the entire operating range but depends on an accurate thruster model. The final compensator, an adaptive sliding controller, is effective over the entire operating range and can compensate for uncertainties or the degradation of the thruster     

Computational study on near wake interaction between undulation body and a D-section cylinder

We present a numerical study on the hydrodynamic performance of undulation NACA0012 foil in the near wake of D-section cylinder. Computations are conducted using unsteady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with a moving adaptive mesh based on laminar flow. Investigations are focused on the effect of distance ratio between foil tip and centre of cylinder (L/D≤2.0) on the thrust/drag performance of foil and cylinder at various foil undulation frequency (St). We found that, foil thrust coefficient (C_t) increases considerably with the appearance of cylinder and an optimal distance exists at which C_t reaches maxima. The maximum increment is about eleven times that of its counterpart of single foil, which is obtained at St=0.23 and L/D=0.5. Our results for the cylinder drag coefficient (C_d) observed the existence of optimal parametric map, combined with various gap ratios and foil frequencies. With these parameters, insertion of an undulation foil can significantly lead to the drag reduction indicating that undulating foil could work efficiently as a passive vortex control device for cylinder drag reduction.     

Toward an improved understanding of thruster dynamics forunderwater vehicles

This paper proposes a novel approach to modeling the four quadrant dynamic response of thrusters as used for the motion control of ROV and AUV underwater vehicles. The significance is that these vehicles are small in size and respond quickly to commands. Precision in motion control will require further understanding of thruster performance than is currently available. The model includes a four quadrant mapping of the propeller blades lift and drag forces and is coupled with motor and fluid system dynamics. A series of experiments is described for both long and short period triangular, as well as square wave inputs. The model is compared favorably with experimental data for a variety of differing conditions and predicts that force overshoots are observed under conditions of rapid command changes. Use of the model will improve the control of dynamic thrust on these vehicles     

The relationship between volatile halocarbons and phytoplankton pigments during a Trichodesmium bloom in the coastal eastern Arabian Sea

Eukaryotic phytoplankton such as diatoms and prymnesiophytes produce biogenic halocarbons in the ocean that serve as important sources of chlorine and bromine to the atmosphere, but the role of cyanobacteria in halocarbon production is not well established. We studied distributions of chloroform (CHCl₃), carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄), methylene bromide (CH₂Br₂) and bromoform (CHBr₃) in relation to phytoplankton composition, determined from pigment analysis complemented by microscopic examination, for one month in coastal waters of the eastern Arabian that experienced a Trichodesmium bloom that typically occurs during the Spring Intermonsoon season. High concentrations of zeaxanthin (23 μg l⁻¹), alpha beta betacarotene (6 μg l⁻¹) and chlorophyll a (67 μg l⁻¹) were found within the bloom whereas the marker pigment concentrations were low outside the bloom. CHCl₃ and CCl₄ occurred in relatively high concentrations in surface waters whereas CH₂Br₂ and CHBr₃ were restricted to the subsurface layer. Chlorinated halocarbons were positively inter-correlated and with CHBr₃. The observed spatial and temporal trends in brominated compounds appear to be related to the abundance of Trichodesmium although correlations between concentrations of brominated compounds with various marker pigments were poor and statistically non-significant. The results support the existence of multiple sources and sinks of halogenated compounds, which might obscure the relationship between halocarbons and phytoplankton composition.     

The optimum control of thruster system for dynamically positioned vessels

An offshore vessel with a dynamic positioning system (DP system) needs fast response to produce thrust to counteract the environmental forces acting on it for the purpose of maintaining its position and heading as close as possible to the working position. Therefore, quick and effective modulation of the thrust is the problem to determine the thrust and the rotation angle of the thruster devices of the ship. This paper presents an effective optimum control for a thruster system, using the sequential quadratic method to achieve economical and effective modulation of the thrust and the direction of the thruster. An optimum control study of a 2280 tons DP coring vessel with five rotary azimuth thruster marine positioning is studied in detail, which can quickly and exactly estimate the thrusts and angles of direction of all the thrusters. The results can provide a valuable thruster system for a dynamically positioned vessel.     

