High-speed water tunnel test device for underwater vehicle with continuously variable attack angle

Abstract

The invention discloses an underwater vehicle high-speed water tunnel testing device with a continuously variable attack angle, and belongs to the field of hydrodynamic force testing. The device mainly comprises a supporting rod, a fan-shaped worm gear-worm mechanism, a sensor upper support, a six-dimensional force sensor and a flow guide cover. The supporting rod is fixed to the water tunnel cover plate, and the fan-shaped worm gear-worm mechanism is installed at the lower end of the supporting rod. The upper support of the sensor is connected with the worm gear and the six-dimensional force sensor; the whole mechanism is nested in an NACA wing-shaped flow guide cover, and an openable and closable adjusting window is arranged on the side of a cover body. The worm is rotated through the adjusting window, the worm gear can be driven and the model is driven to continuously change the attack angle, and the self-locking characteristic of the worm gear and the worm guarantees the angle stability. Continuous and accurate attack angle adjustment in the high-speed water tunnel without disassembly and assembly is achieved, the structure is compact, interference to a flow field is small, and the test efficiency and the data quality are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of hydrodynamic testing of underwater vehicles, and specifically relates to a high-speed water tunnel test device for underwater vehicles with continuously variable angle of attack. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of a maritime power, an increasing number of researchers are dedicated to the design of high-performance underwater vehicles. In emergency situations, underwater vehicles need to perform high angle-of-attack maneuvers to avoid risks. At different angles of attack, the hydrodynamic characteristics of the vehicle differ, thus affecting its maneuverability and stability. Researching the impact of angle of attack on the hydrodynamics of underwater vehicles is a prerequisite for their design and optimization, and is of great significance for improving their overall performance.

[0003] Currently, in research on the impact of angle of attack on the hydrodynamic performance of underwater vehicles, although numerical simulation is more convenient, test results based on experiments are more reliable, and experimental results can better verify the accuracy of numerical simulation.

[0004] However, most existing experimental studies considering the impact of angle of attack on the hydrodynamic performance of underwater vehicles are conducted in high-speed water tunnels. During these experiments, the vehicle needs to be fixed to the working section of the water tunnel using support rods, and the angle of attack is varied using connecting blocks at different inclination angles. Each time the angle of attack is changed, the support rods and the model must be disassembled and reassembled to replace the connecting blocks at the corresponding inclination angle. This traditional connection method requires frequent disassembly and reassembly of support components and sensors, significantly reducing work efficiency and affecting the consistency and accuracy of the experimental results.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to invent a variable angle of attack device that avoids frequent disassembly and assembly, thereby improving the ease of operation and stability of the testing device. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved: To overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a high-speed water tunnel testing device for underwater vehicles with continuously variable angle of attack. By rotating a worm gear to drive a sector-shaped worm wheel, the angle of attack can be continuously adjusted without disassembling the model or support system. The sector-shaped worm wheel saves space, and the worm gear and worm wheel have self-locking properties to ensure angle stability. This invention solves the problems of large space requirements for testing devices and frequent disassembly and reassembly of support components during high-speed water tunnel testing.

[0007] The technical solution of this invention is: a high-speed water tunnel test device for underwater vehicles with continuously variable angle of attack, comprising: Support rod 1, which is used to fix the entire test device to the water tunnel cover plate 2; A variable angle of attack drive mechanism is located at the lower end of the support rod 1 and is used to provide a continuous, stable and self-locking rotary drive force. The model connection and sensing assembly includes a sensor upper support 14 and a six-dimensional force sensor 7. One end of the sensor upper support 14 is fixedly connected to the output end of the variable angle of attack drive mechanism, and the other end is connected to the upper end of the six-dimensional force sensor 7. The lower end of the six-dimensional force sensor 7 is fixedly connected to the underwater vehicle model 6. The flow guide 3 is sleeved on the outside of the support rod 1 and the variable angle of attack drive mechanism, and the flow guide 3 has an adjustment window 4 on its shell; The variable angle of attack drive mechanism is configured to drive the model connection and sensing components and the underwater vehicle model 6 fixed thereto to rotate continuously around a horizontal axis by operating the input end exposed to the adjustment window 4, thereby realizing continuous and precise adjustment and maintenance of the angle of attack of the underwater vehicle model 6 without disassembling the support rod 1 and the fairing 3.

