Fast Taniwha sub to take on world

Fast Taniwha sub to take on world
Media Release

University of Auckland

20 May 2016

Fast Taniwha sub to take on world

The Taniwha, a human powered submarine developed at the University of Auckland, is the fastest fin driven sub in the world.

It is a wet sub, where the non-pressurised hull admits water and the pilot who pedals the propulsion mechanism breathes using a scuba apparatus.

Taniwha can go even faster than some propeller-powered subs of a similar size and its performance demonstrates the potential for fin propulsion to replace the traditional screw propeller.

Last year, at the 13th International Submarine Races, in Carderock, Maryland, the team, (the only one from the Southern Hemisphere), won the “Speed Award” for non-propeller drive, clocking a fast 3.65 knots.

The contest was based at the US Naval Surface Warfare Centre where there are testing facilities for model ship hulls in a tank that is one kilometre long. (About 100m of the tank was used for the race).

This year, the team that is based at the Biomimetics Laboratory in the University’s Auckland Bioengineering Institute, is fund-raising to take the Taniwha to Gosport in England, for the 3rd European International Subrace held from 6 to 15 July.

At Gosport, 12 University teams from around the world will race their human-powered submarines one at a time, against the clock around a demanding slalom course “in a unique sporting and engineering challenge”.

The Taniwha team has some sponsorship for the trip, but need funds for equipment, travel, and to bring the Taniwha back to New Zealand.

They have the first University of Auckland linked Give-A-Little page to lead the fundraising and hope that students and supporters will come on board for the initiative.

“Our sub, the only human-powered racing sub south of the equator, points straight and is very fast,” says Professor Anderson who has roles with Engineering Science and the Auckland Bioengineering Institute at the University of Auckland.

“Fin propulsion technology is in development and could potentially overtake screw propulsion on submersibles because fins are very versatile,” says Iain. “In addition to propulsion they can be used for steering and braking, and when you don’t need them you can fold them back or align them with the flow- lots of wonderful things that you can’t do with a propeller.”

“Finned creatures don’t just use their fins alone, but use their whole body as well to swim and steer, and so the fin is an extension of the body,” says Iain. “This year we developed and built a flexing rear part for the sub that curves around like the back end of a fish.

“The flexing tail is controlled through a single hydraulic cylinder. We are using this for steering the sub,” he says.

The pilot operator in the sub, has both hands busy – one hand controls the up and down pitching elevator at the back of the sub, and the other one controls the tail.

“One movement of this lever makes the tail sweep around in a fish-like arc,” he says. “In the sub, this is produced by having segments that give a progressive bending mechanism. This was developed by Gerrit Becker, an undergraduate student, working in the lab.”

“We have looked to fish and porpoises for inspiration – either something that they are doing or have that we can adopt, modify, or improve on for our particular application,” says Iain.

The Taniwha team is led by Assoc. Professor Anderson with pilot, doctoral student Chris Walker, and support from other academics, masters and undergraduate students.
In Gosport they will be joined by students from Germany and Austria who worked with them in Auckland last year and another ex ABI engineer from Australia.

Iain says he is already recruiting interested University students to take part in the next International Submarine Races at Carderock in 2017.

ENDS

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