Autonomous underwater gliders are a family of autonomous underwater vehicles used for long-term observation of oceanic environments. These gliders leverage changes in buoyancy and the resulting vertical motion, to generate forward locomotion via hydrodynamic surfaces. In order to function for extended periods, these systems operate in a low-speed, low-drag regime. This research examines factors impacting the operational efficiencies of gliders, including morphological changes, configuration changes, and propulsion. An interesting question arises when considering the operational efficiencies of conventionally propelled systems at the operating speeds typical of gliders. Can a conventional propulsion system match the efficiency of an underwater glider buoyancy engine? A first-principles, energy-based approach to glider operations was derived and verified using real world data. The energy usage for buoyancy driven propulsion was then compared to conventional propulsion types. The results from these calculations indicate that a conventionally propelled autonomous underwater vehicle can compete with and in some cases outperform a buoyancy driven system given the proper propulsive efficiency.
","abstract_html":"<p>Autonomous underwater gliders are a family of autonomous underwater vehicles used for long-term observation of oceanic environments. These gliders leverage changes in buoyancy and the resulting vertical motion, to generate forward locomotion via hydrodynamic surfaces. In order to function for extended periods, these systems operate in a low-speed, low-drag regime. This research examines factors impacting the operational efficiencies of gliders, including morphological changes, configuration changes, and propulsion. An interesting question arises when considering the operational efficiencies of conventionally propelled systems at the operating speeds typical of gliders. Can a conventional propulsion system match the efficiency of an underwater glider buoyancy engine? A first-principles, energy-based approach to glider operations was derived and verified using real world data. The energy usage for buoyancy driven propulsion was then compared to conventional propulsion types. The results from these calculations indicate that a conventionally propelled autonomous underwater vehicle can compete with and in some cases outperform a buoyancy driven system given the proper propulsive efficiency.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hockley, Christopher James"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering","degree_level":"Dissertation - Open Access","degree_discipline":"Mechanical Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-07-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2018-07-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:25:37Z","subjects":["seagliders","wing shapes","hull morphologies","propulsion","Mechanical Engineering","Ocean Engineering"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.erau.edu/edt/418","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hockley, Christopher James"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Mechanical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation - Open Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["seagliders","wing shapes","hull morphologies","propulsion","Mechanical Engineering","Ocean Engineering"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.erau.edu/edt/418"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Autonomous underwater gliders are a family of autonomous underwater vehicles used for long-term observation of oceanic environments. These gliders leverage changes in buoyancy and the resulting vertical motion, to generate forward locomotion via hydrodynamic surfaces. In order to function for extended periods, these systems operate in a low-speed, low-drag regime. This research examines factors impacting the operational efficiencies of gliders, including morphological changes, configuration changes, and propulsion. An interesting question arises when considering the operational efficiencies of conventionally propelled systems at the operating speeds typical of gliders. Can a conventional propulsion system match the efficiency of an underwater glider buoyancy engine? A first-principles, energy-based approach to glider operations was derived and verified using real world data. The energy usage for buoyancy driven propulsion was then compared to conventional propulsion types. The results from these calculations indicate that a conventionally propelled autonomous underwater vehicle can compete with and in some cases outperform a buoyancy driven system given the proper propulsive efficiency.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Improving Seaglider Efficiency: An Analysis of Wing Shapes, Hull Morphologies, and Propulsion Methods"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Hockley, Christopher James"],"dc:description.abstract":["Autonomous underwater gliders are a family of autonomous underwater vehicles used for long-term observation of oceanic environments. These gliders leverage changes in buoyancy and the resulting vertical motion, to generate forward locomotion via hydrodynamic surfaces. In order to function for extended periods, these systems operate in a low-speed, low-drag regime. This research examines factors impacting the operational efficiencies of gliders, including morphological changes, configuration changes, and propulsion. An interesting question arises when considering the operational efficiencies of conventionally propelled systems at the operating speeds typical of gliders. Can a conventional propulsion system match the efficiency of an underwater glider buoyancy engine? A first-principles, energy-based approach to glider operations was derived and verified using real world data. The energy usage for buoyancy driven propulsion was then compared to conventional propulsion types. The results from these calculations indicate that a conventionally propelled autonomous underwater vehicle can compete with and in some cases outperform a buoyancy driven system given the proper propulsive efficiency.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.erau.edu/edt/418"],"dc:subject":["seagliders","wing shapes","hull morphologies","propulsion","Mechanical Engineering","Ocean Engineering"],"dc:title":["Improving Seaglider Efficiency: An Analysis of Wing Shapes, Hull Morphologies, and Propulsion Methods"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Mechanical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation - Open Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:25:37Z"}