[0008] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the variable angle of attack drive mechanism is a sector worm gear-worm mechanism, including a worm 8 and a sector worm gear 9 that mesh with each other; The worm gear 8 is rotatably supported on the support rod 1, and one end of it extends to the adjustment window 4 of the flow guide 3 and is provided with an adjustment knob 17; The sector-shaped worm gear 9 is rotatably mounted on the support rod 1 via the worm gear shaft 11 and is fixedly connected to the upper support 14 of the sensor; its teeth only cover the sector-shaped area corresponding to the preset angle of attack adjustment range. A further technical solution of the present invention is: an angle scale line is provided on the toothless side surface of the fan-shaped worm gear 9; a pointer 13 pointing to the scale line is fixedly installed on the support rod 1, and the pointer 13 is aligned with the zero position of the scale line to directly indicate the real-time angle of attack of the underwater vehicle model 6.

[0009] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the outer contour of the air deflector 3 adopts a NACA airfoil, and an installation hole matching the shape of the support rod 1 is opened inside the maximum thickness of the air deflector 3, and the support rod 1 is nested in the installation hole.

[0010] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the outline of the adjustment window 4 is consistent with the partial shape of the air guide 3, and it is installed on the housing of the air guide 3 by means of a detachable connection. After opening the adjustment window 4, the adjustment knob 17 can be operated.

[0011] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the upper support 14 of the sensor includes a circular support and a support arm extending from one side of the circular support; The end of the support arm is fixedly connected to the toothless side of the sector worm gear 9 by a shoulder screw, and the support arm is widened near the circular support to enhance its bending stiffness along the direction of force. The circular support is connected to the upper end of the six-dimensional force sensor 7 by screws.

[0012] A further technical solution of the present invention is: a sensor mounting slot is provided in the middle of the underwater vehicle model 6, and the six-dimensional force sensor 7 is housed in the mounting slot and fixed by screws; A conformal cover plate 5 is provided at the opening of the sensor mounting slot, and a rectangular hole is provided on the conformal cover plate 5 to allow the support arm of the upper support 14 of the sensor to pass through. A further technical solution of the present invention is: the lower end of the support rod 1 is a square hollow column structure, and two pairs of bearing holes for installing the bearings of the worm gear shaft 11 and the worm 8 are provided on it, and screw holes for fixing the bearing cover are evenly distributed around each bearing hole.

[0013] A further technical solution of the present invention is: the worm 8 is supported on the support rod 1 by a bearing and is axially fixed by the worm bearing cover 16; the extended end of the worm 8 is connected to the adjustment knob 17 by a cotter pin 18 to transmit rotational torque.

[0014] A method for continuous variable angle of attack in high-speed water tunnel testing of an underwater vehicle includes the following steps: S1. The support measurement system, which includes a sector worm gear-worm mechanism, a six-dimensional force sensor 7 and a sensor support 14, is fixedly installed on the cover plate 2 of the high-speed water tunnel by a support rod 1, and the support measurement system is completely wrapped by a flow guide 3. The flow guide 3 is provided with an adjustable window 4 that can be opened and closed. S2. Fix the underwater vehicle model 6 to the lower end of the six-dimensional force sensor 7, and connect it to the output end of the sector worm gear-worm mechanism through the upper support 14 of the sensor, so that the initial angle of attack of the model is zero. S3. Under the cover of the fairing 3, the input end of the sector worm gear-worm mechanism is operated through the adjustment window 4 to drive the sensor support 14 and the underwater vehicle model 6 fixed thereto to rotate continuously around a horizontal axis until the target angle of attack is reached. The sector worm gear-worm mechanism achieves self-locking after adjustment, keeping the model at the target angle of attack. S4. Under high-speed water flow conditions, the hydrodynamic data of the underwater vehicle model 6 at the target angle of attack are measured by the six-dimensional force sensor 7; then, step S3 is repeated, and the target angle of attack is continuously changed without disassembling the support measurement system and the fairing 3, and step S4 is repeated until the test of all preset angle of attack sequences is completed.

