Study on the Mechanical Characteristics of a Towing Docking Device for USV Self-Recovering AUVs

Two new types of towing docking device for automated recovery of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) from an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) are described. One type is the form of the stable wing, and the other is the form of the captured-rod. On the basis of the current towing stable wing, two tail rudders have been added to the tail of the stable wing and the docking device's posture can be changed by adjusting the two tail rudders. For the captured-rod docking device, a V-type capture mechanism needs to be installed at the front of a AUV. Firstly, the mechanical structure of the two towing docking devices is introduced, and the mechanical analysis are analyzed. Then, for the stable wing, the steady-state numerical simulations under different working conditions are carried out, and dynamic numerical simulations are also carried out when the docking device is towed by a USV. Besides, the collision process between the AUV and the captured-rod is also simulated. Finally, the stable wing towing docking device is being implemented and tested on a USV.