Autonomous Closed-Loop Experimental Characterization and Dynamic Model Validation of a Scaled Underwater Kite

Abstract

This paper presents the closed-loop experimental framework and dynamic model validation for a 1/12-scale underwater kite design. The pool-based tow testing framework described herein, which involves a fully actuated, closed-loop controlled kite and flexible tether, significantly expands upon the capabilities of any previously developed open-source framework for experimental underwater kite characterization. Specifically, the framework has allowed for the validation of three closed-loop flight control strategies, along with a critical comparison between dynamic model predictions and experimental results. In this paper, we provide a detailed presentation of the experimental tow system and kite setup, describe the control algorithms implemented and tested, and quantify the level of agreement between our multi-degree-of-freedom kite dynamic model and experimental data. We also present a sensitivity analysis that helps to identify the most influential parameters to kite performance and further explain the remaining mismatches between the model and data.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Apr 22, 2022
Source ID
10.1115/1.4054141

Entities

People

  • Andre Mazzoleni
  • Andrew Abney
  • Ashwin Vadlamannati
  • Chris Vermillion
  • Dillon Herbert
  • Hosam K. Fathy
  • James Reed
  • Kartik Naik
  • Kenneth Granlund
  • Mariah Mook
  • Matthew Bryant
  • Miguel Alvarez
  • Samuel Bryant
  • Sumedh Beknalkar
  • Zak Leonard

Organizations

  • Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
  • North Carolina State University
  • United States Department of Energy
  • University of Maryland

Tags

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Robotics and Automation.