Robust Controller Design for Supercavitating Vehicles Based on BTT Maneuvering Strategy

Supercavitating vehicles can achieve very high speeds under water because of reduced drag. With proper design, a cavitation bubble is generated at the nose so that skin friction drag is drastically reduced. A 6 DOF mathematic model has been established. As discussed in this paper, control and maneuvering of supercavitating vehicle meet special challenges, The need for a BTT (bank-to-turn) maneuvering strategy is also discussed, the nature of the hydrodynamic forces acting on a supercavitating vehicle make such a strategy more advantageous. A robust controller is designed based on mu synthesis, which deals with implicitly errors and uncertainties. The results of simulation validate the feasibility of control strategy based on BTT (bank-to-turn).