Underwater robots are widely used in the fields of ocean development, ocean investigation and marine environmental protection. The authors have taken much interest in the highly efficient propulsion of fish and attempt to apply the mechanism of fish-like swimming to the underwater robot. In this paper, the author examined to adopt a semi-free piston Stirling engine (SFPSE) for the power source of a fish robot. One of characteristics of the SFPSE is that the output power can be obtained directly from the reciprocating motion of a power piston. Typical thermal engines convert the reciprocating motion of the piston to rotary motion through a crank mechanism. The rotary motion is suitable for application such as a screw propeller of a ship. However, in the case of a fish robot, it is the best way that the reciprocating piston drives the oscillating tail fin directly. A great deal of mechanical frictional loss can thus be reduced. This mechanism should result in high potential for efficiency. Two types of experiments were done in this paper. First, the performance of a simple experimental SFPSE - tail fin system was examined experimentally, and it is compared with calculated results based on a simple simulation model. Second, a model boat with a fish-like swimming mechanism driven by a SFPSE was developed. The ship performance was investigated and the adaptability of SFPSE for fish robots was discussed.
A semi free piston Stirling engine for a fish robot
Stirlingmotor zum Antrieb eines Unterwasserfahrzeugs durch alternierende Ruderbewegung
2001
6 Seiten, 11 Bilder, 3 Tabellen, 6 Quellen
Conference paper
English
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