Predicting the wake behind a large AUV hydrofoil

Measurements of the wake behind an experimental 3.5 m wide hydrofoil fabricated to accommodate a large acoustic receiving array on an autonomous underwater vehicle are reported. Results from laboratory experiments using particle image velocimetry of a full scale prototype in a large flume tank are compared to 2D numerical simulations. A parameter space of four flow speeds and five angles of attack are examined. An empirical model to predict the downstream velocity in the wake is developed based on the experimental results and the numerical simulations.