A 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters

Abstract

The present invention discloses a 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters, comprising: a walking device, a lunar soil mining device, which is installed on the walking frame and is used to mine lunar soil; a soil crusher, which is installed on the walking frame, and the lunar soil mining device transfers the lunar soil to the soil crusher after mining the lunar soil, and the soil crusher performs material processing; a 3D printing execution unit; a Fresnel lens, which is fixedly installed above the 3D printing execution unit, and the Fresnel lens focuses on the printing platform; a first reflector fixedly installed on the outside of the walking device and a second reflector fixedly installed on the walking frame or the 3D printing execution unit. The 3D printing device can be used in lunar craters on the moon, and 3D printing operations can be performed using existing resources on the moon to achieve in-situ resource utilization, thereby solving the cost and cycle problems of materials required for building a permanent base having to be manufactured and transported from the earth.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of 3D printing technology, and in particular to a 3D printing device used on the moon and utilizing in-situ lunar soil resources in lunar craters. Background Art

[0002] Deep space exploration is the key development direction of the current and future aerospace field. The moon is the starting point of deep space exploration research, and can also be used as a transit station to achieve phased and multi-task exploration. Since humans first landed on the moon in 1969, they have never given up the dream of building a lunar base for long-term use by humans.

[0003] However, with current technology, it is very expensive to transport all the equipment, parts and other resources needed to build a base from the earth, both in terms of manufacturing cost and transportation cost, and the cycle span is also very long. As we all know, there are tens of thousands of impact craters on the moon, also known as "moon craters", some of which are as deep as 8,788 meters. It is difficult for sunlight to reach the inside of the moon craters. There are many resources available in the craters, but there is still no plan to effectively utilize the resources of the moon craters.

[0004] Therefore, how to solve the cost and cycle problems of lunar base construction and realize in-situ resource utilization through resources in lunar craters has become a technical problem that technical personnel in this field urgently need to solve. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a 3D printing device, which can be used in the lunar craters and utilize the existing resources on the moon to perform 3D printing operations, thereby realizing in-situ resource utilization, thereby solving the cost and cycle problems of materials required for building a permanent base having to be manufactured and transported from the earth.

[0006] The present invention is realized by the following technical scheme. The present invention provides a 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters, including: 1) a walking device, the walking device including a walking frame and a walking wheel assembly installed on the walking frame; 2) a lunar soil mining device, installed on the walking frame, used to mine lunar soil; 3) a soil crusher, installed on the walking frame, the lunar soil mining device transfers the lunar soil to the soil crusher after mining the lunar soil, and the soil crusher performs material processing; 4) a 3D printing execution unit, installed on the walking frame, and connected to the 3D printing execution unit through the material conveying device and the 3D printing execution unit. The soil crusher is connected; 5) a light focusing system component, which may specifically include, a. a Fresnel lens, fixedly mounted above the 3D printing execution unit, and the Fresnel lens focuses on the printing platform; b. a reflector assembly, including a first reflector fixedly mounted on the outside of the walking device and a second reflector fixedly mounted on the walking frame or the 3D printing execution unit, the first reflector and the second reflector cooperate with each other, the first reflector reflects the sunlight and then shoots it to the second reflector, and the second reflector reflects it again and then shoots it to the Fresnel lens.

[0007] On the basis of the above technical solution, the present invention also has the following further solution.

[0008] Furthermore, the 3D printing execution unit, the soil crusher and the lunar soil mining device are arranged in sequence to form a lunar soil product production line.

[0009] Furthermore, the 3D printing device also includes a photoelectric conversion component installed on the walking device, and the photoelectric conversion component includes a solar cell panel, a photoelectric conversion controller and a battery.

[0010] Furthermore, the solar panels are installed on both sides of the traveling frame, and the solar panels include a folding mechanism that enables the solar panels to be unfolded and folded.

[0011] Furthermore, the mirror area of ​​the first reflector is larger than that of the second reflector, and part of the sunlight reflected by the first reflector is directed toward the second reflector, and the other part is directed toward the solar cell panel.

[0012] Furthermore, a solar tracker is provided on the first reflector, and a light path monitor is provided on the second reflector. The first reflector and the second reflector adjust the reflection angles through the solar tracker and the light path monitor respectively.

[0013] Furthermore, the mirror surface of the first reflector and / or the second reflector is made of an amorphous alloy material.

[0014] Furthermore, the 3D printing equipment also includes a central controller, which is installed on the walking frame and is controlled and connected to the walking device, the lunar soil mining device, the soil crusher and the 3D printing execution unit.

[0015] Furthermore, the central controller is provided with a wireless communication module, through which real-time data is exchanged with an external computer control system, and the external computer control system performs command control on the central controller.

