C-SCOUT maneuverability-a study in sensitivity

In September of 1998, the Institute for Marine Dynamics (IMD) of the National Research Council of Canada and the Ocean Engineering Research Centre of Memorial University of Newfoundland commenced a collaborative effort to design a streamlined autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). This AUV, the Canadian Self-Contained Off-the-shelf Underwater Testbed (C-SCOUT), is intended to serve as a test bed for systems research; in particular it is expected to assist in the development of control systems and propulsion systems. It is also to be utilized in the testing of vehicle components and as a general research and development tool for years to come. The vehicle is of modular construction, such that its length, and the position of the appendages are somewhat variable. One of the key elements in the vehicle's effectiveness as a test bed is a fundamental understanding of its maneuverability and of its sensitivity to changes in hydrodynamic parameters. Hydrodynamic parameters, however, are typically determined from in-water testing and there is usually some uncertainty concerning their exact values. Knowledge of these vehicle characteristics will allow the systems designer to separate inherent vehicle behaviour from behaviour induced by the system being tested, resulting in a clear measurement of system performance.