DESIGN, MANUFACTURING, AND EXPERIMENTAL OF PERISTALTIC MECHANISM ROBOT INSIDE PIPE

• Main Author: AGUS NUGROHO (NIM : 33110001), EKO
• Format: Dissertations
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/26886
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Piping installation is important equipment in oil and gas industry. Pipeline maintenance and inspection become routine needs to keep remains good performance. A new cheap development method will increase the frequency of regular maintenance pipe, so it will reduce the failure operations. One example is the development method to unclog pipe caused by freezing wax. The common solving are injecting pressurize air or circulating hot water into the pipe. If there are excessive clogging area this method can be done, so this needs another method to solve the problem. One method has ever developed was injecting chemical solvent into the pipe the pumping the solution out. That method requires equipment that able to get into a pipe at the same time carrying chemical. Pipeline maintenance and inspection technology has been advanced in the last few decades. <br /> <br /> Researcher continuously developed an active robot mechanism that move into the pipe. One is bio-robot mechanism that uses the principle of structural deformation. This mechanism does not use wheels or legs but utilized the effect of peristaltic to move such as the earthworm gait. This mechanism is very simple and can eliminate the weakness of wheels and legs mechanism. <br /> <br /> In this study developed a mechanism peristaltic robot that moves in the pipe. This research is expected to contribute in the research and development of bio robot mechanism for pipe maintenance and inspection. In the economic aspect, the result of this research could be applied in the field to solve the problem of clogging pipe to save costs. This research is an original idea to propose patent for intellectual property in Indonesia. <br /> <br /> The research method is divided into four steps. The first step is preparation includes study the background, determination the research purposes, field data collection and literature. The second step is design and manufacturing robot includes design concept and preliminary analysis both theoretical and experimental. This step developed two type of peristaltic robot there are robot type I called spiral robot and robot type II called shoes robot. Both type of robot has some similarities of dimension and the way of movement so there are could be compared proportionately. Spiral robot moves using segment spiral as a contact area so shoes robot using shoe tread. The third step is a simulation that aims to make corrections whether an algorithm has produced an optimal movement. The forth step is movement experimental. The scope of testing divided into four group; traction test, movement test in the straight pipe, the uphill pipe movement test, and movement test in an elbow. The testing group applied to both type of robots, each test performed in the pipe that has smooth and rough surface. <br /> <br /> Traction test aims to determine the ability of robot pulling load while walking. The traction test result is a traction characteristic equation that used to prediction mileage and movement effectiveness base on the load or tensile force. The straight pipe movement test is the second group. This test aims to determine the effectiveness of the movement which is ratio of actual to theoretical mileage on both types of robots. The movement test of uphill pipe is the third group. This test aims to determine the robot ability to walk in a sloping pipe. The movement test in the elbow is the fourth of test group. This test aims to determine the ability of robot walking on the turning track. <br /> <br /> This research has produced prototype of peristaltic robots and the basic study of mechanism a robot that moving in the pipe. The next research and development need to be done to produce equipment for industry that requires pipe maintenance. <br />