Reconfigurable underwater robots with dual-jet piezoelectric synthetic jet thrusters

IF 7.1 1区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, MECHANICAL

International Journal of Mechanical Sciences Pub Date : 2025-06-18 DOI:10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2025.110510

Kai Li , Hongze Zhang , Zemin Chen , Luyang Li , Shuo Chen , Lu Zhang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

As underwater exploration advances toward deep-sea operations in complex, unstructured environments, there is a growing need for compact, pressure-resistant robotic systems with enhanced agility and multifunctionality. Conventional electric motor-driven underwater robots struggle to meet these demands due to limitations in dynamic sealing and pressure-resistance. While robots based on functional materials offer miniaturization, they often lack adaptability to complex tasks. This paper presents a compact piezoelectric jet module (3 × 3 × 1.5 cm) with a pressure resistance of 20 MPa, delivering a maximum thrust of 16.4 mN and an average speed of 9.38 cm/s. By employing a dense piezoelectric actuator and an internal-external interconnected structure, the module overcomes the traditional trade-off between depth tolerance and miniaturization. A new explanation for thrust generation in piezoelectric synthetic jet thrusters is proposed based on flow field observations. Two modular reconfigurable underwater robots—Driller and Catcher—are developed using this module and successfully perform tasks in simulated environments. This work contributes to the understanding of piezoelectric jet propulsion and offers a foundation for designing next-generation small, reconfigurable underwater robots.

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双射流压电合成射流推进器可重构水下机器人

随着水下勘探向复杂、非结构化环境下的深海作业发展，对紧凑型、耐压型、灵活性强、多功能性强的机器人系统的需求日益增长。由于动力密封和耐压性的限制，传统的电动水下机器人难以满足这些要求。虽然基于功能材料的机器人提供小型化，但它们往往缺乏对复杂任务的适应性。本文介绍了一种紧凑的压电射流模块（3 × 3 × 1.5 cm），抗压能力为20 MPa，最大推力为16.4 mN，平均速度为9.38 cm/s。通过采用密集的压电驱动器和内外互联结构，该模块克服了传统的深度公差和小型化之间的权衡。基于流场观测，提出了压电合成射流推力器推力产生的新解释。使用该模块开发了两种模块化可重构水下机器人——司钻和捕捉器，并成功地在模拟环境中执行任务。这项工作有助于理解压电射流推进，并为设计下一代小型可重构水下机器人提供基础。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Mechanical Sciences 工程技术-工程：机械

CiteScore

12.80

自引率

17.80%

发文量

769

审稿时长

19 days

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Mechanical Sciences (IJMS) serves as a global platform for the publication and dissemination of original research that contributes to a deeper scientific understanding of the fundamental disciplines within mechanical, civil, and material engineering. The primary focus of IJMS is to showcase innovative and ground-breaking work that utilizes analytical and computational modeling techniques, such as Finite Element Method (FEM), Boundary Element Method (BEM), and mesh-free methods, among others. These modeling methods are applied to diverse fields including rigid-body mechanics (e.g., dynamics, vibration, stability), structural mechanics, metal forming, advanced materials (e.g., metals, composites, cellular, smart) behavior and applications, impact mechanics, strain localization, and other nonlinear effects (e.g., large deflections, plasticity, fracture). Additionally, IJMS covers the realms of fluid mechanics (both external and internal flows), tribology, thermodynamics, and materials processing. These subjects collectively form the core of the journal's content. In summary, IJMS provides a prestigious platform for researchers to present their original contributions, shedding light on analytical and computational modeling methods in various areas of mechanical engineering, as well as exploring the behavior and application of advanced materials, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and materials processing.