Most of the existing screw drive in-pipe robots cannot actively adjust the maximum traction capacity, which limits the adaptability to the wide range of variable environment resistance, especially in curved pipes. In ...Most of the existing screw drive in-pipe robots cannot actively adjust the maximum traction capacity, which limits the adaptability to the wide range of variable environment resistance, especially in curved pipes. In order to solve this problem, a screw drive in-pipe robot based on adaptive linkage mechanism is proposed. The differential property of the adaptive linkage mechanism allows the robot to move without motion interference in the straight and varied curved pipes by adjusting inclining angles of rollers self-adaptively. The maximum traction capacity of the robot can be changed by actively adjusting the inclining angles of rollers. In order to improve the adaptability to the variable resistance, a torque control method based on the fuzzy controller is proposed. For the variable environment resistance, the proposed control method can not only ensure enough traction force, but also limit the output torque in a feasible region. In the simulations, the robot with the proposed control method is compared to the robot with fixed inclining angles of rollers. The results show that the combination of the torque control method and the proposed robot achieves the better adaptability to the variable resistance in the straight and curved pipes.展开更多
A unilateral self-locking mechanism(USM) was proposed to increase the tractive ability of the inchworm in-pipe robots for pipeline inspection.The USM was basically composed of a cam,a torsional spring and an axis.The ...A unilateral self-locking mechanism(USM) was proposed to increase the tractive ability of the inchworm in-pipe robots for pipeline inspection.The USM was basically composed of a cam,a torsional spring and an axis.The self-locking and virtual work principles were applied to studying the basic self-locking condition of the USM.In order to make the cooperation between the crutch and telescopic mechanism more harmonical,the unlocking time of the USM was calculated.A set of parameters were selected to build a virtual model and fabricate a prototype.Both the simulation and performance experiments were carried out in a pipe with a nominal inside diameter of 160 mm.The results show that USM enables the robot to move quickly in one way,and in the other way it helps the robot get self-locking with the pipe wall.The traction of the inchworm robot can rise to 1.2 kN,beyond the limitation of friction of 0.497 kN.展开更多
This paper deals with utilization possibility of a kinematical couple of screw-matrix in minimachine mechatronic concept which is assigned to move within the pipes having less than 25 mm of the inner diameter. The pri...This paper deals with utilization possibility of a kinematical couple of screw-matrix in minimachine mechatronic concept which is assigned to move within the pipes having less than 25 mm of the inner diameter. The principle of the movement for a straightforward motion consists in transformation of the actuator rotary movement through a screw and a nut to the linear motion. It causes a change of distance between the front and rear parts of the minimachine modules. Due to minimization of the dimensions, the electrical control and power supply components are placed outside of the minimachine operating area. The control module is based on a programmable integrated circuit （PIC）.展开更多
In-pipe robots have been widely used in pipes-with smooth inner walls.However,current in-pipe robots face challenges in terms of moving past obstacles and climbing in marine-vessel pipeline systems,which are affected ...In-pipe robots have been widely used in pipes-with smooth inner walls.However,current in-pipe robots face challenges in terms of moving past obstacles and climbing in marine-vessel pipeline systems,which are affected by marine biofouling and electrochemical corrosion.This paper takes inspiration from the dual-hook structure of Trypoxylus dichotomus’s feet and gecko‑like dry adhesives,proposing an in-pipe robot that is capable of climbing on rough and smooth pipe inwalls.The combination of the bioinspired hook and dry adhesives allows the robot to stably attach to rough or smooth pipe inwalls,while the wheel-leg hybrid mechanism provides better conditions for obstacle traversal.The paper explores the attachment and obstacle-surmounting mechanisms of the robot.Moreover,motion strategies for the robot are devised based on different pipe structural features.The experiments showed that this robot can adapt to both smooth and rough pipe environments simultaneously,and its motion performance is superior to conventional driving mechanisms.The robot’s active turning actuators also enable it to navigate through horizontally or vertically oriented 90°bends.展开更多
