Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are essential in facilitating indoor air quality (IAQ) but often accumulate dust, allergens and other microbial contaminants that may have negative psychosocial effects on human health. Traditional duct-cleaning techniques like air whips, rotating brushes and steam cleaning systems can all be limited in their efficiency, and are often potentially dangerous to maintenance personnel. This research proposes a new Robotic cleaning system that comprises a W-shaped pantograph, that has eight omniwheels, designed to enhance maneuverability and adaptability in the duct-cleaning process. The system is capable of vertical climbing and lateral movement through controlled spring compressive forces, that optimize friction against duct walls. It is operational in both circular and rectangular ducts, and it can function in ducts of ranges between 11 and 22 cm diameter. Structural simulations performed in ANSYS revealed peak von Mises stresses of 1.32 × 105 Pa, significantly below the yield thresholds of PLA (4.4 × 107 Pa) and ABS (6.0 × 107 Pa), confirming structural safety with a safety factor greater than 10.Furthermore, the design to include spring assisted axial movement provides enhanced maneuverability and reduces energy expenditure to navigate to compressed regions. The conclusions of this work demonstrates a feasible solution to performing HVAC duct cleaning in a safer, efficient and cost-effective manner than existing methods.

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Adaptive Robotic HVAC Duct Cleaner Using Rubber-Traction Omniwheels and W-Shaped Pantograph Design

  • Ansh Singh,
  • Reetu Jain

摘要

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are essential in facilitating indoor air quality (IAQ) but often accumulate dust, allergens and other microbial contaminants that may have negative psychosocial effects on human health. Traditional duct-cleaning techniques like air whips, rotating brushes and steam cleaning systems can all be limited in their efficiency, and are often potentially dangerous to maintenance personnel. This research proposes a new Robotic cleaning system that comprises a W-shaped pantograph, that has eight omniwheels, designed to enhance maneuverability and adaptability in the duct-cleaning process. The system is capable of vertical climbing and lateral movement through controlled spring compressive forces, that optimize friction against duct walls. It is operational in both circular and rectangular ducts, and it can function in ducts of ranges between 11 and 22 cm diameter. Structural simulations performed in ANSYS revealed peak von Mises stresses of 1.32 × 105 Pa, significantly below the yield thresholds of PLA (4.4 × 107 Pa) and ABS (6.0 × 107 Pa), confirming structural safety with a safety factor greater than 10.Furthermore, the design to include spring assisted axial movement provides enhanced maneuverability and reduces energy expenditure to navigate to compressed regions. The conclusions of this work demonstrates a feasible solution to performing HVAC duct cleaning in a safer, efficient and cost-effective manner than existing methods.