[0016] Furthermore, the central controller also includes a display interface, a status indication interface, a control knob and a control mode switching button.

[0017] The 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters provided by the present invention can be used in lunar craters on the moon. It can walk freely through the walking device, and can utilize the abundant solar energy resources and lunar soil resources on the moon. Through lunar soil mining, crushing, sintering and 3D printing, it can realize the in-situ resource utilization in lunar craters using additive manufacturing technology (AM). In this way, the problem of equipment parts needed to build a permanent base on the moon can be solved. It does not need to be manufactured on the earth and then transported to the moon by a carrier rocket, which greatly saves costs and cycle problems. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters provided by the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of point A shown;

[0020] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the unfolded structure of the solar panel;

[0021] Figure 4 The figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of a specific implementation of the central controller.

[0022] Among them, the part numbers in the figure are represented as follows:

[0023] 1—Sun; 2—Incident light; 3—First reflector; 4—Reflected light; 5—Lunar crater; 6—Second reflector; 7—Central controller; 8—Photoelectric conversion controller; 9—Soil crusher; 10—Battery; 11—Solar panel; 12—Lunar soil mining device; 13—Walking frame; 14—Fresnel lens; 15—3D printing actuator; 16—Material conveying device; 17—Display interface; 18—Status indication interface; 19—Control knob; 20—Control mode switching button. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The principles, features and beneficial technical effects of the present invention are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other without conflict. The examples are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0025] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters provided by the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of point A shown; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the unfolded structure of the solar panel; Figure 4 The figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of a specific implementation of the central controller.

[0026] Glossary:

[0027] Lunar soil: A layer of fine particles on the moon with a diameter of less than 1 mm. Unlike the single-component 3D printing materials on the ground, lunar soil is a mixture. The main elements are oxygen, silicon, iron, calcium, aluminum, magnesium, manganese, and titanium. The main substances are SiO2, Al2O3, FeO, CaO, etc.

[0028] The 3D printing device provided by the present invention has a basic structure including: a walking device, a lunar soil mining device 12, a soil crusher 9, a 3D printing execution unit 15, a Fresnel lens 14 and a reflector assembly.

[0029] The walking device includes a walking frame 13 and a walking wheel assembly mounted on the walking frame 13; the walking device can be driven by electricity, and the walking wheels can be track-type, tire-type, or any other form. The walking device can be used for walking on the moon.

[0030] The lunar soil mining device 12 is installed on the walking frame 13 and is used to mine lunar soil. The lunar soil mining device 12 can be a multi-degree-of-freedom bucket device, which can dig out the lunar soil in the lunar crater 5 through the bucket.

[0031] The soil crusher 9 is installed on the walking frame 13. The lunar soil particles directly excavated are uneven in size and large. In order to be more suitable as 3D printing materials, the lunar soil mining device 12 transfers the lunar soil to the soil crusher 9 after mining. The soil crusher 9 performs material processing. The processed lunar soil particles can ensure the quality of the printed products.

[0032] The 3D printing execution unit 15 is installed on the walking frame 13 and connected to the soil crusher 9 through the material conveying device 16. A Fresnel lens 14 is fixedly installed above the 3D printing execution unit 15, and the Fresnel lens 14 focuses on the printing platform. The Fresnel lens 14 is used to focus solar energy as a heat source, and the heating efficiency is high. There is no need to go through a complex and inefficient photoelectric conversion link, and there is no need to design a heating part separately, which reduces the manufacturing difficulty and reduces the use cost.

[0033] The 3D printing execution unit 15, the soil crusher 9 and the lunar soil mining device 12 are arranged in sequence to form a lunar soil product production line.

[0034] The reflector assembly includes a first reflector 3 fixedly mounted on the outside of the walking device and a second reflector 6 fixedly mounted on the walking frame 13 or the 3D printing execution unit 15. The first reflector 3 and the second reflector 6 cooperate with each other. The first reflector 3 reflects the sunlight and then directs it to the second reflector 6, which then reflects it again and directs it to the Fresnel lens 14.

[0035] The mirror area of ​​the first reflector 3 is larger than that of the second reflector 6 , and part of the sunlight reflected by the first reflector 3 is directed toward the second reflector 6 , and the other part is directed toward the solar cell panel.

[0036] In order to better reflect light, a sun tracker 1 is provided on the first reflector 3, and a light path monitor is provided on the second reflector 6. The first reflector 3 and the second reflector 6 adjust the reflection angle through the sun tracker and the light path monitor respectively.

[0037] The mirror surfaces of the first reflector 3 and the second reflector 6 are made of amorphous alloy material.