[0015] Beneficial effects The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By using the sector-shaped worm gear-worm mechanism of this invention to fix the underwater vehicle model in the water tunnel, the complexity of the variable angle of attack device structure is greatly reduced, making the structure more compact and reducing the space occupied by the variable angle of attack device. Based on the characteristics of large transmission ratio and self-locking, combined with the advantages of continuous sliding contact, the angle of attack of the underwater vehicle model can be accurately and stably adjusted continuously during the test, avoiding the extra workload caused by repeated disassembly and assembly of the support system, improving test efficiency, and reducing structural mechanical wear and sensor accuracy degradation caused by repeated disassembly and assembly, thus reducing the error of the test system. Specific effects are analyzed as follows: 1. This invention achieves continuous, stepless adjustment of the angle of attack of an underwater vehicle model through a sector-shaped worm gear-worm mechanism. The worm gear pair itself has the characteristics of large transmission ratio, smooth movement, and reverse self-locking. The large transmission ratio enables fine-tuning and precise positioning of the angle of attack; the self-locking characteristic ensures that the model can stably maintain the set angle of attack under the impact of high-speed water flow, without the need for additional locking devices. This simplifies the structure and ensures the constancy of the angle of attack parameters during the experiment, providing a fundamental guarantee for obtaining accurate hydrodynamic data.

[0016] 2. By nesting the support system inside the flow guide, this invention reduces the instability of the support structure caused by water flow impact and its influence on the flow field, thereby reducing experimental risks and improving experimental accuracy.

[0017] 3. This invention employs a compact layout and rigid connections from the support rod, worm gear bearing housing, to the sensor upper support, forming a high-rigidity force transmission chain. This structure effectively suppresses harmful vibrations caused by high-speed water flow, ensuring accurate transmission of hydrodynamic loads to the six-dimensional force sensor, and improving the system's measurement signal-to-noise ratio and stability in dynamic flow fields. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a front view of the continuously variable angle of attack device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 These are cross-sectional views and partial enlarged views of the continuously variable angle of attack device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 These are stepped cross-sectional views and partially enlarged views of the continuously variable angle of attack device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a view of the sector worm gear-worm mechanism of the continuously variable angle of attack device in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is an isometric view of the continuously variable angle of attack device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Support rod, 2. Water tunnel cover, 3. Flow deflector, 4. Adjustment window, 5. Conformal cover, 6. Underwater vehicle model, 7. Six-dimensional force sensor, 8. Worm, 9. Sector worm gear, 10. Worm gear shaft bearing cover, 11. Worm gear shaft, 12. Bearing, 13. Pointer, 14. Upper support of sensor, 15. Bolt, 16. Worm gear bearing cover, 17. Adjustment knob, 18. Cotter pin. Detailed Implementation The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

[0020] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0021] While some adjustable-angle testing devices exist in the existing technology, none are suitable for the unique and harsh testing environment of high-speed water tunnels. For example: Utility model patent CN205861323U discloses an angle-of-attack adjustment device for towing tests, which fixes the angle by manually screwing in screws. This method is a step-by-step adjustment, which cannot achieve continuous stepless change of the angle of attack. Moreover, the adjustment still requires manual operation, resulting in limited accuracy and efficiency. Furthermore, its structural design does not consider the fluid-structure interaction and drag reduction requirements in high-speed water tunnels.

[0022] The invention patent application with publication number CN105136425A provides a non-steady force measuring mechanism for a towed water tank, which uses a worm gear to drive the model rotation. However, its application scenario is a towed water tank, and its structure lacks a flow guide design, making it unable to cope with the strong water flow impact and turbulence in high-speed water tunnels. Furthermore, it does not consider a convenient and sealed adjustment method during the test.

[0023] The invention patent application with publication number CN112985760A, although designed for water tunnel testing and achieving multi-degree-of-freedom adjustment, has a complex structure and focuses on the combined motion control of yaw, pitch, and roll. For experiments that only need to systematically study the influence of a single variable such as angle of attack (pitch), this device has problems such as structural redundancy, complex stiffness distribution, and potential additional interference to high-speed flow fields.

[0024] Therefore, for high-speed water tunnel testing environments, there is an urgent need to develop a dedicated testing device that can achieve continuous, precise, and stable adjustment of the angle of attack without disassembling the test model and support system, while effectively shielding against water flow interference, in order to improve testing efficiency, data quality, and operational safety.

