Hexapod Jack Inertia Reduction via Base-Mounted Drive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hexapod platforms face significant inertia due to the weight and movement of their jacks, limiting their ability to perform fast and large-scale movements.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a jack with a body, a piston, and a rod connected by a ball joint, where the body is fixed to the base and the piston moves translationally, reducing inertia by using rigid piping and hydrostatic ball joints for efficient fluid supply and pressure distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the jacks are made heavyweight with on-board drive systems, then the jacks can carry their own drive systems and operate independently, but the overall inertia of the platform increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The drive system is extracted from the moving jacks and relocated to the fixed base. The jacks now only contain the hydraulic cylinder and rod mechanism, while the motor and control systems remain stationary on the base, connected to the jacks via fixed hydraulic piping.
Solution Approach 2:
A fixed hydraulic piping system acts as an intermediary between the stationary drive system on the base and the moving jacks. This allows power transmission without requiring the jacks to carry their own drive systems, reducing jack mass while maintaining operational capability.
2Speed
If the jacks are made lightweight to reduce platform inertia, then fast movements are enabled, but the jacks cannot carry their own drive systems
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical drive system that would be mounted on the jacks is replaced with a hydraulic actuation system. The hydraulic cylinder and rod mechanism provides the necessary mechanical force while keeping the jack mass low, as the heavy motor and control systems remain on the base.
Solution Approach 2:
Hydraulic actuation is used to provide force to the lightweight jacks. The fixed hydraulic piping system on the base delivers pressurized fluid to the jack cylinders, enabling the lightweight jacks to generate sufficient force for fast platform movements without carrying their own drive systems.
3Productivity
If rigid piping is used for fluid supply, then fluid supply efficiency is improved and pressure distribution is optimized, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using flexible hoses that would accommodate jack movement, the system inverts the approach by making the piping system rigid and fixed to the base. The jacks are designed to move within constraints that are compatible with the fixed piping arrangement, achieving better fluid supply efficiency while managing complexity through careful system integration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for faster and more precise movements of the top plate with reduced inertia, enhancing the hexapod platform's capability for rapid and large-scale positioning.
Implementation Method 1
the rod is connected to the piston by means of a ball joint
Data Source
AI summary
A hexapod platform and a jack that can be used in the hexapod platform are provided. The jack includes a body, a piston capable of translational movement with respect to the body and a rod connected to the piston to follow its translational movement and by means of which the jack applies load. The rod is connected to the piston by means of a ball joint. The hexapod platform comprises six jacks according to the invention.