Roll Stability Recovery Performance of Underwater Bluff-Body with Tilting Angle Variations

In the present study, we experimentally investigated the roll stability recovery performance of a vehicle at various tilting angles. The vehicle was ultimately targeted to contain a velocity-field measurement system in underwater conditions, which should confirm stationary buoyancy during measurement. We employed two small gear-rack ax mountings on a weighted mass as the actuating system inside the bluff-body. Speed and movement were feedback controlled by the activating electronic motor system. The feedback algorithm used tilting action signals from an inclinometer sensor installed in the central region of the vessel shell. As a result, the bluff-body vessel effectively recovered self-stabilizing positions against the tilting action.