ABOUT MOTION CONTROL OF AN UNDERWATER ROBOTIC PLATFORM ON A RAIL ROAD USING NATURAL FORCE EFFECTS

Abstract

Various approaches to controlling the buoyancy of an underwater robotic platform moving along a cable-rail track using natural forces are considered. Motion is provided by cyclic changes in the air volume in the pontoons, resulting in a variable buoyant force. Three control methods for the ascending section are proposed, differing in the way air parameters are controlled: by the volume of displaced water, by reducing the pressure in the reservoir, and by metered air supply. For each method, analytical relations determining the number of operating cycles are obtained. A comparative analysis of two design variants of the pontoon system - with a rigid and an elastic pontoon - is carried out. It is shown that pressure-based control methods provide a significantly larger number of cycles, and the choice of a particular scheme depends on the operating conditions.