Results of the evaluation and testing of the solar powered AUV and its subsystems

In July of 1997, a cooperative research program was begun between the Autonomous Undersea Systems Institute and the Institute for Marine Technology Problems (IMTP), Russian Academy of Sciences, Far Eastern Branch, in Vladivostok. In January of 1998, The Office of Naval Research NICOP program funded a joint proposal to evaluate the technologies required for a solar-powered AUV. One of the products of this program was the development, fabrication and testing of a solar AUV engineering prototype. The 90 kg vehicle is 1.7 meters in length, 0.7 meter wide with a pressure case diameter of 0.24 meters. It has two Solarex (MSX30L.) 30 watt solar panels and 32 Ni-Cd cells in a four battery (8 cells in series) configuration. The onboard computer system controls all vehicle functions and records engineering data. This prototype system has undergone sea testing near Vladivostok, Russia. 48 runs were executed during 22 working days with the objective of defining performance of the vehicle and verifying its ability to function as a moving platform for long endurance measurements in the ocean. The calculated motion characteristics of the vehicle were compared with calculated ones. Also the properties of vehicle behavior in conditions unique to the SAUV such as sea keeping during drifting or moving on the surface were considered. On the whole, the test results are very positive. These test results are discussed.