Soft in-pipe robot has good adaptability in tubular circumstances,while its rigidity is insufficient,which affects the traction performance.This paper proposes a novel worm-like in-pipe robot with a rigid and soft str...Soft in-pipe robot has good adaptability in tubular circumstances,while its rigidity is insufficient,which affects the traction performance.This paper proposes a novel worm-like in-pipe robot with a rigid and soft structure,which not only has strong traction ability but also flexible mobility in the shaped pipes.Imitating the structure features of the earthworm,the bionic in-pipe robot structure is designed including two soft anchor parts and one rigid telescopic part.The soft-supporting mechanism is the key factor for the in-pipe robot excellent performance,whose mathematical model is established and the mechanical characteristics are analyzed,which is used to optimize the structural parameters.The prototype is developed and the motion control strategy is planned.Various performances of the in-pipe robot are tested,such as the traction ability,moving velocity and adaptability.For comparative analysis,different operating scenarios are built including the horizontal pipe,the inclined pipe,the vertical pipe and other unstructured pipes.The experiment results show that the in-pipe robot is suitable for many kinds of pipe applications,the average traction is about 6.8N,the moving velocity is in the range of 9.5 to 12.7 mm/s.展开更多
A screw drive in-pipe robot is promising inspection equipment for small pipes. However, most of the existing screw drive in-pipe robots have problems of motion interference and slipping inside curved or irregular pipe...A screw drive in-pipe robot is promising inspection equipment for small pipes. However, most of the existing screw drive in-pipe robots have problems of motion interference and slipping inside curved or irregular pipes. These problems result from the coupled relations among the steering motion, the motion speed and the load ability of the robot. In order to deal with the problems, the axiomatic design （AD） theory is applied to evaluate and analyze the existing designs. Then an uncoupled con- cept design based on the AD theory is proposed and the complete AD decomposition process is presented. After that, the pro- posed robot based on a tri-axial differential angle modulation mechanism is designed to realize the uncoupled concept. Finally, the uncoupled property is verified in a dynamics simulation system. The simulation results indicate that the mc tion speed, load ability and steering motion of the proposed robot can be adjusted individually compared with the robots taat have inclin- ing-angle-fixed rollers. Owing to the uncoupled design, the proposed robot can mechanically adapt to straight pipes and curved pipes with less roller slipping.展开更多
To improve the safety and efficiency of polishing operations in circular boiler headers, a new type of wheel-drive polishing robot was developed in this study. The robot was designed to grind weld beads on the inner w...To improve the safety and efficiency of polishing operations in circular boiler headers, a new type of wheel-drive polishing robot was developed in this study. The robot was designed to grind weld beads on the inner walls of pipes in diameter between 550 mm and 714 mm. The robot consists of a moving structure, a positioning structure, and a polishing structure. Charge coupled device （CCD） cameras and line lasers are used in the robot＇s vision system, thus the robot can be manually controlled to move, locate, and grind quickly and accurately. The experimental results showed that the robot performed well in practical applications.展开更多
A new method to drive and control micro in-pipe robot by means of magneticfield outside pipe is put forward, in which wireless micro robot can move forward driven by thevibration of its legs through converting magneti...A new method to drive and control micro in-pipe robot by means of magneticfield outside pipe is put forward, in which wireless micro robot can move forward driven by thevibration of its legs through converting magnetic energy into mechanical one under the action ofpiezomagnetism and magnetomechanical coupling of its micro GMA, when time varied oscillatingmagnetic field with different frequency applied outside pipe. Firstly its systematical structure andoperation principle are introduced, and energy converting process from outside magnetic one intomechanical one is analyzed through setting up the magnetic and mechanical dynamic model of GMA andestablishing dynamic model of two stage amplifier of mobile earner. Robot systematical experimentsshow the correctness of the theoretical analysis and its feasibility. As a result, drive and controlmethod without cable through outside magnetic field is realized.展开更多
The presented system consists of field devices, a control system and a host computer system. The field devices, which are composed of an in-pipe micro-robot, a displacement sensor, a curvature sensor, and an inner sur...The presented system consists of field devices, a control system and a host computer system. The field devices, which are composed of an in-pipe micro-robot, a displacement sensor, a curvature sensor, and an inner surface measurement unit, can go into the pipe to get the data of displace- ment and axis curvature, and the shape data of the inner surface. With the conic-shape laser beam shot by the inner surface measurement unit, the intersectional curve between the laser beam and the inner-surface of the tested pipe can be calculated in the local coordination system （LCS） of the inner surface measurement unit. The relation between the LCS and the global coordination system （GCS） can be deduced, too. After the robot reaches the end of the pipe, all measured intersectional curves can be translated into the same coordination system to become a point cloud of the inner surface of the pipe according to the relations between LCS and GCS. Depending on this points cloud, the CAD model of the inner surface of the pipe can be reconstructed easily with reverse engineering tools, and the feature of flaw of the pipe can be obtained with flaw analysis tools.展开更多
