Critical Suction Characteristic Analyses of a Wall Climbing Robot

A new method called critical suction is used based on the wall climbing robot demands of miniature structure, moving smartly and low noise. It makes the robot achieve the homeostasis state in the suction cup, and in this condition the robot can stay on the wall reliably and move smartly. The fluid mechanics model and fluid network model are set up to analyze the robot suction system when the airflow is steady or changes suddenly. Furthermore, simulation results indicate the close relation between the key parameters of robot structure and the suction system. Finally the method of critical suction proves correct in theory.

Experimental investigation of critical suction velocity of coarse solid particles in hydraulic collecting

Hydraulic collecting and pipe transportation are regarded as an efficient way for exploiting submarine mineral resources such as the manganese nodules and ores.Coarse particles on the surface of the sea bed are sucked by a pipe during the mining and crushing of the mineral.In this paper,the critical suction velocity for lifting the coarse particles is investigated through a series of laboratory experiments,and the solid-liquid two-phase flow characteristics are obtained.Based on the dimensional analysis,the geometric similarity is found between actual exploitation process and model test with the same kind of material.The controlling dimensionless parameters such as the hydraulic collecting number,the relative coarse particle diameter,the relative suction height,and the density ratio are deduced and discussed.The results show that the logarithm in base 10 of the hydraulic collecting number increases approximately linearly with the increase of the relative suction height,while decreases with the relative particle diameter.A fitting formula for predicting the critical suction velocity is presented according to the experimental results.

Penetration Tests of Multi-Bucket Foundation in Sand for Offshore Wind Turbines

Suction foundations are generally installed with negative pressures to overcome the resistance of soils and complete the penetration,but excessive negative pressures are also avoided to cause seepage damages.In this paper,the model test method was used to analyze the movement characteristics of multi-bucket foundations in the process of sinking in sand,and the common calculation methods of sinking resistances are verified.The critical negative pressure corresponding to the seepage failure of foundation was determined under the action of increasing negative pressure step by step and the characteristics of soil failure were studied.The calculation formula of critical suction in sand was verified in application,and according to the test results,the value of seepage coefficient was modified,which provides an example for the study of suction foundation in sand soils.

Study on Seepage Characteristics of Composite Bucket Foundation Under Eccentric Load

Under the effect of eccentric loads,when the suction pressure of the composite bucket foundation is leveled,the seepage failure is very easy to occur.The seepage failure occurrence causes the foundation to settle unevenly and impairs the bearing performance.This study uses ABAQUS finite element software to establish a composite bucket foundation model for finite element analysis.The model simulates the seepage of the foundation penetrating process under eccentric load to reveal the induced seepage characteristics of the bucket foundation.The most vulnerable position of seepage failure under the eccentric loading is elucidated.Critical suction formulas for different offset eccentric moment strategies are derived and compared with existing literature formulas.Then the derived formula is supplemented and corrected according to the pressure difference between adjacent cabins.Conclusions can be drawn:(1)Under eccentric loads,the critical suction decreases about 7%−10%.(2)The pressure difference between adjacent cabins impacts significantly on the seepage field,and the critical suction,at most,can be reduced by 17.56%.(3)the offset strategies have little effect on the seepage field.Efficient and appropriate strategies can be selected to meet the requirement of leveling in engineering project.

A standard formulation for the installation of suction caissons in sand

Suction assisted installation of caisson foundations in sand relies on the developed seepage around the caisson wall.Seepage is known to produce soil loosening inside the caisson cavity and an overall reduction in soil resistance to caisson penetration.On the other hand,suction must be controlled so that no excessive piping is induced within the sand volume trapped inside the caisson cavity.When it extends over the full embedded length of the caisson wall,piping may lead to the formation of piping channels,which may compromise the established seal between caisson and soil and ultimately cause the installation process to stop.A safe installation process requires a proper design procedure to ensure that a safe suction can be predicted prior to installation.The present paper provides a framework where analytical expressions are obtained for the required suction magnitude,and for the critical suction that causes piping to initiate at the caisson tip.These analytical expressions are derived for a normalized caisson geometry,based on compiled results obtained from finite element analysis of seepage around a caisson wall,at various installation depths.The developed analytical formulation applies independently of caisson dimensions such as diameter,height and wall thickness.Critical suction for piping condition is also obtained under analytical form as a function of normalized penetration depth.The developed formulation can also be easily incorporated into design procedures or used in design codes without a need for a preliminary seepage analysis to be undertaken.The proposed suction predictions for the whole process of caisson installation in sand are validated against field trials reported in the literature.