Underwater Robot Mud Sled Water-Jet Friction Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seabed operation vehicles face challenges in navigating ultra-soft underwater geological environments due to high ground pressure, difficulty in mud removal, limited mobility, and inability to collect minerals buried under stones or impurities, leading to inefficiencies and structural complexities.
Innovation Solution
A special suspension-type tracked underwater robot with track-mud sled structures and water-jet devices to reduce friction, combined with a floating mechanism and mechanical arm for six-degree-of-freedom movement and obstacle removal, enabling efficient mineral collection and photography.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If track shoes are made taller to improve mud removal capability, then the ability to pull out of mud is improved, but the frictional resistance between track shoes and ground increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces water as an intermediary substance through water-jet devices and mud sled structures. Water is sprayed between track shoes and the ground to form a lubricating film, reducing frictional resistance while allowing taller track shoes to effectively pull out of mud. This mediator (water film) resolves the contradiction by decoupling the relationship between track shoe height and friction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs hydraulic principles by using water-jet devices to喷射 high-speed water streams and mud sled structures to distribute water pressure. The water jet system creates a pressurized fluid barrier between the track shoes and ground, reducing friction through hydrodynamic lubrication while maintaining effective mud removal capability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If horizontal width of tracks is increased to enlarge contact area and improve stability, then stability is improved, but frictional resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses water as a mediator between the track and ground surfaces. By spraying water through water-jet devices and distributing it via mud sled structures, a lubricating water film is formed that reduces frictional resistance across the entire contact area, allowing wider tracks to maintain stability without proportionally increasing friction.
3Stability of the object's composition
If ground contact area is enlarged by additional structures, then stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the mud sled structures. These structures simultaneously serve as ground contact elements for stability, water distribution channels for friction reduction, and structural support for the track system. This integration avoids the need for separate additional structures, reducing overall device complexity while achieving the desired stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The mud sled structures are designed as multi-functional components that perform multiple roles: providing ground contact area for stability, distributing water to reduce friction, and supporting the track mechanism. This universal design eliminates the need for separate dedicated structures for each function, reducing system complexity.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If track shoes are made shorter to reduce friction, then frictional resistance is reduced, but mud removal capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces water as a mediator that decouples the relationship between track shoe length and friction. By spraying water through water-jet devices and distributing it via mud sled structures, a lubricating film is formed that reduces frictional resistance independently of track shoe dimensions, allowing shorter track shoes to maintain effective mud removal capability without excessive friction.
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
The robot effectively reduces frictional resistance, improves stability and mobility, allows for efficient mineral collection and photography, and reduces operational costs by eliminating the need for a mother ship for launch and recovery.
Implementation Method 1
the arched plate heads press water downwards to form a water film at the bottoms of the mud sled structures together with the water sprayed by the plate water-jet devices, and thus, the mud resistance is reduced
Implementation Method 2
track water-jet devices are arranged to remove mud between track shoes, so that the height of the track shoes can be increased, and the track shoes can be pulled out of the mud more easily
Data Source
AI summary
A special suspension-type tracked underwater robot adaptable to ultra-soft geological conditions comprises traveling mechanisms, wherein the traveling mechanisms are track-mud sled structures, the mud sled structures are fixedly arranged on two sides of each track, and the bottoms of the mud sled structures are higher than the bottoms of the tracks and are provided with arched plate heads; the arched plate heads are provided with plate water-jet devices capable of spraying water forwards; and in the traveling process of the traveling mechanisms, and the arched plate heads press water downwards to form a water film at the bottoms of the mud sled structures together with the water sprayed by the plate water-jet devices, so that the traveling mud resistance is reduced, and the robot can stably advance under ultra-soft geological conditions. The special suspension-type tracked underwater robot further comprises a propelling mechanism, an adjustment device, an operating module, and the like, can autonomously advance on a seabed, can suspend in water, can repair itself when broken, and can achieve detailed operations.