Developing a Platform for Expanding AUV exploRation to Longer ranges (PEARL)

Abstract

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are often limited in their range and mission time due to their battery capacity. Additionally, the data onboard AUVs usually needs to be downloaded directly, due to their limited data transmission capabilities, requiring time and labor to fish the AUVs out of the water. The Platform for Expanding AUV exploRation to Longer ranges (PEARL) described in this thesis aims to extend the range and duration of AUVs while reducing the overall operating cost. PEARL is an autonomous floating platform that utilizes renewable energy to recharge docked AUVs, while simultaneously uploading their mission data to a high-bandwidth low-Earth orbit satellite constellation for remote access and monitoring. This thesis describes the various stages of design and testing to develop PEARL. The first prototype explores the structures and docking capabilities of PEARL to inform initial designs. A model was then created and validated to predict energy management onboard PEARL to determine the optimal power system to be implemented. A larger scale prototype was then created, integrating several systems like sensing, energy production and management, data transmission, and autonomous waypoint navigation. This prototype was then placed in an aquatic environment for six months to monitor its interaction with the environment during long-term testing. The results will be used to inform design changes for the full-scale prototype.