Study on the Adsorption Performance of a Vortex Suction Cup under Varying Diameters of Underwater Structure Tubes

作者：Qinyun Tang, Ying Du, Zhaojin Liu, Shuo Zhang, Qiang Zhao, Yingxuan Li, Liquan Wang, Tong Cui, Gang Wang · 发表于：Journal of Marine Science and Engineering · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.3390/jmse12040662 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Fluid Dynamics Simulations and Interactions、Underwater Vehicles and Communication Systems、Soft Robotics and Applications

In certain precision work scenarios, underwater robots require the ability to adhere to surfaces in order to perform tasks effectively. An efficient and stable suction device plays a pivotal role in the functionality of such underwater robots. The vortex suction cup, distinguished by its uncomplicated design, high suction efficiency, and capability for non-contact adhesion, holds significant promise for integration into underwater robotic systems. This paper presents a novel design for a vortex suction cup and investigates its suction force and torque when encountering surfaces with varying curvature radii using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and experimental testing. These findings offer valuable insights for the development of robots capable of adapting to underwater structures of different dimensions. Results from both experiments and simulations indicate that reducing the curvature radius of the adhered surface results in a decrease in suction force and an increase in torque exerted on the suction cup. As the adhered surface transitions from flat to a curvature radius of 150 mm, the adhesion force of our proposed vortex suction cup decreases by approximately 10%, while the torque increases by approximately 20% to 30%. Consequently, the adhesion efficiency of the suction cup decreases by about 25% to 30%.