Dynamic Analysis of Flexible Supercavitating Vehicles Using Modal-Based Elements

This article presents a numerical model for the simulation of the flight mechanics behavior of flexible supercavitating vehicles. Supercavitating vehicles exploit supercavitation as a means to reduce drag and increase underwater speed. In the proposed formulation, the vehicle’s rigid body motion is described by six degrees of freedom, which define pitch, yaw, and roll motion and the displacement of the center of gravity with respect to an inertial reference system. The developed numerical model predicts the dynamic response of the vehicles resulting from perturbation of the control surfaces and assigned maneuvers. The results highlight the potential instability of the vehicles’ behavior and its sensitivity to the considered control maneuvers. The analysis is motivated by the need of accurately modeling the structural characteristics of supercavitating vehicles to estimate vibrations in the structure and to envision and design systems that improve their guidance and control efficiency.