Study on the Performance of Anti-Collision Sandwich Structure for Underwater Vehicles

Underwater unmanned vehicles (UUVs) predominantly operate in deep-sea environments characterized by complex terrains, which increases the risk of collision accidents and consequent significant losses. Enhancing UUV impact protection is therefore crucial. Traditional protective shells for UUVs rely on large-scale plastic deformation of structures to absorb impact energy, but these conventional designs often fall short in meeting impact resistance requirements. This paper introduces an innovative sandwich structure, the annular cylindrical shell chain (ACSC), designed to offer improved anti-impact performance for UUVs. The mechanical response of the ACSC under impact loading is studied, focusing on impact force and stress distribution. By employing an equal-mass design approach, the ACSC cells were arranged at varying angles, with the equal-mass homogeneous cirque serving as a control. This methodology facilitated the identification of the most effective ACSC configuration. Findings reveal that the ACSC configuration with a constant relative density and cells oriented at a 5° angle demonstrates superior impact buffering capabilities. This research contributes valuable insights to the development of new energy-diverting protective structures in the realm of UUV impact protection.