Monthly Archives: December 2016

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GDP 19: Atlantis Deep Sea Research Platform

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Only 5% of the world’s ocean floor have been mapped, collecting data at these depths provides a significant challenge. This project aims to design a deep-sea research platform, in the form of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.

team members
team members

If you want to find out more about the project, please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AtlantisUnderwaterRobot/ The robot will do the following;

  • Travel to depths of 100m.
  • Carry a payload of sensors and cameras that can collect images and data.
  • Uses a flapping foil mechanism for propulsion.The robot will be bioinspired with oscillating foil propulsion; this will provide increased manoeuvrability.

This project involves designing, building and testing a full-scale robot. The team will carry out the following tasks to complete the project:

Preliminary CFD
Preliminary CFD

  • Developing the conceptual design
  • Modelling and optimising an interacting flapping foil mechanism
  • Carrying out material testing for the hull and foil materials to determine if they can withstand operating conditions at 100m depth
  • Modelling the hull under operating conditions using FEA, and reinforce the structure where necessary
  • Manufacturing and testing the separate elements of the AUV
  • Programming the AUV so it is capable of operating autonomously underwater, navigating a pre-set path.
  • Test the robot at a depth of 3m

 
 

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Promoting Maritime Engineering at the IMechE Arnold Barks Christmas Lecture

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Professor Stephen Turnock and Laura Marimon Giovannetti had a busy day on the 7th July talking about the University of Southampton’s experience in engineering excellence in performance sport.  Firstly in the afternoon at an event hosted by the Bishop Wordsworth school in Salisbury to an audience of 230 year 10 to year 12 students from four different school’s in the Salisbury area.  Then again in a slightly longer format to the IMechE’s Wessex Region as the 11th Annual Arnold Barks Christmas Lecture to an audience of over 100 .

Laura demonstrating her skills in competitive sailing
Laura demonstrating her skills in competitive sailing

The talk linked the long standing work at Southampton in performance sailing led for nearly five decades by the internationally renowned Wolfson Unit for Marine Technology and Industrial Aerodynamics now based in B185 adjacent to our new 138 m long towing tank, the work on developing F1 and Indy cars in the R.J.Mitchell wind tunnel from the late 70s as well as over a decade of collaboration with UKSport/EIS(R&I) supporting a wide range of sports.  The pursuit of performance that ensure that all athletes have the best possible equipment relies on a deep understanding of the physics of the problem coupled to possible engineering solutions. A common thread was the human aspects of the work where able PhD students work alongside sport scientists, coaches and athletes. To date PSEL has graduated 8 EngD/PhD students many of whom have an undergraduate Ship Science degree.
Dr Webb running a swimming test
Dr Webb running a swimming test

In a final section the relevance of the techniques and technologies developed  in performance sport to the wider world and in particular the necessity to find solutions to the essential challenge of improving the energy efficiency of global shipping which transports 90% of the worlds goods, emits 3% of CO2 in 100,000 ships. How will these ships be fuelled in a low carbon world?  An example of the cross-over is in Dr Angus Webb whose spin out company Dynamon offers services to the logistics industry.
For both talks the audience asked challenging questions and were in turn asked to spread the word that many more maritime engineering and ship scientists are needed!

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Royal Visit to Towing Tank and FSI Labs

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As part of a recent visit to the University of Southampton the Duke of Kent and guests toured our maritime robotics and performance sports labs Building 176 -meeting Dr Joe Banks, Agata Tomaszewska, DrJon Downes and Sophia Schillae.

Looking out of the PSEL to avoid the secret stuff..
Looking out of the PSEL to avoid the secret stuff..

 
The workings of Delphin2 explained
The workings of Delphin2 explained

James Bowker and Cath Hollyhead used the wavemakers to demonstrate Fleur’s impressive wave crawling ability- just using wave energy to propel herself into and with the waves.
Fleur in Action
Fleur in Action

Commissioning of the tank instrumentation continues apace with recent tests on LDV, operation of the new rolling bridge as well as regular use of the Qualisys optical motion capture system.  The InnovateUK project led by PlanetOcean associated with the design of an ASV launchable AUV  ecoSUB has reached an important milestone with the recent vehicle’s  official launch at the NOC.  Soon after a prototype was being tested in the towing tank.

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GDP 43 Life saving transformers

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The Transformers GDP is a team of eight fourth year engineers: seven of whom are mechanical engineers with one aeronautical student. The project is supervised by Dr Nick Townsend from FSI.
Drowning is a huge worldwide problem, which puts thousands of lives at risk every year:

  • 372,000 drowning fatalities per year (WHO, 2016),
  • 1,000,000 rescues per year (ILSF, 2016),
  • Few victims are ever wearing a lifejacket (CDC, 2016).

A frequent risk for lifesavers is being pulled under the water by a drowning person. Therefore, the project intent is to improve lifesaver safety; the robot will save a person from drowning before the lifesaver begins to rescue them from the water. Passive lifesaving robots exist, such as the EMILY robotic buoy (http://emilyrobot.com/portfolio-gallery/photo-gallery/ ), but none exist to actively save lives.
The project aim will be to; design, build and test a working prototype of a marine lifesaving robot, to actively secure casualties in the water. The team will accomplish this by achieving the following:

  1. Literature review of drowning casualties, existing lifesaving techniques and technology and the human body form whilst drowning,
  2. Define the anthropometric maxima and minima for an identified human group at risk of drowning for the robotic device to wrap around,
  3. Design a robotic mechanism to aid lifeguards in securing drowning casualties,
  4. Research and develop a sensing and control system to allow the device to work semi-autonomously,
  5. Build a working prototype of the design,
  6. Perform a realistic, in-depth testing procedure on the device.
CAD Design details
CAD Design details
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GDP 23: Hydrofoiling Catamaran Experimental Research Platform

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In recent years there has been an increasing trend of utilising hydrofoils to reduce drag and enhance the performance of high speed sailing vessels, following the developments of the International Moth class and the AC72s in the 34th America’s Cup. With this current interest growing within the marine industry, it is an exciting opportunity to establish a research platform acting as an interface to effectively carry out experimental testing of innovative hydrofoil technology.

Foil fitting CAD
Foil fitting CAD

Our aim is to create this research platform by retrofitting a NACRA F18 catamaran using two J-shaped foils to facilitate foiling. In addition, two T-foil rudders will be designed and manufactured from composite materials. A pod system inserted onto the existing daggerboard cases, seen in Fig. 1, will also be developed to attach the J-foils to the side of the boat. The rudders will be designed to have interchangeable wings, allowing for different combinations of main foils and rudder tips to be used. This will permit the investigation into effects of alternative designs. These are the two main features that affect the forces acting on the boat and are therefore very important when developing a foiling craft.

Autumn trials
Autumn trials

In order to analyse the boat’s response to real world conditions and to collect performance data such as speed, acceleration, roll, rate of turn and foils force, a suitable data acquisition system will also be developed. We aim to provide a good basis for further hydrofoil research to be carried out within the University and hope to encourage more curious minds to pursue naval architecture!

at speed
at speed

If you want to find out more about the project as it goes forward please visit their facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/TheVolantiProject/