Advanced Technology > Special Projects and Unmanned Vehicle (SPUV)

Modeling and simulation of systems, subsystems, and components is done throughout the ARL Penn State organization. Models range in size from physical scale models used in the Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel to mathematical models used in the development of advanced technology concepts to high level models used to assess the value of notational systems comprised of those advanced concepts to full high fidelity digital models that are incorporated into ARL´s advanced simulations that are used to evaluate system performance or as an element of simulation-based design.

Seahorse - Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)

Seahorse at Trials
Seahorse at Trials
The Seahorse is an untethered, unmanned, underwater robotic vehicle, capable of pre-programmed independent operations from a host platform or shore facility. The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is currently powered with alkaline batteries and can operate for over 100 hours at 4 knots for a nominal range of 500 nautical miles, prior to requiring battery replenishment.

Maximum speed is approximately 6 knots sustained. Typical littoral zone AUV evolutions will be conducted at operational depths of 10 meters to 300 meters in water depths less than 400 meters.

The Seahorse AUV was designed to collect high quality, precision located environmental data in the littoral regions of the world. The driving design considerations were reliability, ease of maintenance, and cost effectiveness. Operational factors of major concern were portability to world wide survey locations, operations from T-AGS 60 class oceanographic vessels as well as other vessels of opportunity or shore-side facilities, ability to conduct a variety of pre-programmed search and survey patterns, and reconfigurability to accommodate additional sensors or new requirements.

SEAHORSE - PRIMARY CHARCTERISTICS
Diameter 38 inches
Length 28 feet, 6 inches
Displacement 10,000 pounds
Range 500 nautical miles at 4 knots
Payload Volume 10 cubic feet (approximately)
Power Source (initial) Alkaline Batteries (quantity 9,216)
Launch and Recovery Vehicle in Cocoon Original Method; Tilting Slide Bed LRS Operation 12/2002
Fixed Buoyancy 18.8 lbf/ft3 Divinycell HCP70 Structural Foam
Trim Control Fore and Aft Toroidal Variable SW Ballast Tanks
Communications RF, Iridium Satellite, Limited Acoustic
Control 3 CPUs; Vehicle and Mission Controllers, ERG Prototype Intelligent Controller Architecture
Control Surfaces 4 Fin "X" Stern, Mk-50 Electrical Actuators
Drive Motor 5 HP Lynx Motion Synchronous Electric Motor; Advanced Digital System Three-Phase Inverter
Propulsor Ducted Pumpjet, 3 Rotor Blades, Nominal 255 RPM, Cavitation-Free at all Depths

SEAHORSE - INSTRUMENTATION
Side Scan Sonar Marine Sonics 150/600 kHz Dual Frequency
CTD SEABIRD SBE-31
Pressure Paroscientific Precision Pressure Sensor
INS Kearfott KN5053 SEANAV
GPS Trimble TASMIN GPS Receiver
ADCP RDI Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
Acoustic Modem LinkQuest UWM3000
Acoustic Release EdgeTech Acoustic Transponders