Mechanics of fluid-activated, clustered satellite bellows

Abstract

A bellows, or a closed thin-walled elastic tube with corrugated walls, undergoes longitudinal extension when subjected to internal fluid pressure. Investigated herein is the mechanical behavior of several pressurized bellows in clusters, which are designed to bend and twist as well as to extend and compress longitudinally. Bellows in clusters can be employed as robotic limbs, such as manipulator arms and legs for walking machines. For limb bending, analysis shows that there is an optimal geometry for satellite bellows, or a set of identical bellows clustered longitudinally about a central core. For limb torsion, the bellows are clustered in a cylindrical helix whose angle is chosen to produce the desired load–displacement relationships, for instance the highest rotation for a given torque. For both bending and torsional limbs, experimental results are included that exhibit the predicted mechanical behavior.