Original Article

Design of a distributed negative-pressure adsorption robot for energy-efficient closed-loop cleaning based on FSI and multi-physics optimization

College of Electromechanical and Automation, Wuchang Shouyi University, Wuhan, 430064, PR China

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Received: 30 September 2025
Accepted: 14 January 2026

Abstract

To address the critical need for efficient and safe maintenance of high-rise glass curtain walls, this study presents an energy-efficient closed-loop cleaning system for distributed negative-pressure adsorption robots. The design integrates a 4  ×  6 cm distributed suction array (total area 113.2 cm²) and a triangular polyurethane scraper (modified with 5% nano-silica), and is validated through fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis. Based on the dynamic equilibrium framework of modular robots, a novel 3D mechanical model with a yaw angle (θ  =  15) reveals that the distributed adsorption can reduce the theoretical extreme adsorption force from 83.3 N to an engineering-feasible 29.4 N, with a reduction of 66.1% in required negative pressure (from 7370 Pa to 2500 Pa) and energy consumption. The multi-physics coupling analysis (fluid dynamics and solid mechanics) demonstrates that: ① Through optimized droplet atomization (Lechler nozzle, 45  ±   5 μm) and biomimetic scraper, the waste liquid recovery efficiency is 86.7%; ② The lightweight centrifugal impeller design driven by FSI reduces the weight by 40% and reduces the stress from 84.37 MPa to 68.5 MPa; ③ 120% flow redundancy (3.52 mL/min recycling and 2.93 mL/min supply) is addressed. This work bridges the gap between theoretical adsorption requirements and practical implementation, providing a standardized energy-saving solution for high-altitude cleaning robots.