MSc Master Thesis:  Design of a Counter-Rotating Propulsion System for Active Roll Control of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) serve as a low-emission, cost-efficient alternative to traditional ship-based missions, enabling minimally invasive, high-resolution exploration of marine biodiversity. This thesis will focuses on optimizing a counter-rotating propeller design for AUV to enhance their performance in ecological monitoring of marine habitats. The aim is to achieve improved thrust efficiency across a broad velocity range while enabling active roll control of the AUV.

Design Optimization counter-rotating propeller for improved thrust efficiency and active roll stabilization of AUVs through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations.
Prototype and test multiple propeller configurations using 3D printing to validate simulation results and assess real-world performance
Integrate and test the optimized propellers on the AUV to assess real-world thrust, stability, and maneuverability in controlled aquatic environments.

Knowledge of fluid simulation and modeling
Experience with CFD tools like as OpenFOAM or similar
Experience with Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools such as SolidWorks or similar

Güngör, E. (2017, June). Hybrid Design Method for a Generic Counter-Rotating Propeller. In Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Marine Propulsion smp (Vol. 17, pp. 12-15).
Öztürk, S. (2022). Design and Performance Analysis of a Counter Rotating Propeller (Master's thesis, Middle East Technical University (Turkey)).

We look forward to receiving your complete informative application documents (please include transcript of grades). For further information and application, please contact Mr. Bilal Wehbe.