Overview
The vehicle structure consists of a frame and infrastructure that support the components of the submarine. This includes mounting for all pressure vessels, sensors and actuators in addition to trimming and crane attachment systems.
Frame
The frame is constructed of aluminum and delrin components. Aluminum was used where strength was needed and Delrin was used where bulk was necessary for mounting purposes. The design is a departure from the welded box frames that the team has used in the past, instead focusing around the rear endcap as the essential structural design member.
The main upper frame consists of two 3/4 in. square aluminum tubes, connected to the three "hexes" and the rear endcap. Each hex is also attached to three aluminum U-channels. The skids are attached to both the aluminum square tubes and their respective hex section.
Skids
To allow Nova to stand on its own, three skids are used. This reduces the irritation inherit in having to carry a stand along with the vehicle for it to sit on. The skids are waterjet cut out of 1/2" delrin sheet.
Thruster Mounts
The six Nova thrusts mount via three different mounting systems, for the vertical, horizontal, and strafing thrusters.
Vertical thrusters: The vertical thrusters are Seabotix thrusters, and mount using a plate that attaches to the housing of the thruster.
Horizontal thrusters: The horizontal thrusters, which control surge and heading degrees of freedom, are Videoray thrusters. They are mounted using a custom CNC'ed Delrin block that both seals the thruster and provides a mount point.
Strafing thrusters: The strafing thrusters, which control the sway degree of freedom, are mounted inside the frame off of the long runner bars.
