Tapered, Twisted Bundled-Tube Locomotive Devices for Stepped Pipe Inspection

Autor: Daisuke Shiomi, Toshio Takayama
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Sensors, Vol 22, Iss 13, p 4997 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1424-8220
DOI: 10.3390/s22134997
Popis: The twisted bundled-tube locomotive device is an elongated soft robot that moves inside a pipe in a helical bending motion. This motion mimics the behavior of microorganisms called spirochetes. This device is inexpensive and easy to miniaturize because of its simple structure, which consists of three inflatable tubes twisted together. It can move in pipes of various diameters without a change in design. Therefore, it has a high capacity for water pipe inspection. However, it has not yet been shown to pass through step parts wherein the diameter of the pipes decreases. In this study, we developed a device that was deformed into a tapered shape by changing the pitch of the spirals at each location. The prototype device was able to move from a pipe with an inside diameter of 52.9 mm to a pipe with an inside diameter of 21.6 mm for horizontally fixed pipes, and from a pipe with an inside diameter of 41.6 mm to a pipe with an inside diameter of 21.6 mm for vertically fixed pipes.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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