Forces on a pitching plate: An experimental and numerical study

A flat plate in pitching motion is considered as a fundamental source of locomotion in the general context of marine propulsion. The experimental as well as numerical investigation is carried out at a relatively small Reynold number of 2000 based on the plate length c and the inflow velocity U_∞. The plate oscillates sinusoidally in pitch about its 1/3 − c axis and the peak to peak amplitude of motion is 20°. The reduced frequency of oscillation k = πfc/U_∞ is considered as a key parameter and it may vary between 1 and 5. The underlying fluid-structure problem is numerically solved using a compact finite-differences Navier–Stokes solution procedure and the numerical solution is compared with Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements of the flow field around the pitching foil experimental device mounted in a water-channel. A good agreement is found between the numerical and experimental results and the threshold oscillation frequency beyond which the wake exhibits a reverse von Kármán street pattern is determined. Above threshold, the mean velocity in the wake exhibits jet-like profiles with velocity excess, which is generally considered as the footprint of thrust production. The forces exerted on the plate are extracted from the numerical simulation results and it is shown, that reliable predictions for possible thrust production can be inferred from a conventional experimental control volume analysis, only when besides the wake's mean flow the contributions from the velocity fluctuation and the pressure term are taken into account.     

Coupled dynamic analysis of deep-sea mining support vessel with dynamic positioning

Deep-sea mining (DSM) is an advanced concept. A simulation method of coupled vessel/riser/body system in DSM combined with dynamic positioning (DP) is proposed. Based on the three-dimensional potential flow theory, lumped mass method, and Morison’s equations the dynamic models of the production support vessel, riser and slurry pump are established. A proportion integration differentiation (PID) controller with a nonlinear observer and a thrust allocation unit are used to simulate the DP system. Coupled time domain simulation is implemented with the vessel operated in two DP modes. Results of the vessel and pump motions, riser tension, and thruster forces are obtained. It shows that the pump will be lifted by the riser when the vessel is chasing the next set point. Riser tension is influenced by the wave frequency motions of the vessel in positioning mode and low-frequency motions in tracking mode. The proposed simulation scheme is practical to study the DSM operation.     

Spatial spring distribution of the copepod Eurytemora affinis (Copepoda,Calanoida) in a restoring estuary,the Scheldt (Belgium)

The spatial spring distribution of Eurytemora affinis (adults and C5) in the Scheldt estuary (Belgium) brackish and freshwater reaches was studied in between 1996 and 2007. The bulk of the E. affinis population being generally situated in the brackish water reach (salinity > 0.5); we studied which environmental factors are responsible for its recent sporadic occurrence in the freshwater estuarine reach. Using PLS analysis, it is shown that its presence upstream is limited by a sufficient oxygen concentration (>4 mg l⁻¹) that is associated with temperature. Not only are the environmental conditions in the upstream zone important, but also the frequent presence of an O₂ minimum zone in the mid-estuary (O₂ min < 1.3 mg l⁻¹) seems to block the movement of the downstream E. affinis population in an upstream direction. Occasionally, the bulk of the population is however situated upstream. During these periods, high E. affinis abundance was also observed in the Durme tributary. Our findings suggest the possibility to use E. affinis as an “indicator” species of water quality, but also lead us to stress the necessity to consider conditions over the entire estuary when studying restoration effects, not exclusively in the zone of interest.     

How storm size matters for surge height

The observed trend of peak storm surge η_max increasing with storm size R_max, roughly as η_max ∞ R_max^0.22, particularly on gently sloping coasts, is discussed in relation to the simple 1D analytical solutions for forced long waves due to respectively surface pressure p_s and wind stress τ_w. At constant depth h, the τ_w-driven surge is proportional to storm size while the p_s-driven part is not. This could perhaps be seen to explain why the size-dependence is stronger on flatter slopes where the τ_w-driven surge dominates. However, this direct size dependence disappears in the sloping beach scenario if the typical depth is assumed proportional to storm size. The observed size dependence is then more likely due to a combination of two 2D effects: Firstly, the sideways radiation from a travelling surge which exceeds the “stationary height” Δ_p/ρg is relatively weaker for a wider system. Secondly, the wind stress field is a dipole, and the mutual cancellation of the two poles is weaker for larger systems.     

Robust control for an autonomous underwater vehicle that suppresses pitch and yaw coupling

Attitude control systems for autonomous underwater vehicles are often implemented with separate controllers for pitch motion in the vertical plane and yaw motion in the horizontal plane. We propose a novel time-varying model for a streamlined autonomous underwater vehicle that explicitly displays the coupling between yaw and pitch motion due to nonzero roll angle and/or roll rate. The model facilitates the use of a multi-input multi-output H_∞ control design that is robust to yaw-pitch coupling. The efficacy of our approach is demonstrated with field trials.     

