Simulation environment and guidance system for AUV tracing chemical plume in 3-dimensions

Due to its significant potential applications, underwater chemical plume exploration and source localization via an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is currently a hot subject both in AUV and oceanic engineering research communities. Chemical plume including buoyant stem and non-buoyant part such as deep-sea hydrothermal plume is a typical dynamic 3D feature in the ocean environment; therefore, finding and tracing chemical plume and localizing its source require the AUV to explore in the 3D space. In order to study and optimize the 3D version of the AUV strategies and behaviors for chemical plume exploration and source localization, a simulation environment comprising a 3D plume simulation module, and a guidance system which enables the AUV to navigate in a 3D fashion accurately as planned by the high-level planning system are presented in this paper. Simulation results are given and illustrate the performance of the proposed simulation environment and guidance system.