Design & Analysis Of The Micro Screw Locomotion In-pipe Robot

Using conventional method, it takes time and resource to inspect cracks in small pipelines in such areas as chemical plants, refrigeration, nuclear power stations. What is more, it is in danger of poisoning and nuclear radiation. Therefore, Inspection inside small pipelines have become a favorable potential application.The purpose of this work is to develop an in-pipe micro robot for locomotion and inspection in pipelines with diameters of 15mm. Basing on the screw locomotion, the new-style screw locomotion and holding mechanisms are designed. This in-pipe micro robot can clam in small pipelines with speed 10mm/s, and the tractive ability is 8.512N. It meets the demand of"micro size"and"large tractive"ability.The structure and the operating principle of the in-pipe micro robot are reported. The kinematics and statics analyses are presented. Basing on the mechanic dynamic analysis software ADAMS, the virtual prototype of the in-pipe micro robot is given. The relationships between traction, driving torque, driving wheel location and dimension parameters of in-pipe micro robot are obtained by computer simulation. And the effect of normal pressure of wheel to traction is also achieved. The theory analysis is proved correctly by the simulation results. What is more, the optimized parameters of the model are deduced. And the moving characteristics in the elbow, such as locomotion constraint condition and obstacle performance, are obtained. At last, using the finite element analysis software ANSYS, the mechanical robustness and mode is analyzed. And the maximal equivalent stress, the maximal deformation, frequency is gained. Those simulation results can provide theoretical direction to the mechanical robustness designing, position compensation and speed governing avoiding syntony.