Improving the Conceptual Design Process for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Laun

With a renewed global focus on anti-submarine warfare (ASW), the United States Navy will increasingly rely on unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) technology to serve as a cost-effective force multiplier. Modern UUV development necessitates a uniquely constrained, iterative approach to the traditional submarine design spiral. Considering a broad spectrum of customer-generated requirements, the UUV conceptual design process applies the best practices of naval architecture, marine engineering, ocean engineering, systems engineering, and submersible design. This paper provides an assessment of the traditional approach to the UUV design and development process. Specifically, this paper analyzes the design philosophy for modern UUVs, provides a design framework for the UUV conceptual design process, and details specific recommendations to encourage innovation in the subsea realm.

Author(s):  
David Kellmeyer ◽  
Glenn A. Osga

Usability testing is a well known method for obtaining user feedback during the design process, Dumas & Redish (1993), Gomoll (1996), Halgren & Smilowitz (1997), Treu (1994). Testing has been a continuous aspect of the Multimodal Watchstation (MMWS) conceptual design process with different usability testing techniques having been used through various portions of the design. Early cognitive walkthrough evaluation helped to focus design efforts toward complex or contusing portions of the interface. Lo-fidelity prototype design and testing then focused on improving these portions on an individual basis. Once satisfied, hi-fidelity prototype testing was used to determine how time and interaction workload affected performance. This paper presents the various usability techniques used throughout the design process, with some key results from each technique, including a discussion of project resource investment for various design prototypes. Results indicate that utilizing various usability testing techniques provides both time and cost effective answers throughout all stages of conceptual design.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 516
Author(s):  
Luis M. Aristizábal ◽  
Carlos A. Zuluaga ◽  
Santiago Rúa ◽  
Rafael E. Vásquez

This paper addresses the development of a modular hardware architecture for the design/construction/operation of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), based on systems engineering. The Vee model is first presented as a sequential process that emphasizes the validation processes with stakeholders and verification plans in the development and production stages of the ROV’s life cycle. The conceptual design process starts with the mapping of user requirements to engineering specifications, using the House of Quality (HoQ), a quality function deployment tool that allows executing a functional-division-based hardware design process that facilitates the integration of components and subsystems, as desired for modular architectures. Then, the functional division and hardware architectures are described, and their connection is made through the proposed system architecture that sets the foundation for the definition of a physical architecture, as it involves flows that connect abstract functions with a real context. Development and production stages are exemplified through the design, construction, and integration of some hardware components needed for the remotely operated vehicle Pionero500, and the operational stage briefly describes the first sea trials conducted for the ROV. Systems engineering has shown to be a very useful tool for the development of marine vehicles and marine engineering projects that require modular architectures.


1898 ◽  
Vol 46 (1197supp) ◽  
pp. 19189-19190
Author(s):  
Charles H. Haswell

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 323-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Reynolds ◽  
C. P. Gerba ◽  
I. L. Pepper

Sewage outfalls and storm water runoff introduces pathogenic human enteric viruses into marine coastal waters, which may pose a potential public health risk. Although members of the enterovirus group have been suggested as possible indicators of sewage pollution in marine waters, the lack of rapid, sensitive and cost effective methods have prevented routine monitoring in the United States. This study compared traditional cell culture and direct RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) amplification for detection of an enterovirus. Poliovirus could be recovered from 100 L of artificial seawater with an average efficiency of 77%, using adsorption and elution from electronegative filters. Viruses were eluted from the filters with 1.5% beef extract for viruses (BEV) adjusted to pH 9.5 and reconcentrated by organic flocculation to a volume of 30 mL. Substances which interfered with detection by RT-PCR were removed by treatment of the concentrates with sephadex and chelex resins. Direct RT-PCR could detect 2.5 and 0.025 PFU (plaque forming units) for single (25 cycles) and double PCR (2 × 25 cycles) in 10 μL of pure culture poliovirus samples, respectively. These methods are currently being applied to assess the occurrence of enteroviruses at marine bathing beaches influenced by sewage discharges.


