ABSTRACT The traditional way to underwater thrust vectoring is mainly based on a specially designed mechanical system which provides the propulsion system additional degree of freedom. This method is effective in field applications. However, there are several drawbacks such as complex structure and large dead weight. In this paper, a new type of thrust vectoring method, based on inflated surface is proposed. There are six inflatable surfaces uniformly distributed around the axis of the propulsor. The mechanism of this method is the Coanda effect. Through the control of the curvature of the surface, the deflection angle can be adjusted. The effect of the depth, the size and the curvature of the surface on the deflection angle is numerically studied. The deflection angle decreases with the depth, but increases with the surface size. The deflection angle first increases then decreases with the curvature due to flow separation. A maximum deflection angle of 14° is realised. The pressure and velocity distribution is given to illustrate the mechanism behind the variation of deflection angle in different cases.

中文翻译：

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基于膨胀面的水下推力矢量

摘要 水下推力矢量的传统方法主要基于专门设计的机械系统，该系统为推进系统提供额外的自由度。这种方法在现场应用中是有效的。但存在结构复杂、自重大等缺点。本文提出了一种基于膨胀面的新型推力矢量方法。有六个充气面均匀分布在推进器的轴线周围。这种方法的机制是柯安达效应。通过控制曲面的曲率，可以调整偏转角度。数值研究了表面的深度、尺寸和曲率对偏转角的影响。偏转角随深度减小，但随表面尺寸增大。由于流动分离，偏转角随着曲率先增大后减小。实现了 14° 的最大偏转角。给出压力和速度分布来说明不同情况下偏转角变化背后的机制。