[0025] Based on the above analysis, this invention proposes a high-speed water tunnel testing device for underwater vehicles with continuously variable angle of attack, comprising: Support rod 1, which is used to fix the entire test device to the water tunnel cover plate 2; A variable angle of attack drive mechanism is located at the lower end of the support rod 1 and is used to provide a continuous, stable and self-locking rotary drive force. The model connection and sensing assembly includes a sensor upper support 14 and a six-dimensional force sensor 7. One end of the sensor upper support 14 is fixedly connected to the output end of the variable angle of attack drive mechanism, and the other end is connected to the upper end of the six-dimensional force sensor 7. The lower end of the six-dimensional force sensor 7 is fixedly connected to the underwater vehicle model 6. The flow guide 3 is sleeved on the outside of the support rod 1 and the variable angle of attack drive mechanism, and the flow guide 3 has an adjustment window 4 on its shell; The variable angle of attack drive mechanism is configured to drive the model connection and sensing components and the underwater vehicle model 6 fixed thereto to rotate continuously around a horizontal axis by operating the input end exposed to the adjustment window 4, thereby realizing continuous and precise adjustment and maintenance of the angle of attack of the underwater vehicle model 6 without disassembling the support rod 1 and the fairing 3.

[0026] This invention also proposes a method for continuous variable angle of attack in high-speed water tunnel testing of underwater vehicles, comprising the following steps: S1. The support measurement system, which includes a sector worm gear-worm mechanism, a six-dimensional force sensor 7 and a sensor support 14, is fixedly installed on the cover plate 2 of the high-speed water tunnel by a support rod 1, and the support measurement system is completely wrapped by a flow guide 3. The flow guide 3 is provided with an adjustable window 4 that can be opened and closed. S2. Fix the underwater vehicle model 6 to the lower end of the six-dimensional force sensor 7, and connect it to the output end of the sector worm gear-worm mechanism through the upper support 14 of the sensor, so that the initial angle of attack of the model is zero. S3. Under the cover of the fairing 3, the input end of the sector worm gear-worm mechanism is operated through the adjustment window 4 to drive the sensor support 14 and the underwater vehicle model 6 fixed thereto to rotate continuously around a horizontal axis until the target angle of attack is reached. The sector worm gear-worm mechanism achieves self-locking after adjustment, keeping the model at the target angle of attack. S4. Under high-speed water flow conditions, the hydrodynamic data of the underwater vehicle model 6 at the target angle of attack are measured by the six-dimensional force sensor 7; then, step S3 is repeated, and the target angle of attack is continuously changed without disassembling the support measurement system and the fairing 3, and step S4 is repeated until the test of all preset angle of attack sequences is completed.

[0027] This invention provides a highly efficient, precise, and reliable continuous angle-of-attack testing solution specifically designed for high-speed water tunnel environments. It not only frees researchers from repetitive and arduous manual labor and tedious operations, but also significantly improves the quality and research value of hydrodynamic test data by ensuring consistent test conditions and reducing flow field interference. The device is ingeniously structured and highly practical, providing an indispensable advanced testing method for studying the high angle-of-attack maneuvering characteristics of underwater vehicles, validating hydrodynamic models, and optimizing performance. It has significant engineering application and promotional value.

[0028] The above technical solution will be further analyzed below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments: In one embodiment, refer to Figures 1-5 As shown, a high-speed water tunnel test device for underwater vehicles with continuously variable angle of attack has the core design objective of achieving continuous, precise, and stable adjustment of the angle of attack of an underwater vehicle model within the extremely limited space inside a high-speed water tunnel, without disassembling or assembling any major components throughout the process, in order to ensure test efficiency, data consistency, and flow field quality.

[0029] 1. Overall structure and installation status: The entire device extends from top to bottom through the water tunnel cover plate 2 and into the water tunnel test section. Its main body can be considered as an integrated system of inner and outer layers: The inner rigid support measurement system includes a support rod 1, which serves as the core load-bearing and transmission skeleton; a sector worm gear-worm mechanism that enables precise drive and self-locking; a sensor upper support 14 responsible for force transmission and measurement; and a six-dimensional force sensor 7.

[0030] Outer streamlined protection system: namely, the fairing 3 with an outer contour of NACA airfoil, which completely encloses the inner system and interacts with the outside only through an openable and closable adjustment window 4.

[0031] The device is primarily fixed by an interference fit between the upper end of the support rod 1 and the water tunnel cover plate 2, while the flow guide 3 is fixed to the cover plate 2 by bolts 15. The underwater vehicle model 6 is rigidly connected to the lower end of the six-dimensional force sensor 7 through an internal mounting slot, thus suspending it below the entire device.

