Acoustic positioning of the NPS Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV II) during hover conditions , Kevin A. Torsiello.

Abstract : The ability to take position, in a dynamic environment, relative to a local stationary object, is vital to many planned missions for the Naval Postgraduate School's Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV II) project, such as bottom surveying and mine hunting. The AUV II can achieve this ability through the use of its sensors along with stem propulsion motors and tunnel thrusters. The sensors employed by the AUV II include a free directional gyro and independent self-sonar which provide acoustic positioning data without the aid of a transponder net. Described in this thesis are the details of the internal subsystems of the AUV II, and an examination of its positioning ability through the analysis of maneuvering experiments. Commanded motions of yaw, lateral and longitudinal positioning during hover conditions are studied. Autonomous underwater vehicle, Acoustic dynamic positioning, Marine vehicle dynamics, Proportional derivative control.