The design process for Variable Buoyancy System (VBS) is not known in full, and existing approaches are not scalable. Furthermore, almost all the small size Autonomous Underwater Vehicles/Gliders (AUVs/G's) use very low capacity of buoyancy change (in the range of few milliliters) and the large size AUVs require large buoyancy change. Especially for adverse weather conditions, emergency recovery or defense-related applications, higher rate of rising/sinking (heave velocity) is needed along with an ability to hover at certain depth of operation. Depth of UVs can be controlled either by changing the displaced volume or by changing the overall weight and, herein, our focus is on the later. This article presents the problem of design and analysis of VBS for efficient hovering control of underwater vehicles at desired depth using the state feedback controller. We formulate and analyze the design and analysis approach of VBS using the fundamental of mechanics, system dynamics integration and control theory. Buoyancy is controlled by changing the overall weight of the vehicle using the ballasting/de-ballasting of water in ballast tanks through the use of Positive Displacement Pump (PDP) for control in heave velocity and hovering depth. Furthermore, detailed mass metric analysis of scalable design of VBS for different buoyancy capacities is performed to analyze the overall performance of the VBS. Also, the performances of AUVs integrated with VBS of different buoyancy capacities are investigated in both the open loop and closed loop with the LQR state feedback controller. Hovering performance results are presented for three Design Examples (DEs) of AUVs with 2.8 m, 4.0 m and 5.0 m length and they are integrated with various buoyancy capacities at 9 kg/min rate of change of buoyancy. Results indicate that the AUVs achieve the desired depth with almost negligible steady state error and when they reach the desired hovering depth of 400 m the maximum pitch angle achieved of 16.5 degree for all the Des is observed. Maximum heave velocity achieved during sinking is 0.44 m/s and it reduces to zero when the vehicle reaches the desired depth of hovering. The presented computer simulation results indicate good performance and demonstrate that the designed VBS is effective and efficient in changing the buoyancy, controlling and maintaining the depth, controlling the heave velocity and can be used in rescue/attack operations of both the civil and defense UVs.Keywords: variable buoyancy system (VBS); autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV); positive displacement pump (PDP); brush-less direct current (BLDC) motor; linear quadratic controller (LQR)This scene demands vehicles that can be used for surveying the oceans for high endurance and operable at high depths. These requirements have motivated the researchers to design and develop new age Underwater Vehicles (UVs). UVs are designed to perform underwater survey missions such as detecting and mapping submerged wrecks, rocks and obstructions that can pose a hazard, primarily for efficient ...

Modern design approaches are conceived and utilised in an integrated loop covering system statics, dynamics, optimisation, and others. In this regard this paper presents a computing based integrated design approach for a flexible buoyancy system (FBS) aimed towards the applications in autonomous underwater vehicles and gliders. The primary design alternatives for the FBS are: piston and pump driven and both are investigated. The primary design of autonomous underwater vehicles and gliders is computed from first principle of mechanics and defined in the computer aided design model and it is implemented in the Matlab *TM . Lastly, to show the application of the present approach, a design example is presented for a water depth of 6000 m.

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This paper presents the design and analysis of the ‘Variable Buoyancy System (VBS)’ for depth control which is an essential operation for all underwater vehicles. We use the ‘Water Hydraulic Variable Buoyancy System (WHVBS)’ method to control the buoyancy and discuss details of the system design architecture of various components of VBS. The buoyancy capacity of the developed VBS is five kilograms and the performance of the VBS in standalone mode is analysed using numerical simulation. Presented VBS is operable to control the buoyancy up to sixty meters of depth and it can be directly installed to medium size UVs. Simulation results show that the developed VBS can reduce the energy consumption significantly and higher in each cycle (i.e. descending and ascending) of the same VBS in standalone mode being operated with either propeller or thruster for sixty meters depth of operation. Our results conclude and demonstrate that the designed VBS is effective in changing the buoyancy and controlling the heave velocity efficiently and this serves the purpose of higher endurance and better performances desired in rescue/attack operations related to the UVs both in civilian and defense domains.