The Stability and Vibration Characteristic Optimization of the Pressure Shell of a Buoyancy Regulator of an Underwater Vehicle

Underwater vehicles (UV) with a deeper operation ability are the important research field in the marine industry. In order to obtain a better and safer operation performance, the strength, stability and vibration characteristics of the pressure shell of UV should be analyzed. In this paper, a finite element model of the pressure shell of buoyancy regulator is developed. The influences of the stiffener thickness, width, position, and shell thickness on the strength, deformation, and load factor of the pressure shell are studied. In addition, a lighter and safer shell structure is obtained by using the response surface optimization method. The simulation results show that the above factors have great influence on the shell characteristics, such as strength, stability and modal parameters. Moreover, a lighter pressure shell used in the UV can be helpful for providing a better possibility to carry more equipment.