Dynamic Simulation and Experimental Study of the HDPE Double-Walled Corrugated Pipe Grouting Robot

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Editor,

I have read the manuscript entitled: “Dynamic Simulation and Experimental Study of the HDPE Dou-2 ble-Walled Corrugated Pipe Grouting Robot ” and I would like to address following suggestions to the authors:

1. Line 100, please rewrite the sentence: “This paper proposes a new construction process is proposed for collapsed HDPE double-100 walled corrugated pipes.”
2. The authors could insert the references for the 22 equations used in the manuscript.
3. Some figures (especially Figs. 12, 13,14 16 17 18, 21) are pixelated making it harder to understand the text.
4. 4, (Line 144), Fig. 8. (line 226), Fig. 12 (line 315) Fig. 16 and Fig. 17 (line 344) = Figure 4, Figure 8, as in the whole manuscript.
5. Check how the following references are written: 1, 2, 13, and 18.

Minor points:

In the manuscript there are many unclear situations, so I ask the authors to check spelling and others grammatical errors:

Line 16, robot melted melt and broke = robot melted and broke; Line 16, carried out, Compared = carried out. Compared; Line 87, bending strength test. = a bending strength test. ; Line 336, of balance forces = of balanced forces.

Author Response

Dear Editor,

 

We want to thank you and the reviewers for the valuable and constructive comments and suggestions for the improvement of this article. Please find herewith my responses, and revisions according to the review comments

 

Thank you very much.

 

With kind regards,

 

Yours sincerely,

Yufang Li

 

 

COMMENTS FOR THE AUTHOR:

1. Line 100, please rewrite the sentence: “This paper proposes a new construction process is proposed for collapsed HDPE double-100 walled corrugated pipes.”

[Reply] Thank you for your suggestion. This paper proposes a new construction process for collapsed HDPE double-walled corrugated pipes. (Corrected text is marked in green font in the paper.)

2. The authors could insert the references for the 22 equations used in the manuscript.

[Reply] Thank you for your suggestion. The references cited in formula (2) (3) (4) have been inserted in the text. The other 19 formulas used in this paper are basic stress analysis and calculation, and there is no reference. (Corrected text is marked in red font in the paper.)

 

3. Some figures (especially Figs. 12, 13,14 16 17 18, 21) are pixelated making it harder to understand the text.

[Reply] Thank you for your suggestion. Figs. 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 21 have been replaced with clearer figures.

Fig. 12 Driving moment of pipeline grouting robot

Fig. 13 The output power curve of the hydraulic lifting cylinder

Fig. 14 The center of mass displacement curve of the upper plate

Fig. 15 The supporting force and soil reaction force curves

Fig. 16 The deformation curve of the preloaded spring in the hot-melt mechanism

Fig. 17 The force diagram of the preloaded spring in the hot-melt mechanism

Fig. 18 The inverted center of mass displacement curve of the baffle

Fig. 19 Flip the curve of deflection Angle and angular velocity of baffle

 

Fig. 21 The relationship between the thrust and time when the grouting gun body is inserted

 

 

4. 4, (Line 144), Fig. 8. (line 226), Fig. 12 (line 315) Fig. 16 and Fig. 17 (line 344) = Figure 4, Figure 8, as in the whole manuscript.

[Reply] Thank you for your suggestion. All "Fig." in the text has been modified to "Figure " (Corrected text is marked in oxblood red font in the paper.)

 

5. Check how the following references are written: 1, 2, 13, and 18.

[Reply] Thank you for your suggestion. It has been corrected in the paper.

[1]R. Tanwani and D.T. Iseley, Tracking and Steering Systems in Trenchless Construction, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management-Asce 120(1) (1994) 65-76.

[2]J. Li, M. Zhou, Y. Si and J. Li, Trenchless Repair Technology and Application of Urban Sewer System, 2nd International Conference on Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Civil Engineering (ICMEMSCE 2013), Beijing, PEOPLES R CHINA, 2013, pp. 992-+.

[13]M. Xie, T. Zheng, F. Yu and L. Shen, Application of Trenchless Repair Technology for Siping Road Drainage Pipeline Repair Project in Shanghai, Environment Engineering 38(12) (2020) 45-48,96.

[18]L.D. Gil, 진우석, 권재욱 and 유애권, Trenchless Repairing Reinforcing Process of Underground Pipes with Advanced Composite Materials, Composites Research 15(1) (2002) 21-31.

 (Corrected text is marked in blue font in the paper.)

6. Line 16, robot melted melt and broke = robot melted and broke; Line 16, carried out, Compared = carried out. Compared; Line 87, bending strength test. = a bending strength test. ; Line 336, of balance forces = of balanced forces.

[Reply] Thank you for your suggestion. It has been corrected in the paper. (Corrected text is marked in purple font in the paper.)

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear Authors,

The literature review is thorough!

I assume the grouting robot is your invention, is patented or commercially available or the schematics are available somewhere? If not it decreases the reproducibility of your research. Could you please state at the start of section 2 that the robot is your design and you want to carry out a kinematic/finite element simulation with it? (If I'm correct)

Please define the geometry more accurately.

Please detail the simulation, again I have to assume, that it is finite element software, could you add the boundary conditions. There are numerous figures which help to understand your work. But can you please add another one where we can see the forces?

