Host: The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
Name : [in Japanese]
Date : June 01, 2022 - June 04, 2022
In this paper, we investigate the basic characteristics of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) bellows for the buoyancy control module mounted on the environmental surveying underwater robot. First, the pressure tolerance of the bellows was measured, and it was confirmed that the bellows could be used as a buoyancy controller up to a water depth of about 50[m]. Then, we measured the spring constant of the bellows, which is necessary to calculate the energy efficiency when controlling the buoyancy force. In addition, the displacement of the bellows was simulated. The results showed consistency between the simulated displacement and the displacement calculated from the measured spring constant. Therefore, it is thought that the displacement of the bellows can be estimated by simulation in the future.
