Releasable Forward Section for Underwater Vehicle Drag Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Underwater vehicles face limited operational time due to high drag forces, which consume a significant portion of the thrust generated, leading to reduced fuel efficiency and shorter operational durations.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a releasable forward section with a hinge and drag fin system that allows the second section to pivot and detach from the first section, reducing overall length and drag forces, thereby extending operational time by reallocating thrust energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If the underwater vehicle maintains a fixed full-length structure, then structural stability is maintained, but drag forces increase and operational time is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The underwater vehicle is divided into a first section (aft section) and a second section (forward section) that can be detachably coupled together via a hinge and lock mechanism. This segmentation allows the vehicle to operate in different configurations: with both sections coupled for stable operation, and with only the first section operating after the second section is jettisoned, thereby reducing drag forces and extending operational time.
2Duration of action of moving object
If thrust is used to overcome drag forces, then the vehicle can maintain position and speed, but fuel is consumed rapidly limiting operational duration
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle changes its physical parameter (length) by jettisoning the second section when fuel is depleted. This parameter change from a two-section coupled configuration to a single-section configuration reduces the wetted surface area and drag coefficient, allowing the remaining fuel to propel the vehicle for an extended period, effectively changing the energy consumption profile from high-drag to reduced-drag operation.
3Ease of operation
If a drag fin is extended to create drag force, then the second section can pivot away from the first section, but the coupling mechanism must be reliably released
Solution Approach 1:
The drag fin, which normally creates harmful drag forces, is intentionally extended to create beneficial drag force that aids in the separation process. As the drag fin extends, it creates drag that causes the second section to pivot away from the first section about the hinge, reliably breaking the coupling and ensuring clean separation of the sections.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively reduces drag forces by releasing the forward section, allowing the remaining fuel to power the vehicle for a longer period, enhancing operational efficiency and potentially increasing speed.
Implementation Method 1
move the drag fin to an extended position away from the second section to create a drag force on the second section as the underwater vehicle travels through a fluid medium
Data Source
AI summary
An example underwater vehicle includes a first section detachably coupled to a second section that is positioned forward of the first section, and a hinge detachably coupling the first section to the second section, where the hinge creates a pivot between the first section and the second section. The underwater vehicle includes a lock having a locked position and an unlocked position, where, in the locked position, the lock couples the first section and the second section together, and where, in the unlocked position, the second section is capable of decoupling from the first section. The underwater vehicle also includes a drag fin associated with the second section that is movable to an extended position away from the second section to create a drag force which causes the second section to pivot about the hinge, away from the first section, when the underwater vehicle is traveling through a fluid medium.