[0032] 2. Specific structure and function of key components: The support rod 1 is a hollow shaft at the upper and middle ends and a square hollow column at the lower end. It is the main support component of the entire device. The upper end of the support rod is installed on the water tunnel cover plate 2 with an interference fit. The upper end of the support rod has an outer cylindrical plane for circumferential fixation on the water tunnel cover plate 2. The bearing holes at the lower end of the support rod 1 are respectively fitted with the bearings on the worm gear shaft 11 and the worm 8, and assembled together. At the same time, the worm gear shaft 11 and the worm 8 are axially fixed by the worm gear shaft bearing cover 10 and the worm 8 bearing cover 16. The pointer 13 is fixed to the support rod 1 with screws along with the worm gear shaft bearing cover 10. The angle of attack data is read by observing the scale on the sector turbine 9 and the pointer 13. The pointer 13 is an auxiliary component for changing the angle of attack of the vehicle. It is fixed to the support rod 1 with screws. The pointer 13 is aligned with the 0 mark on the sector turbine 9. When the angle knob on the worm 8 is rotated, the angle between the pointer and the 0 mark is the angle of attack.

[0033] The sector worm gear 9 has a sector-shaped structure, with the worm gear teeth meshing with the worm 8. It is positioned by the shaft shoulder, and the worm gear bearing cover 10 fixes the sector worm gear 9 on the worm gear shaft 11 by the clamping force transmitted along the bearing 12 and the bushing, allowing it to rotate around the shaft.

[0034] Specifically, to minimize the space occupied by the worm gear, only the fan-shaped structure within the aircraft's angle of attack testing range (-20° to +20°) is retained, i.e., the fan-shaped worm gear. The fan-shaped worm gear 9 has a central hole for assembly with the worm gear shaft 11, and a screw hole on the toothless side for connection to the sensor's upper support 14. The toothless side of the fan-shaped worm gear also has graduations to facilitate adjustment of the aircraft's angle of attack.

[0035] The worm gear shaft 11 has shoulders on both sides and in the middle. One shoulder is directly pressed against the inner ring of the bearing for positioning. The bushing presses the sector worm wheel 9 and the middle shoulder of the worm gear shaft 11 together, and the bushing presses against the inner ring of the other bearing for axial positioning of the worm gear shaft 11. The other shoulder has a chamfer to assist in the assembly of the sector worm wheel, but is not used for positioning.

[0036] The worm 8 is pressed against the bearing by the worm bearing cover 16 and the bearing, and is fixed to the support rod 1, forming a cross axis with the sector worm wheel 9. One side of the worm shaft 11 extends from the bearing cover, and the adjustment knob 17 is fixed to it by the cotter pin 18 to realize angle adjustment.

[0037] The upper support 14 of the sensor consists of a circular support and a support arm 1. The support arm is fixedly connected by a shoulder screw and a sector worm gear 9. The area near the circular support is widened to improve the strength of the structure along the direction of force. The circular support is connected to the upper end of the six-dimensional force sensor 7 by screws, while the lower end of the six-dimensional force sensor 7 is fixed inside the aircraft model 6 by screws.

[0038] The six-dimensional force sensor 7 is fixed to the bottom of the underwater vehicle model 6 with screws, and is protected by a conformal cover plate 5, which is fixed to the underwater vehicle model 6 with screws.

[0039] The external profile of the fairing 3 adopts a NACA airfoil design. The thickest part of the fairing 3 has cylindrical and square holes. The support rod 1 is nested within the fairing 3 to prevent the support system from being impacted by the water flow. The fairing 3 has bolt holes for fixing it to the water tunnel cover plate 2. An adjustment window 4 is located on one side of the fairing 3. The profile of the adjustment window 4 is consistent with that of the fairing 3. The adjustment window 4 is installed on the fairing 3 with screws. After opening the adjustment window 4, the knob on the worm gear 8 can be rotated to continuously adjust the angle of attack without disassembling the entire support rod system.

[0040] The underwater vehicle model 6 features a six-dimensional force sensor mounting slot in its center. The slot is deep enough to accommodate the entire sensor. The bottom of the slot is horizontal and has evenly distributed screw holes, which secure the sensor inside the model. The sensor mounting slot is also equipped with a conformal cover plate 5, which has rectangular holes that allow the support arm of the sensor's upper support 14 to extend and connect with the worm gear. The cover plate is fixed to the model with screws.