The pipe inspection robot system is developed for automatic inspection of gas pipeline with pipe diameter between 400 mm and 650 mm. It is composed of a pipe robot crawling mechanism controlled by remote network syste...The pipe inspection robot system is developed for automatic inspection of gas pipeline with pipe diameter between 400 mm and 650 mm. It is composed of a pipe robot crawling mechanism controlled by remote network system, nondestructive examination sensor system, ground working station and so on. This paper presents the pipe inspection robot system design, the Key technique and the performance experiment of the robot. The main performance index of the pipe robot system prototype has reached domestic advanced level. The prototype has also the technical potential to be developed as a product used in industry for periodic check of main gas/oil pipe.展开更多
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.61273345)
文摘Most of the existing screw drive in-pipe robots cannot actively adjust the maximum traction capacity, which limits the adaptability to the wide range of variable environment resistance, especially in curved pipes. In order to solve this problem, a screw drive in-pipe robot based on adaptive linkage mechanism is proposed. The differential property of the adaptive linkage mechanism allows the robot to move without motion interference in the straight and varied curved pipes by adjusting inclining angles of rollers self-adaptively. The maximum traction capacity of the robot can be changed by actively adjusting the inclining angles of rollers. In order to improve the adaptability to the variable resistance, a torque control method based on the fuzzy controller is proposed. For the variable environment resistance, the proposed control method can not only ensure enough traction force, but also limit the output torque in a feasible region. In the simulations, the robot with the proposed control method is compared to the robot with fixed inclining angles of rollers. The results show that the combination of the torque control method and the proposed robot achieves the better adaptability to the variable resistance in the straight and curved pipes.
基金Project(2007AA04Z256) supported by the National High-Tech Research and Development Program of China
文摘A unilateral self-locking mechanism(USM) was proposed to increase the tractive ability of the inchworm in-pipe robots for pipeline inspection.The USM was basically composed of a cam,a torsional spring and an axis.The self-locking and virtual work principles were applied to studying the basic self-locking condition of the USM.In order to make the cooperation between the crutch and telescopic mechanism more harmonical,the unlocking time of the USM was calculated.A set of parameters were selected to build a virtual model and fabricate a prototype.Both the simulation and performance experiments were carried out in a pipe with a nominal inside diameter of 160 mm.The results show that USM enables the robot to move quickly in one way,and in the other way it helps the robot get self-locking with the pipe wall.The traction of the inchworm robot can rise to 1.2 kN,beyond the limitation of friction of 0.497 kN.
文摘This paper deals with utilization possibility of a kinematical couple of screw-matrix in minimachine mechatronic concept which is assigned to move within the pipes having less than 25 mm of the inner diameter. The principle of the movement for a straightforward motion consists in transformation of the actuator rotary movement through a screw and a nut to the linear motion. It causes a change of distance between the front and rear parts of the minimachine modules. Due to minimization of the dimensions, the electrical control and power supply components are placed outside of the minimachine operating area. The control module is based on a programmable integrated circuit （PIC）.
基金supported by the Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures(1005-IZD23002-25)the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant nos.52075248.
文摘In-pipe robots have been widely used in pipes-with smooth inner walls.However,current in-pipe robots face challenges in terms of moving past obstacles and climbing in marine-vessel pipeline systems,which are affected by marine biofouling and electrochemical corrosion.This paper takes inspiration from the dual-hook structure of Trypoxylus dichotomus’s feet and gecko‑like dry adhesives,proposing an in-pipe robot that is capable of climbing on rough and smooth pipe inwalls.The combination of the bioinspired hook and dry adhesives allows the robot to stably attach to rough or smooth pipe inwalls,while the wheel-leg hybrid mechanism provides better conditions for obstacle traversal.The paper explores the attachment and obstacle-surmounting mechanisms of the robot.Moreover,motion strategies for the robot are devised based on different pipe structural features.The experiments showed that this robot can adapt to both smooth and rough pipe environments simultaneously,and its motion performance is superior to conventional driving mechanisms.The robot’s active turning actuators also enable it to navigate through horizontally or vertically oriented 90°bends.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,52005369Open Project Fund of Tianjin Key Laboratory of Integrated Design and Online Monitoring of Light Industry and Food Engineering Machinery and Equipment,2020LIMFE05.