Virtual damper–spring system for VIV experiments and hydrokinetic energy conversion

A device/system V_CK is built to replace the physical damper/springs of the VIVACE Converter with virtual elements. VIVACE harnesses hydrokinetic energy of currents by converting mechanical energy of cylinders in Vortex Induced Vibrations (VIV) into electricity. V_CK enables conducting high number of model tests rapidly as damping/springs are set by software rather than hardware. V_CK consists of a cylinder, a belt–pulley transmission, a motor/generator, and a controller. The controller provides a damper–spring force feedback using displacement/velocity measurements, thus introducing no artificial force–displacement phase lag, which biases energy conversion. Damping is nonlinear, particularly away from the system natural frequency, and affects modeling near the VIV synchronization ends. System identification (SI) in air reveals nonlinear viscous damping, static and dynamic friction. Hysteresis, occurring in the zero velocity limit, is modeled by a nonlinear dynamic damping model Linear Autoregression with Nonlinear Static model (LARNOS). SI performed in air is verified using monochromatic excitation in air and VIV tests in water using physical damper and springs. A resistor bank added to the device provides an integrated V_CK/Power Take-Off (PTO) system. VIV testing is performed in the Low Turbulence Free Surface Water Channel of the University of Michigan at 40,000<Re<120,000 and damping 0<ζ<0.16.     

Copper complexation by fulvic acid affects copper toxicity to the larvae of the polychaete Hydroides elegans

Copper toxicity is influenced by a variety of environmental factors including dissolved organic matter (DOM). We examined the complexation of copper by fulvic acid (FA), one of the major components of DOM, by measuring the decline in labile copper by anodic stripping voltammetrically (ASV). The data were described using a one-site ligand binding model, with a ligand concentration of 0.19 μmol site mg⁻¹ C, and a log K′ of 6.2. The model was used to predict labile copper concentration in a bioassay designed to quantify the extent to which Cu–FA complexation affected copper toxicity to the larvae of marine polychaete Hydroides elegans. The toxicity data, when expressed as labile copper concentration causing abnormal development, were independent of FA concentration and could be modeled as a logistic function, with a 48-h EC₅₀ of 58.9 μg l⁻¹. However, when the data were expressed as a function of total copper concentration, the toxicity was dependent on FA concentration, with a 48-h EC₅₀ ranging from 55.6 μg l⁻¹ in the no-FA control to 137.4 μg l⁻¹ in the 20 mg l⁻¹ FA treatment. Thus, FA was protective against copper toxicity to the larvae, and such an effect was caused by the reduction in labile copper due to Cu–FA complexation. Our results demonstrate the potential of ASV as a useful tool for predicting metal toxicity to the larvae in coastal environment where DOM plays an important role in complexing metal ions.     

用于近海海洋环境检测的轻型机器人

介绍一种新研制的用于近海海洋环境检测的轻型机器人,该机器人由智能检测控制台、水下检测器和控制电缆三部分构成;水下检测器由6个独立密封舱室和尾翼组成,具有一个主推进器和两个侧向推进器。特点是采用了潜艇式ROV结构,大幅降低了成本,适度增大了负载,可以满足一般工程检测的需要。通过在控制台上发出指令,可控制ROV完成前进、后退,上浮、下沉、左右转弯等动作;可以实现一定流速下的动力悬停,可以使ROV保持一定的倾角,以配合实现检测作业。该水下机器人可以检测腐蚀电位、温度、深度等最多16个参数,设计深度为40m。     

Vodyanitskii mud volcano,Sorokin trough,Black Sea: Geological characterization and quantification of gas bubble streams

