Structural responses of laminated composite underwater gliders

Abstract

Oceans of earth consists of vast unidentified resources that when explored could be made available for the health and welfare of human being. Oceanographic explorations have taken a positive turn in recent years due to the developments in the robotics and structure of autonomous underwater vehicles. The underwater vehicles with projecting wings and that utilize the energy of buoyant force to move through water called by the name underwater gliders is an advancement in the category of undersea vehicles. Emergence of innovative, advanced laminated composites channeled the progress towards lightweight, self-sufficient tiny subsea gliders. The inherent properties of laminated composites prove it to be an ideal material for engineering the structural and nonstructural components of undersea gliders. The external components of these are acted upon by hydrostatic pressure and the laminated nature of the material used creates complex stress states which necessitate intricate and meticulous structural analysis procedures to predict the responses accurately. This paper presents the finite element analysis of laminated composite shallow shell panels which appear as wings of subsea gliders and cylindrical shells that come as pressure hulls of selfgoverning submerged gliders using a newly formulated composite finite element.