Establishment of hydrodynamic model and research on motion simulation of the open-frame ROV

Objectives Maneuverability is one of the most important performance characteristics of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), and is closely related to its dynamics model. In order to realize the precise control and maneuverability of an open-frame ROV, a dynamic model applicable to this ROV is established based on its geometrically complex structural characteristics, and the full-angle motion characteristics of the drift and attack angle. Methods A dynamic model applicable to the motion simulation of the ROV is constructed by comprehensively considering the roles of hydrostatic force, hydrodynamic force, control force and cable force. The CFD method is used to simulate the steady and unsteady motion of the ROV to solve the hydrodynamic parameters, and the multiple linear regression method is used to process the calculated data to obtain the relevant hydrodynamic parameters, and then the dynamics model is optimized by sensitivity analysis. The mathematical model of ROV motion maneuverability is constructed in MATLAB, then the direct motion and rotational motions of ROV under positive and negative thrust are simulated. Results The results show that the dynamic model considers the motion demand of the full angle of the horizontal and vertical plane, as well as better reflecting the influence of the asymmetry of the structure on the hydrodynamic performance, which meets the motion simulation demand of this ROV. Conclusions The research results can provide a new idea for the calculation of ROV hydrodynamic characteristics and the research of space modeling on its maneuverability and control algorithm, and provide a strong data guarantee for subsequent ROV operations under special working conditions.