Actuators ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Tobias Vonderbank ◽  
Katharina Schmitz

Increasing performance in modern hydraulics is achieved by a close investigation of possible enhancements of its components. Prior research has pointed out that electromechanical actuators can form suitable alternatives to hydraulically piloted control systems. Since the requirements at these actuation systems depend on the operating conditions of the system, each actuator can be optimized to the respective hydraulic system. Considering that many different conceptual designs are suitable, the phase of conceptual design plays a decisive role during the design process. Therefore, this paper focuses on the process of developing new conceptual designs for electromechanical valve actuation systems using the method of function structures. Aiming to identify special design features, which need to be considered during the design process of electromechanical actuation systems, an exemplary actuator was designed based on the derived function structure. To highlight the potential of function structures for the development of new electromechanical valve actuation systems, two principal concepts, which allow the reduction of the necessary forces, have been developed by extending the function structure. These concepts have been experimentally investigated to identify their advantages and disadvantages.


2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 36-36
Author(s):  
James E Miller ◽  
Joan M Burke ◽  
Thomas H Terrill

Abstract Nematode-trapping fungi are biological control agents used against the larval stages of gastrointestinal nematodes in livestock feces. These fungi are normal soil inhabitants where they feed on a variety of non-parasitic soil nematodes. Of the various fungi tested, Duddingtonia flagrans spores (BioWorma, International Animal Health Products, Australia) have been shown to survive passage through the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants. After defecation, the spores germinate and grow in the feces to form sticky, sophisticated traps/loops which are able to trap the developing larval stages in the fecal environment. This form of control has been successfully applied under field conditions and is an environmentally safe biological approach for forage-based feeding systems. BioWorma has recently been approved for use in the United States. The primary delivery system is mixing BioWorma into supplement feedstuffs daily where each animal has the opportunity to consume an adequate amount of the mixture. To achieve optimum control of larvae during the transmission season (May–October), BioWorma needs to be fed for a period of no shorter than 60 days, starting at the beginning of the grazing season (especially young after weaning). Feeding BioWorma to dams during late pregnancy and lactation will also help to reduce pasture contamination, especially for growing young that will graze the same pasture. Another delivery system is mixing BioWorma into loose mineral supplement where animals will consume it free choice. The mineral needs to be kept covered and dry. The spores cannot be incorporated into pellets as the heat of the pelleting process will kill the spores. One drawback in using BioWorma is the relatively high cost. Research is being conducted to evaluate other delivery schemes that could be more cost effective. This product is the only control method that targets nematodes on pasture, where a majority of the total population reside.


1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 705-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Dwyer

The birth of industrial society produced demand for the services of professionals specialized in matters related to industrial safety. Three professions—safety engineering, industrial medicine, and ergonomics—are examined. These professions are observed to either submit to single sets of demands, to integrate contradictory demands, or to experience scission. Until the late 1960s their growth appears to have been relatively peaceful and uncontroversial. From this period onward, controversy breaks out over questions related to industrial safety, and professions and government administrations grow. Increasingly, the traditional approach of safety professionals is called into question, and they adopt new orientations. These changes are mapped through the examination of data drawn principally from the United States, France, Great Britain, and to a lesser extent Brazil. The traditional standards approach competes with cost-benefit analysis and with systemic safety for influence; in addition, an emergent approach that analyzes accident causes in terms of social relations of work is detected. From Bhopal to Chernobyl, new technologies subject civilian populations to risks of catastrophic accidents, and the action of safety professionals comes under the spotlight. The analysis constructed permits new understandings of the past and the future of these professions.


Author(s):  
Ehud Kroll ◽  
Lauri Koskela

AbstractThe mechanism of design reasoning from function to form is suggested to consist of a two-step inference of the innovative abduction type. First is an inference from a desired functional aspect to an idea, concept, or solution principle to satisfy the function. This is followed by a second innovative abduction, from the latest concept to form, structure, or mechanism. The intermediate entity in the logical reasoning, the concept, is thus made explicit, which is significant in following and understanding a specific design process, for educating designers, and to build a logic-based computational model of design. The idea of a two-step abductive reasoning process is developed from the critical examination of several propositions made by others. We use the notion of innovative abduction in design, as opposed to such abduction where the question is about selecting among known alternatives, and we adopt a previously proposed two-step process of abductive reasoning. However, our model is different in that the two abductions used follow the syllogistic pattern of innovative abduction. In addition to using a schematic example from the literature to demonstrate our derivation, we apply the model to an existing, empirically derived method of conceptual design called “parameter analysis” and use two examples of real design processes. The two synthetic steps of the method are shown to follow the proposed double innovative abduction scheme, and the design processes are presented as sequences of double abductions from function to concept and from concept to form, with a subsequent deductive evaluation step.


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