文摘Soft in-pipe robot has good adaptability in tubular circumstances,while its rigidity is insufficient,which affects the traction performance.This paper proposes a novel worm-like in-pipe robot with a rigid and soft structure,which not only has strong traction ability but also flexible mobility in the shaped pipes.Imitating the structure features of the earthworm,the bionic in-pipe robot structure is designed including two soft anchor parts and one rigid telescopic part.The soft-supporting mechanism is the key factor for the in-pipe robot excellent performance,whose mathematical model is established and the mechanical characteristics are analyzed,which is used to optimize the structural parameters.The prototype is developed and the motion control strategy is planned.Various performances of the in-pipe robot are tested,such as the traction ability,moving velocity and adaptability.For comparative analysis,different operating scenarios are built including the horizontal pipe,the inclined pipe,the vertical pipe and other unstructured pipes.The experiment results show that the in-pipe robot is suitable for many kinds of pipe applications,the average traction is about 6.8N,the moving velocity is in the range of 9.5 to 12.7 mm/s.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.61273345)
文摘A screw drive in-pipe robot is promising inspection equipment for small pipes. However, most of the existing screw drive in-pipe robots have problems of motion interference and slipping inside curved or irregular pipes. These problems result from the coupled relations among the steering motion, the motion speed and the load ability of the robot. In order to deal with the problems, the axiomatic design （AD） theory is applied to evaluate and analyze the existing designs. Then an uncoupled con- cept design based on the AD theory is proposed and the complete AD decomposition process is presented. After that, the pro- posed robot based on a tri-axial differential angle modulation mechanism is designed to realize the uncoupled concept. Finally, the uncoupled property is verified in a dynamics simulation system. The simulation results indicate that the mc tion speed, load ability and steering motion of the proposed robot can be adjusted individually compared with the robots taat have inclin- ing-angle-fixed rollers. Owing to the uncoupled design, the proposed robot can mechanically adapt to straight pipes and curved pipes with less roller slipping.
文摘To improve the safety and efficiency of polishing operations in circular boiler headers, a new type of wheel-drive polishing robot was developed in this study. The robot was designed to grind weld beads on the inner walls of pipes in diameter between 550 mm and 714 mm. The robot consists of a moving structure, a positioning structure, and a polishing structure. Charge coupled device （CCD） cameras and line lasers are used in the robot＇s vision system, thus the robot can be manually controlled to move, locate, and grind quickly and accurately. The experimental results showed that the robot performed well in practical applications.
基金This project is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.60275034) and Provincical Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning (No. 20032119)
文摘A new method to drive and control micro in-pipe robot by means of magneticfield outside pipe is put forward, in which wireless micro robot can move forward driven by thevibration of its legs through converting magnetic energy into mechanical one under the action ofpiezomagnetism and magnetomechanical coupling of its micro GMA, when time varied oscillatingmagnetic field with different frequency applied outside pipe. Firstly its systematical structure andoperation principle are introduced, and energy converting process from outside magnetic one intomechanical one is analyzed through setting up the magnetic and mechanical dynamic model of GMA andestablishing dynamic model of two stage amplifier of mobile earner. Robot systematical experimentsshow the correctness of the theoretical analysis and its feasibility. As a result, drive and controlmethod without cable through outside magnetic field is realized.
基金This project is supported by National Hi-tech Research and DevelopmentProgram of China (863 program, No.2001AA423130).
文摘The presented system consists of field devices, a control system and a host computer system. The field devices, which are composed of an in-pipe micro-robot, a displacement sensor, a curvature sensor, and an inner surface measurement unit, can go into the pipe to get the data of displace- ment and axis curvature, and the shape data of the inner surface. With the conic-shape laser beam shot by the inner surface measurement unit, the intersectional curve between the laser beam and the inner-surface of the tested pipe can be calculated in the local coordination system （LCS） of the inner surface measurement unit. The relation between the LCS and the global coordination system （GCS） can be deduced, too. After the robot reaches the end of the pipe, all measured intersectional curves can be translated into the same coordination system to become a point cloud of the inner surface of the pipe according to the relations between LCS and GCS. Depending on this points cloud, the CAD model of the inner surface of the pipe can be reconstructed easily with reverse engineering tools, and the feature of flaw of the pipe can be obtained with flaw analysis tools.
基金This Research is Supported by the High Technology Research and Development (863) Programme of China(No.:2002AA442110)
文摘The pipe inspection robot system is developed for automatic inspection of gas pipeline with pipe diameter between 400 mm and 650 mm. It is composed of a pipe robot crawling mechanism controlled by remote network system, nondestructive examination sensor system, ground working station and so on. This paper presents the pipe inspection robot system design, the Key technique and the performance experiment of the robot. The main performance index of the pipe robot system prototype has reached domestic advanced level. The prototype has also the technical potential to be developed as a product used in industry for periodic check of main gas/oil pipe.
