Dynamics and Hydrodynamics of Ocean Vehicles

A state-of-the-art review of the dynamics of ocean vehicles is presented. A review of the six-degree-of-freedom nonlinear equations of motion acquaints the reader with the number, type and importance of the terms for various maneuvers. Application of these equations about the linearized equilibrium condition, U_ο= constant, which decouples the horizontal and vertical plane equations, is discussed from both a vehicle design and control system point of view. Application of any set of equations of motion requires knowledge of the values for the hydrodynamic coefficients. The preferred method for obtaining these coefficients during the vehicle design process is to predict the coefficients from the geometry of the vehicle without resorting to tunnel testing. Present capability for the prediction of linear and nonlinear hydrodynamic coefficients is discussed,along with examples that demonstrate the current accuracy of prediction methods.