Identification of Underwater Vehicle Hydrodynamic Coefficients Using Model Tests

In recent years, unmanned vehicles have intensively been developed to reduce human dangers for marine applications. Predicting the hydrodynamic coefficients of an autonomous underwater vehicle is important during the vehicle’s design phase. In other words to design an AUV, one must clarify its maneuverability and controllability based on a mathematical model. The mathematical model contains various hydrodynamic forces and moments expressed collectively in terms of hydrodynamic coefficients. Therefore, the correct values of the coefficients must be known to precisely design the controller of AUVs. Despite of remarkable progress in numerical analysis in recent years, But the experimental methods test modes is still more reliable. No marine vehicle will be manufactured unless its model been tested clearly first. SUT-2 is an AUV, being developed by Marine Engineering Research Center Sharif University of Technology in Iran. Model test done into marine engineering laboratory towing tank. In this paper hydrodynamic coefficients calculated with model test of autonomous underwater vehicle and hydrodynamic forces analyzed. This coefficients are used for dynamic modeling and autonomous controller design.