Study on Rovers with wheel base variable mechanism to traverse loose soil

Author(s):  
Kojiro IIZUKA ◽  
So KOYAMA ◽  
Kazuki KITAJIMA ◽  
Daisuke FUJIWARA ◽  
Takashi KAWAMURA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

The study of the transport and capture of particles moving in a fluid flow in a porous medium is an important problem of underground hydromechanics, which occurs when strengthening loose soil and creating watertight partitions for building tunnels and underground structures. A one-dimensional mathematical model of long-term deep filtration of a monodisperse suspension in a homogeneous porous medium with a dimensional particle retention mechanism is considered. It is assumed that the particles freely pass through large pores and get stuck at the inlet of small pores whose diameter is smaller than the particle size. The model takes into account the change in the permeability of the porous medium and the permissible flow through the pores with increasing concentration of retained particles. A new spatial variable obtained by a special coordinate transformation in model equations is small at any time at each point of the porous medium. A global asymptotic solution of the model equations is constructed by the method of series expansion in a small parameter. The asymptotics found is everywhere close to a numerical solution. Global asymptotic solution can be used to solve the inverse filtering problem and when planning laboratory experiments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisuke Fujiwara ◽  
Naoki Tsujikawa ◽  
Tetsuya Oshima ◽  
Kojiro Iizuka

Abstract Planetary exploration rovers have required a high traveling performance to overcome obstacles such as loose soil and rocks. Push-pull locomotion rovers is a unique scheme, like an inchworm, and it has high traveling performance on loose soil. Push-pull locomotion uses the resistance force by keeping a locked-wheel related to the ground, whereas the conventional rotational traveling uses the shear force from loose soil. The locked-wheel is a key factor for traveling in the push-pull scheme. Understanding the sinking behavior and its resistance force is useful information for estimating the rover’s performance. Previous studies have reported the soil motion under the locked-wheel, the traction, and the traveling behavior of the rover. These studies were, however, limited to the investigation of the resistance force and amount of sinkage for the particular condition depending on the rover. Additionally, the locked-wheel sinks into the soil until it obtains the required force for supporting the other wheels’ motion. How the amount of sinkage and resistance forces are generated at different wheel sizes and mass of an individual wheel has remained unclear, and its estimation method hasn’t existed. This study, therefore, addresses the relationship between the sinkage and its resistance force, and we analyze and consider this relationship via the towing experiment and theoretical consideration. The results revealed that the sinkage reached a steady-state value and depended on the contact area and mass of each wheel, and the maximum resistance force also depends on this sinkage. Additionally, the estimation model did not capture the same trend as the experimental results when the wheel width changed, whereas, the model captured a relatively the same trend as the experimental result when the wheel mass and diameter changed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Maria Nomikou ◽  
Vasileios Kaloidas ◽  
Christos Triantafyllos Galmpenis ◽  
Nicolaos Anagnostopoulos ◽  
Georgios Tzouvalas

Pumice quarried by LAVA MINING AND QUARRYING SA from Yali Island, Dodecanese, is used in domestic and foreign markets mainly as concrete lightweight aggregate, masonry unit constituents, road substrate, and loose soil stabilization. It is a porous natural volcanic rock with low density, low thermal and noise transmission, and the highest strength among all the natural or artificial lightweight materials of mineral origin. Nowadays, pumice is of additional interest as it has a reduced CO2 footprint because thermal energy is not needed for its expansion compared with the artificial lightweight aggregates. In this context, HERACLES GROUP in collaboration with Sika Hellas has launched a new product containing pumice stone under the brand name GUNITECH®. GUNITECH® is an innovative bagged material for spraying concrete applications. It is a ready lightweight concrete, for building repairs certified as EN 1504-3.


Irriga ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amauri Nelson Beutler ◽  
José Frederico Centurion ◽  
Cassiano Garcia Roque ◽  
Zigomar Menezes de Souza

