Fluid drive and structural velocity-design of new type of pipe robot

The paper studied a new type of pipe robot using fluid drive and controlled velocity. The robot consists of a new type of constant velocity-drive unit which core is driven by gasbag controlled by radial size, adjusting velocity unit of closed loop in real-time and supporting unit with variable radium. Moreover, drive unit can change outer radium of gasbag and inter wall of pipe by controlling radial size of gasbag in order to come into spillover loop-clearance, adjust and control differential pressure of fluid media between front and back ends of robot, implement to move with constant velocity. A set of running equipment simulated by functional test is built by gas source. The running tests are implemented by robot in simulating environment. The results verify the possibility of the method.