Submarine Resistance Force Characteristics Determination after Modification of Depth Rudder System

Abstract

Submarine, as a technical object, has many systems necessary for operation. In addition to weapon systems, there are many systems necessary for the ships safe operation under the water. One of such systems is the submarine steering system. Article presents the principle of operation and the concept of modification of the stern rudders of the project 207(Kobben class) submarine. Based on measurement, resistance force characteristics were determined. A calculation model was proposed using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) techniques to determine resistance force characteristics during design stage. Then measured resistance force characteristics were used to verify the calculation model. Using the proposed method, resistance force characteristics for an existing submarine were determined, and then its modification was proposed. Simulation results for the modified rudder design allowed determining the reduction of ship resistance force for the new solution. Lower resistance force means lower demand for electrical power in the engine room, which consequently affects operational safety by increasing maneuverability and improving the immersion curve. The proposed modification allows to reduce power consumption by about 8 kW and reduced the resistance force by 2%, which increases the ship’s autonomy.

Keywords

• submarine
• finite element method (fem)
• computational fluid dynamics (cfd)
• resistance force
• operational submarine safety