Structural Design of a Wave-Adaptive Unmanned Quadramaran With Independent Suspension
Ning Wang, Jialin Song, Qi Dong
Abstract
There exist long-standing challenges in balancing scale and stability of an unmanned surface vehicle for search and rescue (SAR) missions. In this paper, a new wave-adaptive unmanned quadramaran (WUQ) with independent suspension mechanism is structurally designed by virtue of double-wishbone suspension (DWS) and quadruped buoyancy. By inventing DWS-based floating feet, wave-induced forces can be independently absorbed by dampers, thereby significantly attenuating vibrations of the main hull. By dynamics optimization, key parameters of damper springs are numerically determined. Furthermore, the reliable safety of suspension mechanism under various conditions is ensured by finite element analysis on the strength validation. Virtual prototype results show that suspension-damping objective of the main hull can be further promoted by <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$52.3\%$</tex-math> </inline-formula> after fine optimization on damper springs, while key connecting parts of the suspension mechanism are fully able to afford sufficient stress under diversified conditions. Owe to remarkable stability and safety, the innovated WUQ would definitely fertilize smart SAR efficiency in maritime transportation.