A Conceptual Design of a Reliable Hard Docking System : Docking of an utonomous underwater vehicle to the new generation A26 submarine

Sammanfattning: In year 2024 and 2025 the Royal Swedish Navy is expected to launch two new submarines with new possibilities to dock underwater vehicles. The submarines are part of the new Blekinge Class (A26) and will aid the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) in their aim to develop and use more autonomous systems, to increase staff efficiency and to face the technological challenges of tomorrow. This thesis was carried out at FMV, with the purpose of investigating the physical requirements put on the new submarines, when docking an autonomous underwater vehicle. These requirements were identified through an analysis of qualitative and quantitative research. The analysis resulted in ten key insights, which led to thirteen requirements. The requirements were combined with project specific data of the AUV62 system and A26 submarine, to develop three conceptual designs of hard docking systems. The concepts were verified through analysis of material, stress and deflection, and geometric constraints. The concepts were evaluated based on how well they were fulfilling each requirement. A hammock-alike concept was shown to have most potential in being the most reliable hard docking system. The thesis ended with concluding that its purpose had been fulfilled, followed with recommendations for continued work.