A simple optimization method for the design of a lightweight, explosion-proof housing for a coal mine rescue robot

Abstract

Weight has a significant effect on the mobile performance of a robot. A coal mine rescue robot (CMRR) is a special type of mobile robot and is relatively heavy because it is explosion proof. In this study, a simple optimization method is proposed for the design of a lightweight, explosion-proof housing of a CMRR. A stress analysis of the individual panels is performed first and ANSYS software is used to perform a stress analysis of multiple stiffened panels. A simple stress equation is developed based on the results and represents the basis of the optimization method. Subsequently, the optimization equations of the explosion-proof housing are developed and the explosion-proof housing of the CUMT-IV robot is designed. Explosion tests were conducted using a physical prototype to verify the strength of the explosion-proof housing. Further, two simple guidelines are developed based on the optimized results to reduce the design difficulty for engineering applications. The simple optimization method proved suitable for designing the explosion-proof housing.