Experimental and Numerical Studies on an Underwater Towed Body

A streamlined form of underwater towed body is considered here for the experimental and CFD studies to verify its stability when towed in submerged condition. Its physical characteristics lead to different behavior in the hydrodynamic tow conditions. Influence of lifting fins and tow arrangements on the operational depth and stability of the tow body are studied. The main variants associated with the body, and which affect the tow characteristics, are identified as basic body shape, tow point location, fin size for stable tow and dynamic trim due to forward speed. In order not to disturb the flow around the sensor location, the fin is placed further away towards the lower aft end. Additionally, the stable tow is validated and demonstrated in the towing tank at IIT Madras using the scaled model. The drag and lift force values obtained from model tests are extrapolated to the prototype and compared with CFD results.