Numerical study of confined water effects on self-propelled submarine in steady manoeuvres

This paper deals with the analysis of confined water effects on the manoeuvring capabilities of a submarine. The analysis is carried out by using numerical simulations based on the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations of a submarine moving with constant speed on a straight path at zero and nonzero drift/pitch angles, in open water, close to the bottom, and close to the free-surface conditions. The features of the flow around the submarine are described in terms of velocity and pressure fields; the computed force and moment coefficients are presented and compared with experimental data collected at INSEAN.