Stability analysis of a towed body for shipboard unmanned surface vehicle recovery

Abstract

As the U.S. Navy develops new technologies which enhance automation and reduce crew size onboard naval vessels, unmanned vehicles will become increasingly valuable in conducting maritime operations. Effective launch and recovery systems (LARS) are necessary for unmanned vehicles to efficiently conduct operations at sea. The Towed Body system is a LARS with a wide range of applications for unmanned vehicle operations. The Towed Body can be evaluated as a small vessel with horizontal and vertical control surfaces. Since it is being towed, the directional stability of the Towed Body requires unique consideration due to the presence of the towing force. This thesis examines the effect of varying the longitudinal location of the vertical control surfaces, as well as the effective aspect ratio, size, and number of vertical control surfaces. The results identify critical stability values for the various fin configurations.