INFLUÊNCIA DA COMPACTAÇÃO E DO CULTIVO DE SOJA NOS ATRIBUTOS FÍSICOS E NA CONDUTIVIDADE HIDRÁULICA EM LATOSSOLO VERMELHO   Amauri Nelson BeutlerJosé Frederico CenturionCassiano Garcia RoqueZigomar Menezes de SouzaDepartamento de Solos e Adubos, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, SP. CEP 14870-000. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]  1 RESUMO              Este estudo teve como objetivo determinar a influência da compactação e do cultivo de soja nos atributos físicos e na condutividade hidráulica de um Latossolo Vermelho de textura média. O experimento foi conduzido na Universidade Estadual Paulista – Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Jaboticabal (SP). Os tratamentos foram: 0, 1, 2, 4 e 6 passadas de um trator, uma ao lado da outra perfazendo toda a superfície do solo, com quatro repetições. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado para a condutividade hidráulica e, em esquema fatorial 5 x 2 para os atributos físicos. Foram coletadas amostras de solo nas faixas de profundidades de 0,02-0,05; 0,07-0,10 e 0,15-0,18 m, por ocasião da semeadura e após a colheita para determinação da densidade do solo, porosidade total, macro e microporosidade do solo. A condutividade hidráulica do solo foi determinada após a colheita. O tempo entre a semeadura e a colheita de soja foi suficiente para aumentar a compactação do solo apenas na condição de solo solto. A compactação do solo reduziu a condutividade hidráulica em relação a condição natural (mata) e a condição de solo solto, sendo que esta não foi reduzida, após a primeira passagem, com o aumento no número de passagens.  UNITERMOS: Densidade do solo, porosidade do solo, infiltração de água, soja.  BEUTLER, A. N.; CENTURION, J. F.; ROQUE, C. G.; SOUZA, Z. M. COMPACTION AND SOYBEAN GROW INFLUENCE ON PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES AND  HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY IN RED LATOSSOL SOIL   2 ABSTRACT  The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of compaction and soybean grow on physical attributes and hydraulic conductivity of a Red Latossol, medium texture soil. The experiment was carried out in the experimental farm at the Paulista State University  – Agricultural Science College, Jaboticabal – São Paulo state. The treatments were 0, 1, 2, 4 and 6 side-by-side tractor strides on the soil surface with four replications. The experimental design was completely randomized for hydraulic conductivity and a 5 x 2 factorial design for soil physical attributes. Soil samples have been collected at 0.02-0.05, 0.07-0.10 and 0.15-0.18 m depth at sowing season and after harvest in order to determine soil bulk density, total porosity, macro and micro porosity. Soil hydraulic conductivity was determined after harvest. The time period between the soybean sowing and harvesting was enough to increase soil compaction only in loose soil condition. Soil compaction reduced hydraulic conductivity compared to the natural (forest) and loose soil condition  KEYWORDS: Bulk density, soil porosity, water infiltration, soybean.


2020 ◽  
Vol 720 ◽  
pp. 107-120
Author(s):  
Thomas Wesener

A new genus, Dichromatobolus gen. nov., belonging to the genus-rich mainly southern hemisphere family Pachybolidae of the order Spirobolida, is described based on D. elephantulus gen. et sp. nov., illustrated with color pictures, line drawings, and scanning electron micrographs. The species is recorded from the spiny bush of southwestern Madagascar. Dichromatobolus elephantulus gen. et sp. nov. shows an unusual color pattern, sexual dichromatism with males being red with black legs and females being grey. Males seem to be more surface active, as mainly males were collected with pitfall traps. Females mainly come from the pet trade. The body of this species is short and very wide, being only 8 times longer than wide in the males. Live observations show the species is a very slow mover, digging in loose soil almost as fast as walking on the surface. The posterior gonopods of Dichromatobolus gen. nov. are unusually simple and well-rounded, displaying some similarities to the genera Corallobolus Wesener, 2009 and Granitobolus Wesener, 2009, from which the new genus differs in numerous other characters, e.g., size, anterior gonopods and habitus. Despite several attempts with fresh tissue samples and different primers, molecular barcoding did not work for Dichromatobolus gen. nov. Any relationships to the other 15 genera of Pachybolidae indigenous to Madagascar remain unknown.


Author(s):  
Luiz Carlos Forti ◽  
Ana Paula Protti de Andrade ◽  
Roberto da Silva Camargo ◽  
Nadia Caldato ◽  
Aldenise Alves Moreira

Atta capiguara is a grass-cutting ant species frequently found in Cerrado biome. However, little is known about the giant nest architecture of this ant. In this study, we investigated the architecture of three A. capiguara nests from the fragment of cerrado in Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. Casts were made of the nests by filling them with cement to permit better visualization of internal structures such as chambers and tunnels. After excavation, the depth and dimensions (length, width, and height) of the chambers were measured. The results showed the typical shape of Atta capiguara nests consisting of mounds of loose soil with unique features resembling a conic section. The fungus chambers were found outside the apparent main part of the nest and were spaced apart and distributed laterally at ground level. The waste chambers were located beneath the largest mound of loose soil. Both the fungus and waste chambers exhibited a sectoral distribution. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the so far unknown nest architecture of the grass-cutting ant A. capiguara.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhu Hongbiao ◽  
Yueming Liu ◽  
Weidong Wang ◽  
Zhijiang Du

Purpose This paper aims to present a new method to analyze the robot’s obstacle negotiation based on the terramechanics, where the terrain physical parameters, the sinkage and the slippage of the robot are taken into account, to enhance the robot’s trafficability. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, terramechanics is used in motion planning for all-terrain obstacle negotiation. First, wheel/track-terrain interaction models are established and used to analyze traction performances in different locomotion modes of the reconfigurable robot. Next, several key steps of obstacle-climbing are reanalyzed and the sinkage, the slippage and the drawbar pull are obtained by the models in these steps. In addition, an obstacle negotiation analysis method on loose soil is proposed. Finally, experiments in different locomotion modes are conducted and the results demonstrate that the model is more suitable for practical applications than the center of gravity (CoG) kinematic model. Findings Using the traction performance experimental platform, the relationships between the drawbar pull and the slippage in different locomotion modes are obtained, and then the traction performances are obtained. The experimental results show that the relationships obtained by the models are in good agreement with the measured. The obstacle-climbing experiments are carried out to confirm the availability of the method, and the experimental results demonstrate that the model is more suitable for practical applications than the CoG kinematic model. Originality/value Comparing with the results without considering Terramechanics, obstacle-negotiation analysis based on the proposed track-terrain interaction model considering Terramechanics is much more accurate than without considering Terramechanics.


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