Modeling and estimation for the Morpheus AUV dynamics

This thesis describes the determination of linear and nonlinear coefficients for the Morpheus vehicle. Added mass and nonlinear damping terms were obtained by strip-theory. These added mass coefficients were compared to the ones previously computed by boundary-integral method. Open-loop simulations were conducted using both sets of added-mass coefficients along with the damping terms, which were adjusted to fit at-sea data. A previously estimation technique for hydrodynamic coefficients has been applied to the Morpheus AUV using a Kalman filter. This technique based on linearized equations of motion was tested with linear and nonlinear data generated by simulation. Steering and diving motions were considered resulting in the estimation of different sets of coefficients. Results showed that the estimated values were able to reproduce accurately the vehicle motion in the linear as well as in the nonlinear case.