The safety of underwater operation depends on the accuracy of its speed logs which depends on the location of its probe and the calibration thoroughness. Thus, probes are placed in areas where the flow of water is smooth, continuous, without high velocity gradients, air bubbles, or vortical structures. In the present work, the flow around two different submarines is numerically described in deep-water and near-surface conditions to identify hull zones where probes could be installed. First, the numerical setup of a multiphase solver supplied with OpenFOAM v7 was verified and validated using the DARPA SUBOFF-5470 submarine at scaled model including the hull and sail configuration at H/D=5.4 and Fr=0.466. Later, the grid sensitivity of the resistance was assessed for the full-scale Type 209/1300 submarine at H/D=0.347 and Fr=0.194. Free-surface effect on resistance and flow characteristics was evaluated by comparing different operational conditions. Results shows that the bow and near free-surface regions should be avoided due to high flow velocity gradient, pressure fluctuations, and large turbulent vortical structures. Moreover, free-surface effect is stronger close to the bow nose. In conclusion, the probe could be installed in the acceleration region where the local flow velocity is 15% higher than the navigation speed at surface condition. A 4% correction factor should be applied to the probe readings to compensate free-surface effect.
An important parameter to submarine navigation and control is determining the hull speed relative to the surrounding sea. The object of this paper is to find possible locations for speed sensors on a submarine. The probes should be fitted to the hull areas where the water flow is free of turbulence structures, vortices, or bubble formation to obtain a reliable measurement. In this work, a rational procedure is proposed to identify the probe installation site on the hull of the DARPA SUBOFF-5470 submarine, through numerical simulations using OpenFOAM. Three different depth conditions at three different navigation speeds were considered to assess the free-surface effect. First, verification and validation procedures were completed at deep water conditions (H/D = 5.4). The results of this analysis indicate a convergence ratio of 0.49 with an uncertainty of 0.04%SC. Later, a grid convergence analysis was completed at periscope depth conditions (H/D = 1.1), within the highly nonlinear Froude range. These results show an oscillatory convergence with an uncertainty of 0.78%. Finally, the hull region between 5 and 15% from the bow of the submarine length is recommended for installing the speed probe, considering the linearity of the flow, without high gradients and vortex structures.
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