{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/77352"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/77352","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Analytical and Numerical Optimal Motion Planning for an Underwater Glider","abstract":"The use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for oceanic observation and research is becoming more common. Underwater gliders are a specific class of AUV that do not use conventional propulsion. Instead they change their buoyancy and center of mass location to control attitude and trajectory. The vehicles spend most of their time in long, steady glides, so even minor improvements in glide range can be magnified over multiple dives. This dissertation presents a rigid-body dynamic system for a generic vehicle operating in a moving fluid (ocean current or wind). The model is then reduced to apply to underwater gliders. A reduced-order point-mass model is analyzed for optimal gliding in the presence of a current. Different numerical method solutions are compared while attempting to achieve maximum glide range. The result, although approximate, provides good insight into how the vehicles may be operated more effectively. At the end of each dive, the gliders must change their buoyancy and pitch to transition to a climb. Improper scheduling of the buoyancy and pitch change may cause the vehicle to stall and lose directional stability. Optimal control theory is applied to the buoyancy and angle of attack scheduling of a point-mass model. A rigid-body model is analyzed on a singular arc steady glide. An analytical solution for the control required to stay on the arc is calculated. The model is linearized to calculate possible perturbation directions while remaining on the arc. The nonlinear model is then propagated in forward and reverse time with the perturbations and analyzed. Lastly, one of the numerical solutions is analyzed using the singular arc equations for verification. This work received support from the Office of Naval Research under Grant Number N00014-08-1-0012.","abstract_html":"The use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for oceanic observation and research is becoming more common. Underwater gliders are a specific class of AUV that do not use conventional propulsion. Instead they change their buoyancy and center of mass location to control attitude and trajectory. The vehicles spend most of their time in long, steady glides, so even minor improvements in glide range can be magnified over multiple dives. This dissertation presents a rigid-body dynamic system for a generic vehicle operating in a moving fluid (ocean current or wind). The model is then reduced to apply to underwater gliders. A reduced-order point-mass model is analyzed for optimal gliding in the presence of a current. Different numerical method solutions are compared while attempting to achieve maximum glide range. The result, although approximate, provides good insight into how the vehicles may be operated more effectively. At the end of each dive, the gliders must change their buoyancy and pitch to transition to a climb. Improper scheduling of the buoyancy and pitch change may cause the vehicle to stall and lose directional stability. Optimal control theory is applied to the buoyancy and angle of attack scheduling of a point-mass model. A rigid-body model is analyzed on a singular arc steady glide. An analytical solution for the control required to stay on the arc is calculated. The model is linearized to calculate possible perturbation directions while remaining on the arc. The nonlinear model is then propagated in forward and reverse time with the perturbations and analyzed. Lastly, one of the numerical solutions is analyzed using the singular arc equations for verification. This work received support from the Office of Naval Research under Grant Number N00014-08-1-0012.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kraus, Robert J."],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Ph. D.","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Aerospace and Ocean Engineering","degree_department":"Aerospace and Ocean Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Woolsey, Craig A.","Cliff, Eugene M."],"committee_members":["Sultan, Cornel","Hall, Christopher D."],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-03-30","date_published":"2010-03-30","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:57Z","subjects":["Underwater Glider","Singular Control","Optimal Path Generation","Optimal Control"],"languages":["en_US"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-04092010-130310"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-04092010-130310","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/77352","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Woolsey, Craig A.","Cliff, Eugene M."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Sultan, Cornel","Hall, Christopher D."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Aerospace and Ocean Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Kraus, Robert J."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2017-04-06T15:45:12Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-04-06T15:45:12Z","2016-10-04"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2010-03-30"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Aerospace and Ocean Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph. D."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Underwater Glider","Singular Control","Optimal Path Generation","Optimal Control"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_US"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-04092010-130310"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/77352"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for oceanic observation and research is becoming more common. Underwater gliders are a specific class of AUV that do not use conventional propulsion. Instead they change their buoyancy and center of mass location to control attitude and trajectory. The vehicles spend most of their time in long, steady glides, so even minor improvements in glide range can be magnified over multiple dives. This dissertation presents a rigid-body dynamic system for a generic vehicle operating in a moving fluid (ocean current or wind). The model is then reduced to apply to underwater gliders. A reduced-order point-mass model is analyzed for optimal gliding in the presence of a current. Different numerical method solutions are compared while attempting to achieve maximum glide range. The result, although approximate, provides good insight into how the vehicles may be operated more effectively. At the end of each dive, the gliders must change their buoyancy and pitch to transition to a climb. Improper scheduling of the buoyancy and pitch change may cause the vehicle to stall and lose directional stability. Optimal control theory is applied to the buoyancy and angle of attack scheduling of a point-mass model. A rigid-body model is analyzed on a singular arc steady glide. An analytical solution for the control required to stay on the arc is calculated. The model is linearized to calculate possible perturbation directions while remaining on the arc. The nonlinear model is then propagated in forward and reverse time with the perturbations and analyzed. Lastly, one of the numerical solutions is analyzed using the singular arc equations for verification. This work received support from the Office of Naval Research under Grant Number N00014-08-1-0012."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Ph. D."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Analytical and Numerical Optimal Motion Planning for an Underwater Glider"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Woolsey, Craig A.","Cliff, Eugene M."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Sultan, Cornel","Hall, Christopher D."],"dc:contributor.department":["Aerospace and Ocean Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Kraus, Robert J."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2017-04-06T15:45:12Z"],"dc:date.available":["2017-04-06T15:45:12Z","2016-10-04"],"dc:date.issued":["2010-03-30"],"dc:description.abstract":["The use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for oceanic observation and research is becoming more common. Underwater gliders are a specific class of AUV that do not use conventional propulsion. Instead they change their buoyancy and center of mass location to control attitude and trajectory. The vehicles spend most of their time in long, steady glides, so even minor improvements in glide range can be magnified over multiple dives. This dissertation presents a rigid-body dynamic system for a generic vehicle operating in a moving fluid (ocean current or wind). The model is then reduced to apply to underwater gliders. A reduced-order point-mass model is analyzed for optimal gliding in the presence of a current. Different numerical method solutions are compared while attempting to achieve maximum glide range. The result, although approximate, provides good insight into how the vehicles may be operated more effectively. At the end of each dive, the gliders must change their buoyancy and pitch to transition to a climb. Improper scheduling of the buoyancy and pitch change may cause the vehicle to stall and lose directional stability. Optimal control theory is applied to the buoyancy and angle of attack scheduling of a point-mass model. A rigid-body model is analyzed on a singular arc steady glide. An analytical solution for the control required to stay on the arc is calculated. The model is linearized to calculate possible perturbation directions while remaining on the arc. The nonlinear model is then propagated in forward and reverse time with the perturbations and analyzed. Lastly, one of the numerical solutions is analyzed using the singular arc equations for verification. This work received support from the Office of Naval Research under Grant Number N00014-08-1-0012."],"dc:description.degree":["Ph. D."],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-04092010-130310"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/77352"],"dc:language.iso":["en_US"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Underwater Glider","Singular Control","Optimal Path Generation","Optimal Control"],"dc:title":["Analytical and Numerical Optimal Motion Planning for an Underwater Glider"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Aerospace and Ocean Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph. D."],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:57Z"}