Hydrodynamic characterization of a hybrid propulsion blended-wing-body underwater glider

A wing-body-wing blended underwater glider has a high lift-to-drag ratio because of its excellent hydrodynamic shape. To further increase its maneuverability, a thruster mechanism can be added, resulting in a hybrid propulsion wing-body-wing blended underwater glider. However, the hydrodynamic performance characteristics of the hybrid propulsion glider need to be further studied. In this paper, a hybrid propulsion wing-body-wing blended underwater glider is taken as the research object, and the computational fluid dynamics method is adopted to determine the hydrodynamic performance characteristics. The results show that when only the propeller is installed but not working, the hydrodynamic parameters of the glider change less, within 5%. When the thruster is operating, the drag coefficient of the glider increases significantly, requiring the thruster to provide a corresponding rotational speed that results in the required thrust. In addition, the installation position of the thruster has a significant effect on the propulsive performance, and better propulsive performance can be obtained by installing it at the aft. This research further broadens the use of underwater gliders and provides a theoretical basis for the design, development and use of hybrid propulsion wing-body-wing blended underwater gliders.