[0041] Finally, the fairing 3 is fixed to the water tunnel cover plate 2 with bolts 15. The fairing greatly reduces the impact of the water flow on the support system, ensuring the accuracy of the test and the influence on the flow field. The fairing 3 is equipped with an adjustment window 4, which is connected to the water tunnel cover plate 2 with screws. When it is necessary to adjust the angle of attack of the underwater vehicle, the adjustment window 4 is opened and the adjustment knob 17 is rotated to change the angle of attack.

[0042] Work process: During initial installation, the pointer 13 is adjusted to align with the 0 mark. At this time, the underwater vehicle model 6 is in a zero angle of attack state, and the adjustment window 4 of the fairing 3 is closed.

[0043] When a variable angle of attack test is required, the operating procedure is as follows: 1. Open the adjustment window: Pause the water tunnel operation (or when the water flow is still), unscrew the screw, and open the adjustment window 4 on the guide shield 3.

[0044] 2. Continuous Adjustment of Angle of Attack: Adjust the knob 17 manually clockwise or counterclockwise via the adjustment window 4. The knob rotates the worm gear 8, which in turn drives the sector wheel 9 to rotate around the worm wheel shaft 11. The sector wheel 9, through the sensor support 14 and the six-dimensional force sensor 7, ultimately drives the underwater vehicle model 6 to rotate continuously and smoothly around the same axis. By observing the relative position of the pointer 13 and the scale, the operator can precisely adjust the model to the target angle of attack (e.g., +5°, -10°, etc.).

[0045] When the adjustment knob 17 is turned counterclockwise, the worm 8 is driven to rotate in the opposite direction through the transmission of the cotter pin. The worm 8 drives the fan-shaped worm wheel 9 to rotate in the opposite direction. The fan-shaped worm wheel drives the upper support 14 of the sensor, the six-dimensional force sensor 7 and the underwater vehicle model 6 to rotate around the worm wheel shaft 11 in sequence. At this time, the angle between the pointer 13 and the scale on the fan-shaped turbine 9 is the negative angle of attack.

[0046] 3. Self-locking and Testing: Due to the inherent reverse self-locking characteristic of the worm gear mechanism, once the knob is stopped, the model angle is firmly locked at the current angle of attack without any additional mechanical locking. Then, close adjustment window 4 and start the high-speed water tunnel to perform stable hydrodynamic measurements at that angle of attack.

[0047] 4. Continuous Iterative Testing: After completing the test at one angle of attack, repeat steps 1-3 to quickly and continuously adjust the model to the next target angle of attack without loosening or disassembling any major components such as support rods, sensors, models, or fairings.

[0048] As can be seen from the above specific implementation method, this embodiment successfully transforms a complex engineering problem—conducting high-precision variable angle of attack tests in a high-speed, confined, and interference-sensitive water tunnel environment—into a compact, easy-to-operate, and reliable physical device. It resolves the conflict between space constraints and continuous adjustment through a "fan-shaped worm gear drive," the conflict between operational convenience and flow field protection through a "built-in fairing and an adjustable window," and the conflict between repeated disassembly and data consistency through an "integrated rigid structure and self-locking mechanism." Ultimately, this device achieves high-efficiency, high-precision, and high-reliability continuous variable angle of attack testing, providing an advanced testing method for the hydrodynamic research of underwater vehicles.

[0049] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-speed water tunnel testing device for an underwater vehicle with continuously variable angle of attack, characterized in that, include: Support rod (1), which is used to fix the entire test device to the water tunnel cover plate (2). A variable angle of attack drive mechanism is located at the lower end of the support rod (1) to provide a continuous, stable and self-locking rotational drive force; The model connection and sensing component includes a sensor upper support (14) and a six-dimensional force sensor (7). One end of the sensor upper support (14) is fixedly connected to the output end of the variable angle of attack drive mechanism, and the other end is connected to the upper end of the six-dimensional force sensor (7). The lower end of the six-dimensional force sensor (7) is fixedly connected to the underwater vehicle model (6). The fairing (3) is sleeved on the outside of the support rod (1) and the variable angle of attack drive mechanism. An adjustment window (4) is provided on the shell of the fairing (3). The variable angle of attack drive mechanism is configured to drive the model connection and sensing components and the underwater vehicle model (6) fixed thereto to rotate continuously around a horizontal axis by operating the input end exposed to the adjustment window (4), thereby realizing the continuous and precise adjustment and maintenance of the angle of attack of the underwater vehicle model (6) without disassembling the support rod (1) and the fairing (3).

