Date of Award
5-8-2023
Degree Type
Capstone Project
First Advisor
Bahram Nassersharif
Abstract
With the advancements of technology in modern times, the use of remote or unmanned expeditions and surveillance systems has risen in prevalence in the military industry. The ability to accomplish objectives without jeopardizing human lives has become paramount to military operations. To accomplish this, the military has used unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, and unmanned underwater vehicles, or UUVs. These vehicles take the form of drones, equipped with cameras and/or sensors, that are controlled remotely to obtain information without directly involving human lives. It has recently become of interest to combine the two drones, to be able to allow for simultaneous, far reaching, aerial and underwater surveillance. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center, or NUWC, has taken steps to accomplish this goal. A capsule was previously developed with the capability of containing a small UAV and deploying it remotely from the capsule once the UAV has reached the surface. Team 17 was tasked with a continuation of this project, developing a methodology for deploying this capsule from a UUV carried by a submarine.
To accomplish this, the design must: be capable of fitting a cylindrical payload with a 3 inch diameter and 12 inch length, incorporate a “soft” launch such that the payload remains intact, fit inside a selected UUV, be able to withstand seawater pressure at a depth of 200 feet, and be both visibly and audibly discreet such that the location of the launch is not revealed. This list of requirements was used to develop a more specific set of engineering requirements, which were then used to develop concepts for product designs. These design concepts were then compared using Pugh and QFD analyses to determine the best design to achieve the goal. As a proof of concept, a functional launch methodology was developed for a simulated UUV in air, which will be implemented in the final design underwater along with a process to equalize internal and external pressure at the proposed 200 foot depth.
Recommended Citation
Lacouture, Drew; Houle, Mason; Garafolo, Leonardo; and Saqib, Jeb, "Methodology of Deployment for a UAV from a UUV" (2023). Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects. Paper 118.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/mechanical-engineering-capstones/118
Comments
Team Name: NUWC Deployment UUV to UAV (Team 17)
Company Sponsor: Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC)
Sponsor Representative: Daynamar Delgado-Nieves
Document Reference: URI-MCE-CAP-FDR-2023-17