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To facilitate the safe adsorption and stable motion of robots on curved metal surfaces, a wall‐climbing robot with a wheeled‐type mobile mechanism that can passively self‐adapt to walls with different curvature is proposed. The robot is composed of two relatively independent passive adaptive mobile mechanisms and overrunning permanent magnetic adsorption devices to achieve effective fitting of the driving wheels to the wall surface and adaptive surface motion. The overall design is based on a double‐hinged connection scheme and gap‐type permanent magnetic adsorption. The minimum adsorption force required for the robot to achieve stable climbing motion with no risk of slipping or capsizing is determined by developing a static analysis model. The effects of air‐gap size and wall thickness on the adsorption force are analyzed by means of magnetic circuit design studies and parametric simulations on the permanent magnet adsorption device, as well as design optimization of the permanent magnet device. The motion performance test of the fabricated prototype shows that the robot can achieve adaptive curvature motion with self‐attitude adjustment, and has a certain load capacity, obstacle crossing capability, and good surface adaptivity.

Boiler water wall in thermal power plants is characterized by high‐altitude detection requirements. Moreover, the existing water wall‐climbing robots are characterized by low obstacle‐crossing performance, deviations, and a lack of autonomous crossing pipeline function. In view of this feature, a wall‐climbing robot with permanent magnet and electromagnetic hybrid adsorption wheels is proposed. The robot has the function of independent traverse according to its own structural characteristics. Furthermore, transverse movement is proposed by comparing different adsorption modes, moving and driving modes. Robot statics in upward, downward, and transverse crawling are carried out, and nonsliding mechanical and nonoverturning mechanical models are obtained. Robot's dynamics are analyzed by considering the wall movement. The finite element simulation analysis of its main stressed parts is carried out by employing ANSYS, and an optimal structural model is obtained. The gap adsorption permanent magnet model is constructed, and its parametric simulation analysis is carried out using the Ansoft Maxwell module. The influence curve of the gap on the magnetic force is then obtained. Finally, the prototype is developed according to the design model and calculation analysis, and the experimental test is carried out. The experimental results show that the robot meets the expected functions and indexes, providing a basis for the intelligent development of thermal power plants.

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