auv frame

From September 2022 to May 2023, my mechanical subteam co-lead and I designed and manufactured the complete frame structure of Cornell University Autonomous Underwater (CUAUV)’s, from scratch. The frame is the backbone of the autonomous underwater vehicle’s structure, securing all enclosures and additional components around the main enclosure, the upper hull pressure vessel (UHPV). The frame’s component placement is largely responsible for how the submarine interacts with its environment.

Component placement and mounting affects buoyancy, the functionality of the enclosures and components, and the protection of these components from external impact damage. In addition to manufacturability and sufficient safety factors from typical loading, the frame design considers the specific restrictions and objectives of each enclosure and component. These specific objectives are balanced with the broader objectives of the vehicle, such as reducing pitch and roll, maximizing enclosure accessibility, and organizing enclosures in a spatially efficient manner. The frame design alone dictates vehicle layout and that made designing the frame one of the hardest technical challenges I faced thus far. Through multiple design reviews, alumni feedback, and sheer hours on Solidworks, the frame was able to be designed. At the end of the project, the submarine was trimmed with less than 3 degrees of tilt on every axis without addition floats (foam) or additions weights.