A new dynamic model and trajectory tracking control strategy for deep ocean mining vehicle

Mobility and controllability of a deep ocean mining vehicle directly determine its operational efficiency and safety. In this study, the spatial hydrodynamic distributions acting on a mining vehicle under different motion states were ascertained through the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulations. Then, a new multi-body dynamic (MBD) model of the vehicle integrated with its hydrodynamic effects and vehicle-sediment mechanics interaction was established. An underwater test of a tracked prototype vehicle in a large-scale laboratory water tank was performed and validated the feasibility and accuracy of the new MBD model. Furthermore, a controller based on a fuzzy self-adaptive PID method for the predetermined trajectory tracking of the mining vehicle was designed and modelled. Finally, the real-time information exchange and collaborative simulation between the developed MBD model and the controller were realized and proved that the proposed motion controller had a satisfactory performance in the trajectory tracking control for deep ocean mining vehicles.