Two-dimensional pressure field and backflow in the annular skirt of vortex gripper

Abstract

The vortex gripper is a kind of pneumatic noncontact gripper that does not produce a magnetic field and heat. It can grip a workpiece without physical contact, which avoids any unintentional damage such as mechanical scratches, local stress concentrations, frictional static electricity, and surface stains. This study focused on the two-dimensional pressure distribution field on a workpiece surface under the vortex gripper. Theoretical, experimental, and computational fluid dynamics results were combined to study the backflow phenomenon in the annular skirt, which can decrease the gripper’s suction force after the maximum value is reached. First, the pressure distribution in the annular skirt was theoretically modeled. A comparison with the experimental results showed that increasing the gap height between the gripper and workpiece generates a circumferentially asymmetrical flow field in the skirt. Based on this, it was hypothesized that an airflow in the circumferential direction may exist. The experimental data and simulation results were analyzed under large gap height conditions to observe the backflow in detail and it was found that an uneven pressure distribution with positive and negative pressure regions generated by the uneven flow is the root cause of the backflow. Finally, the effect of the backflow on the flow field in two different flow regions (in the annular skirt and inside the vortex chamber) was analyzed and the reason why the suction force of the vortex gripper has a maximum value was determined.