In this paper, we study the free and controlled motion of an arbitrary two-dimensional body with a moving internal material point through an ideal fluid in presence of constant circulation around the body. We perform bifurcation analysis of free motion (with fixed internal mass). We show that by changing the position of the internal mass the body can be made to move to a specified point. There are a number of control problems associated with the nonzero drift of the body in the case of fixed internal mass.

This paper is concerned with the experimental determination of the added masses of bodies completely or partially immersed in a fluid. The paper presents an experimental setup, a technique of the experiment and an underlying mathematical model. The method of determining the added masses is based on the towing of the body with a given propelling force. It is known (from theory) that the concept of an added mass arises under the assumption concerning the potentiality of flow over the body. In this context, the authors have performed PIV visualization of flows generated by the towed body, and defined a part of the trajectory for which the flow can be considered as potential. For verification of the technique, a number of experiments have been performed to determine the added masses of a spheroid. The measurement results are in agreement with the known reference data. The added masses of a screwless freeboard robot have been defined using the developed technique.

The paper is devoted to the experimental verification of the Andersen?Pesavento?Wang model describing the falling of a heavy plate through a resisting medium. As a main research method the authors have used video filming of a falling plate with PIV measurement of the velocity of surrounding fluid flows. The trajectories of plates and streamlines were determined and oscillation frequencies were estimated using experimental results. A number of experiments for plates of various densities and sizes were performed. The trajectories of plates made of plastic are qualitatively similar to the trajectories predicted by the Andersen?Pesavento?Wang model. However, measured and computed frequencies of oscillations differ significantly. For a plate made of high carbon steel the results of experiments are quantitatively and qualitatively in disagreement with computational results.

The paper is devoted to the development of a model of an underwater robot actuated by inner rotors. This design has no moving elements interacting with an environment, which minimizes a negative impact on it, and increases noiselessness of the robot motion in a liquid. Despite numerous discussions on the possibility and efficiency of motion by means of internal masses' movement, a large number of works published in recent years confirms a relevance of the research. The paper presents an overview of works aimed at studying the motion by moving internal masses. A design of a screwless underwater robot that moves by the rotation of inner rotors to conduct theoretical and experimental investigations is proposed. In the context of theoretical research a robot model is considered as a hollow ellipsoid with three rotors located inside so that the axes of their rotation are mutually orthogonal. For the proposed model of a screwless underwater robot equations of motion in the form of classical Kirchhoff equations are obtained.