The second generation of autonomous surface vessels: Optimized performance for AUVs assistance at Sea

The next generation of Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASV) will be optimized for optimum performance at sea. The design of an innovative unconventional SWATH-ASV family, patented by the author and under further investigation at the MIT innovative Ship design lab is described in its main features. The new unconventional design of the hull is the key to superior resistance, powering and seakeeping performance. The achievement of these excellent results is a direct consequence of the extensive use of new computational fluid dynamic tools integrated into full parametric geometry optimization methods. The main modeling capabilities of these numerical methods are presented. As a result, the new ASV-SWATH is able to demand 20% to 40% less propulsion power than conventional catamarans at high speeds and it is subject to significantly lower motions in waves: 50% less heave and 60% pitch in a wide range of incoming wave frequencies. The new ASV platform is the ideal, yet missing, element to realize a true persistent and portable network of AUVs at sea. The characteristics of onboard systems for AUV launching/recovering and wireless recharging are finally discussed and their feasibility assessed in the light of the seakeeping predictions performed both for the AUV and the ASV in the same sea state.