Vodyanitskii mud volcano is located at a depth of about 2070 m in the Sorokin Trough, Black sea. It is a 500-m wide and 20-m high cone surrounded by a depression, which is typical of many mud volcanoes in the Black Sea. 75 kHz sidescan sonar show different generations of mud flows that include mud breccia, authigenic carbonates, and gas hydrates that were sampled by gravity coring. The fluids that flow through or erupt with the mud are enriched in chloride (up to ∼650 mmol L⁻¹ at ∼150-cm sediment depth) suggesting a deep source, which is similar to the fluids of the close-by Dvurechenskii mud volcano. Direct observation with the remotely operated vehicle Quest revealed gas bubbles emanating at two distinct sites at the crest of the mud volcano, which confirms earlier observations of bubble-induced hydroacoustic anomalies in echosounder records. The sediments at the main bubble emission site show a thermal anomaly with temperatures at ∼60 cm sediment depth that were 0.9 °C warmer than the bottom water. Chemical and isotopic analyses of the emanated gas revealed that it consisted primarily of methane (99.8%) and was of microbial origin (δD-CH₄ = −170.8‰ (SMOW), δ¹³C-CH₄ = −61.0‰ (V-PDB), δ¹³C-C₂H₆ = −44.0‰ (V-PDB)). The gas flux was estimated using the video observations of the ROV. Assuming that the flux is constant with time, about 0.9 ± 0.5 × 10⁶ mol of methane is released every year. This value is of the same order-of-magnitude as reported fluxes of dissolved methane released with pore water at other mud volcanoes. This suggests that bubble emanation is a significant pathway transporting methane from the sediments into the water column.     

Reliability analysis of H-infinity control for a container ship in way-point tracking

Efficient control of ships in a designed trajectory is always a significant charge for ship maneuverings. The purpose of this paper is to design a robust H_∞ controller and a reliability analysis for a container ship in a way-point tracking. First, the H_∞ controller is designed for a container ship because of model parameters’ uncertainties and external disturbances such as waves, winds and ocean currents. Then, to evaluate the reliability of the designed controller, a well-known reliability analysis technique is employed to achieve the predefined heading angle overshoot (that is less than 20%) in way-point tracking. To do this, three random variables including wind speed, wind direction and wave direction are considered as the inputs due to their significant effect on overshoot, compared to other variables. The results demonstrate the capability of the designed H_∞ controller against modeling uncertainties and external disturbances in way point tracking control.     

Accurate and practical thruster modeling for underwater vehicles

The thruster is the crucial factor of an underwater vehicle system, because it is the lowest layer in the control loop of the system. In this paper, we propose an accurate and practical thrust modeling for underwater vehicles which considers the effects of ambient flow velocity and angle. In this model, the axial flow velocity of the thruster, which is non-measurable, is represented by ambient flow velocity and propeller shaft velocity. Hence, contrary to previous models, the proposed model is practical since it uses only measurable states. Next, the whole thrust map is divided into three states according to the state of ambient flow and propeller shaft velocity, and one of the borders of the states is defined as critical advance ratio (CAR). This classification explains the physical phenomenon of conventional experimental thrust maps. In addition, the effect of the incoming angle of ambient flow is analyzed, and Critical Incoming Angle (CIA) is also defined to describe the thrust force states. The proposed model is evaluated by comparing experimental data with numerical model simulation data, and it accurately covers overall flow conditions within ±2 N force error. The comparison results show that the new model's matching performance is significantly better than conventional models'.     

The habitat of mesopelagic scyphomedusae in Monterey Bay,California

In the mesopelagic zone, at depths of 200–1000 m in the Monterey Submarine Canyon, CA, medusae in three genera of scyphozoa, Atolla, Periphylla and Poralia, were observed, videotaped and collected over a 9-year period (1990–1998). Environmental data were obtained simultaneously using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) with sensors for depth, temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen. Shipboard measurements of these same properties at two reference stations in the region defined the local water masses and helped identify species niches using the metric of spiciness and oxygen levels of the waters in which medusae were visually “captured”. The most abundant genus of mesopelagic scyphomedusae was Atolla, found associated most strongly with the spicy (warm, salty) waters of the California Undercurrent, usually above the core of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ; O₂>0.5 ml/l). The least abundant mesopelagic scyphomedusa was Periphylla, which occurred in more variable waters, including those with a greater contribution of fresher, colder (less spicy), subarctic water and, hence, most like those at the offshore California Current station in the most depleted oxygen zone (averaging O₂ <0.3 ml/l). Poralia was mostly confined to the densest, coldest water, with peak abundance at the lower boundary of the OMZ (i.e., 0.3< O₂<0.5 ml/l). These spiciness measures on local isopycnal surfaces within the mesopelagic zone, supported by data on dissolved oxygen concentrations, indicate highly significant but fine-scale habitat differences in species habitats in Central California waters. This in situ investigation appears to be one of only a few studies to document fine-scale, water mass affinities of mesopelagic zooplankton.