Model Based Adaptive Control and Disturbance Compensation for Underwater Vehicles

Underwater vehicles are being emphasized as highly integrated and intelligent devices for a significant number of oceanic operations. However, their precise operation is usually hindered by disturbances from a tether or manipulator because their propellers are unable to realize a stable suspension. A dynamic multi-body model-based adaptive controller was designed to allow the controller of the vehicle to observe and compensate for disturbances from a tether or manipulator. Disturbances, including those from a tether or manipulator, are deduced for the observation of the controller. An analysis of a tether disturbance covers the conditions of the surface, the underwater area, and the vehicle end point. Interactions between the vehicle and manipulator are mainly composed of coupling forces and restoring moments. To verify the robustness of the controller, path-following experiments on a streamlined autonomous underwater vehicle experiencing various disturbances were conducted in Song Hua Lake in China. Furthermore, path-following experiments for a tethered open frame remote operated vehicle were verified for accurate cruising with a controller and an observer, and vehicle and manipulator coordinate motion control during the simulation and experiments verified the effectiveness of the controller and observer for underwater operation. This study provides instructions for the control of an underwater vehicle experiencing disturbances from a tether or manipulator.