Efficiency analysis of epicyclic gear mechanism of the improved ePaddle mechanism via virtual power

Abstract

Eccentric paddle mechanism based on epicyclic gear mechanism (ePaddle-EGM) is a novel locomotion mechanism designed for amphibious robot. The epicyclic gear mechanism is the key component of ePaddle-EGM to perform multiple gaits. In this paper, efficiency of the epicyclic gear mechanism is analyzed. Via the virtual power flow, we characterize how the efficiency relates with the velocity ratio and torque ratio. Two particular conditions verified the proposed efficiency formulas.