Numerical Analysis of a Non-Contact Surface Adhesion System based on Vortex Cup for Wall Climbing Robots

Abstract

In this work, an adhesion system for wall climbing robots using vortex cup has been designed and numerically simulated. A small scale model of the system has been designed and the flow patterns including pressure and velocity fields are computed using CFD analysis. The results are verified using mesh independ­ency and validated through comparison with the available experimental data and show to have high correlation together. Then a large scale vortex cup based on an actual weight of a wall climbing robot has been designed and simulated. Furthermore, the effects of different parameters such as the number of nozzles, cup height and cup radius on the adhesion force have been studied. Finally, a new cup has been designed base on the optimum data obtained from the numerical results.