2. The high-speed water tunnel test device for a continuously variable angle-of-attack underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The variable angle of attack drive mechanism is a sector worm gear-worm mechanism, including a worm (8) and a sector worm gear (9) that mesh with each other. The worm gear (8) is rotatably supported on the support rod (1), and one end of it extends to the adjustment window (4) of the guide fairing (3) and is provided with an adjustment knob (17). The sector worm gear (9) is rotatably mounted on the support rod (1) via the worm gear shaft (11) and is fixedly connected to the upper support (14) of the sensor; Its teeth only cover the fan-shaped area corresponding to the preset angle of attack adjustment range.

3. The high-speed water tunnel test device for a continuously variable angle-of-attack underwater vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: An angle scale line is provided on the toothless side surface of the fan-shaped worm gear (9); a pointer (13) pointing to the scale line is fixedly installed on the support rod (1), and the pointer (13) is aligned with the zero position of the scale line to directly indicate the real-time angle of attack of the underwater vehicle model (6).

4. The high-speed water tunnel test device for a continuously variable angle-of-attack underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer contour of the fairing (3) adopts the NACA airfoil, and an installation hole matching the shape of the support rod (1) is opened inside at its maximum thickness. The support rod (1) is nested in the installation hole.

5. The high-speed water tunnel test apparatus for a continuously variable angle-of-attack underwater vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outline of the adjustment window (4) is consistent with the partial shape of the fairing (3), and it is installed on the housing of the fairing (3) by means of a detachable connection. After opening the adjustment window (4), the adjustment knob (17) can be operated.

6. The high-speed water tunnel test apparatus for a continuously variable angle-of-attack underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensor upper support (14) includes a circular support and a support arm extending from one side of the circular support; The end of the support arm is fixedly connected to the toothless side of the fan-shaped worm gear (9) by a shoulder screw, and the support arm is widened near the circular support to enhance its bending stiffness along the force direction. The circular support is connected to the upper end of the six-dimensional force sensor (7) by screws.

7. The high-speed water tunnel test apparatus for a continuously variable angle-of-attack underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The underwater vehicle model (6) has a sensor mounting slot in the middle, and the six-dimensional force sensor (7) is housed in the mounting slot and fixed with screws. A conformal cover plate (5) is provided at the opening of the sensor mounting slot, and a rectangular hole is provided on the conformal cover plate (5) to allow the support arm of the upper support (14) of the sensor to pass through.

8. The high-speed water tunnel test apparatus for a continuously variable angle-of-attack underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the support rod (1) is a square hollow column structure, with two pairs of bearing holes for installing the bearings of the worm gear shaft (11) and the worm (8). Each bearing hole is surrounded by screw holes for fixing the bearing cover.

9. The high-speed water tunnel test apparatus for a continuously variable angle-of-attack underwater vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that: The worm (8) is supported on the support rod (1) by a bearing and is axially fixed by the worm bearing cover (16); the extended end of the worm (8) is connected to the adjustment knob (17) by a cotter pin (18) to transmit rotational torque.

10. A method for continuous variable angle of attack in high-speed water tunnel testing of an underwater vehicle, implemented based on the apparatus described in any one of claims 1-9; characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. The support measurement system, which includes a fan-shaped worm gear-worm mechanism, a six-dimensional force sensor (7) and a sensor support (14), is fixedly installed on the cover plate (2) of the high-speed water tunnel by a support rod (1), and the support measurement system is completely wrapped by a flow guide (3). The flow guide (3) is provided with an adjustable window (4) that can be opened and closed. S2. Fix the underwater vehicle model (6) to the lower end of the six-dimensional force sensor (7), and connect it to the output end of the sector worm gear-worm mechanism through the upper support (14) of the sensor, so that the initial angle of attack of the model is zero; S3. Under the cover of the fairing (3), the input end of the fan-shaped worm gear-worm mechanism is operated through the adjustment window (4) to drive the sensor support (14) and the underwater vehicle model (6) fixed thereto to rotate continuously around a horizontal axis until the target angle of attack is reached. The fan-shaped worm gear-worm mechanism achieves self-locking after adjustment, keeping the model at the target angle of attack. S4. Under high-speed water flow conditions, the hydrodynamic data of the underwater vehicle model (6) at the target angle of attack is measured by a six-dimensional force sensor (7); then, step S3 is repeated, and the target angle of attack is continuously changed without disassembling the support measurement system and the fairing (3), and step S4 is repeated until the test of all preset angle of attack sequences is completed.

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