Highlight the difference between the model and the experiment? For the software, further details are needed, including manufacturer and version number.

line 360 what is the d/s unit stands for?

Furthermore, some minor editing will be still required. Some figures (1,5 titles and tables (2,3) are moved to the next page.

I do not usually start the main section with a subsection, it would be better to add a paragraph and then start the subsection, or remove the subsection.

Author Response

Dear Editor and Reviewers,

 

We want to thank you and the reviewers for the valuable and constructive comments and suggestions for the improvement of this article. Please find herewith my responses, and revisions according to the review comments

 

Thank you very much.

 

With kind regards,

 

Yours sincerely,

Yufang Li

 

 

 

COMMENTS FOR THE AUTHOR:

1. I assume the grouting robot is your invention, is patented or commercially available or the schematics are available somewhere? If not it decreases the reproducibility of your research. Could you please state at the start of section 2 that the robot is your design and you want to carry out a kinematic/finite element simulation with it? (If I'm correct)

[Reply] Thank you for your suggestion. The grouting robot in is designed by us, and the description has been added at the end of Part 1. (Corrected text is marked in orange font in the paper.)

2. Please define the geometry more accurately.

[Reply] Thank you for your suggestion. The geometry has been accurately defined in this paper.

3. Please detail the simulation, again I have to assume, that it is finite element software, could you add the boundary conditions. There are numerous figures which help to understand your work. But can you please add another one where we can see the forces?

[Reply] Thank you for your suggestion. Due to space reasons, specific boundary conditions are not added. The boundary conditions in this paper are as follows:

For the Adams model of the main part of the in pipe grouting robot, the imposed constraints and loads are as follows: the four wheels are fixed with two axles respectively, and the rotation constraints are imposed between the front and rear axles and the base; Since the base and the rotating support are fixed to each other, fixed constraints are imposed between them; The end of the upper plate is connected with the rotating support by a pin shaft, so the rotation constraint is applied; The cylinder barrel and the top of the cylinder rod of the lifting hydraulic cylinder are applied as rotation constraints with the rotating support and the upper plate respectively; The three-stage thrust hydraulic cylinder is fixed with the upper plate, and its cylinder rod, baffle, grouting gun head, grouting gun body, grouting pipe connector, grouting pipe and support roller are simplified into the same whole, and are defined as movement constraints with the hydraulic cylinder barrel; Simplify the four support slide rails and the base into the same whole, and impose movement constraints with the four support slide rods; Integrate the support top, pressure sensor, support sliding rod and support hydraulic cylinder rod on both sides into a whole, and impose movement constraints with the two support hydraulic cylinders; The cylinder barrel supporting the hydraulic cylinder and the two lower supports are integrated into two parts respectively, and the movement constraint is imposed on the base. In addition, the rotary drive and movement drive are applied to the two axles, lifting hydraulic cylinder, three-stage push hydraulic cylinder and lifting hydraulic cylinder respectively. The four wheels and HDPE pipe are defined as collision contact, the friction is selected as Coulomb friction, and the relevant parameters are set as shown in Table 4.

For the Adams model of the hot melt, the applied loads and constraints are as follows: simplify the hot melt and the connecting plate of the hot melt into the same whole, and apply rotation constraints with the connecting rod and turnover baffle respectively; At the same time, the connecting rod, the turnover baffle and the support seat of the grouting gun body fixed on the upper plate impose rotation constraints, and the grouting gun head is in contact with the turnover baffle, and the mobile drive is applied to the three-stage thrust hydraulic cylinder at the same time; Spring restraint is applied on both sides of the baffle and the support seat of the grouting gun body.

Using the built-in model verification program of Adams, we can know that the Adams model of the main part of the in pipe grouting robot has 18 moving parts, 6 rotating pairs, 7 moving pairs, 8 fixed pairs and 7 degrees of freedom; For the Adams model of the hot melt part, there are 11 moving parts, 8 rotating pairs, 4 moving pairs, 2 fixed constraints and 2 degrees of freedom.

4. Highlight the difference between the model and the experiment? For the software, further details are needed, including manufacturer and version number.

[Reply] Thank you for your suggestion. In this paper, the calculation formula of the thrust required for the grouting gun body to be inserted into the soil is derived and verified by experiments. The kinematics simulation of grouting robot is carried out by using ADAMS software, mainly to verify whether the thrust and stability of lifting hydraulic cylinder and supporting hydraulic rod meet the requirements.

This paper uses ADAMS 2020 software for simulation analysis, which is a virtual prototype analysis software developed by mechanical dynamics Inc. (now incorporated into MSc company).

5. line 360 what is the d/s unit stands for?

[Reply] Thank you for your suggestion. "137.7d/s" has been changed to 137.7° per second.

6. Furthermore, some minor editing will be still required. Some figures (1,5 titles and tables (2,3) are moved to the next page.

[Reply] Thank you for your suggestion. The figures and tables in the text have been modified and put on one page.

7. I do not usually start the main section with a subsection, it would be better to add a paragraph and then start the subsection, or remove the subsection.

[Reply] Thank you for your suggestion. A paragraph has been added to each part. (Corrected text is marked in lght blue font in the paper.)

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf