Manoeuvring and motion control of a hydrofoil

Abstract

Computer-aided design techniques are described and demonstrated in studies associated with the regulation of pitch, roll, heave and yaw of a 31 m surface piercing hydrofoil. The procedures outlined are effected by way of a comprehensive suite of software for control system data processing which is employed in the transformation of the basic model into partitioned subsystems and thereafter into spectral factors, allowing the dynamic composition of the system and the number of decoupling strategies available to be determined. A preferred family of dynamic elements is identified from this procedure for reduction and simplification, to achieve the containment of output coupling rather than non-interaction in the target scheme. Compensators selected for their robustness, simplicity or integrity are generated within the design program, and the performance of the interfaced system is assessed thereafter using frequency-response methods.