Hydrodynamic Analysis of AUV Hulls Using Semi-empirical and CFD Approach

The prediction of hydrodynamic performance of AUV is essential during the early stages of design for the efficient modeling of the AUV. This paper discusses the use of semi-empirical equations developed for airship hulls by various researchers in the field of aerodynamics, on the axisymmetric AUV bare hull at different angles of attack. Three hulls of varying length-to-diameter (L/D) ratios are selected for the study. The results obtained from the semi-empirical equations are compared with the available experimental results and also with the results obtained from the numerical analysis carried out using the CFD code – STAR CCM+.