[0038] In a 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters provided by the present invention, the first reflector 3 and the second reflector 6 are amorphous alloy reflectors. Different from traditional silver reflectors, the amorphous alloy reflectors not only have high reflectivity, but also have high strength and hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, and sulfurization resistance. No protective layer is required on the surface, and the manufacturing cost is lower than that of pure silver and silver alloy reflectors. At the same time, due to the special atomic structure, the amorphous alloy material can obtain atomic-level surface roughness, and the amorphous alloy material has a low thermal expansion coefficient and excellent precision molding performance, which is suitable for various occasions, especially for use in harsh environments such as space, deserts, and high cold.

[0039] By using two amorphous alloy reflectors, one large and one small, to cooperate with each other, parallel sunlight can be vertically injected into the Fresnel lens through secondary refraction; in addition, since the first reflector 3 installed on the lunar sea around the lunar crater 5 has a large area, the reflection area of ​​sunlight is also large. After the sunlight is reflected by it, it can not only provide incident light 2 for the small second reflector 6 installed just above the 3D printing execution unit 15, but also irradiate the solar cell panel 11 as an energy source for photoelectric conversion. The first reflector 3 is fixedly installed on the lunar sea around the lunar crater 5, and the second reflector 6 is fixedly installed just above the 3D printing execution unit 15. The angles of the two reflectors can be adjusted in real time with the rotation (relative rotation) of the sun 1; the first reflector 3 is equipped with a solar tracker, which can track the sun 1 in real time, and control the mirror surface to follow the rotation through the control module as the sun 1 rotates, so that it is always at the angle of being illuminated by the sun 1, and the second reflector 6 is equipped with an optical path monitor to monitor the angle between the incident light 2 and the reflected light 4 on the second reflector 6, so that the reflected light 4 is always vertically injected into the plane where the Fresnel lens 14 is located. It is understandable that in order to enable the first reflector 3 and the second reflector 6 to rotate, a driving mechanism can be set, such as a motor transmission mechanism or an electric push rod mechanism. There are various ways to implement it. There are many ways using existing technology, which will not be repeated here.

[0040] The 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters provided by the present invention also includes a photoelectric conversion component installed on the walking device, and the photoelectric conversion component includes a solar panel, a photoelectric conversion controller 8 and a battery 10. The solar panel 11 is installed on both sides of the walking frame 13, and the solar panel 11 includes a folding mechanism that allows the solar panel 11 to be unfolded and folded.

[0041] The 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters also includes a central controller 7, which is installed on the walking frame 13 and is controlled and connected to the walking device, the lunar soil mining device 12, the soil crusher 9 and the 3D printing execution unit 15. The central controller 7 is provided with a wireless communication module, through which real-time data is exchanged with an external computer control system, and the external computer control system performs command control on it. The central controller 7 also includes a display interface 17, a status indication interface 18, a control knob 19 and a control mode switching button 20.

[0042] like Figure 4As shown, the central controller 7 is the control unit of the entire device, which includes a display interface 17, a status indication interface 18, a control knob 19 and a control mode switching button 20. The central controller 7 is equipped with a wireless communication module, and an external computer control system can perform real-time command control on it; the display interface 17 can display the working status of the device in real time; the working operation of the device can be controlled through the status indication interface 18 under manual control; the control mode switching button 20 can switch between computer remote control and manual control to compensate for the deviation that may be caused by computer remote control, which is conducive to better control of the entire device.

[0043] 3D printing execution unit 15, soil crusher 9 and lunar soil mining device 12 from left to right (by Figure 1 As shown), it is fixedly installed on the walking device to form a lunar soil product production line; the solar panels are installed on both sides of the walking device and have a folding mechanism, which can be unfolded when in use and folded when not in use; the photoelectric conversion controller 8 and the battery 10 are fixedly installed at the bottom of the walking device; the walking device performs detection in the lunar crater 5; the Fresnel lens 14 is fixedly installed just above the 3D printing execution unit 15, parallel to the printing platform, and the lens focus is located at the center of the printing platform; the two ends of the material conveying device are respectively fixedly installed on the soil crusher 9 and the 3D printing execution unit 15 to play a connecting role; the central controller 7 is fixedly installed at the rear of the walking device ( Figure 1 left end of the middle walking device).

[0044] The 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters provided by the present invention adopts a molding process that is essentially a lunar soil product production line, and can realize unmanned operation. The lunar soil mining device 12 collects the lunar soil in the lunar crater 5 and sends it to the soil crusher 9. The soil crusher 9 crushes the large pieces of lunar soil into particles, which are then sent to the 3D printing execution unit 15 through the material conveying device 16 to be sintered into products, realizing the in-situ resource utilization of lunar soil.

[0045] The Fresnel lens 14 has a higher focusing efficiency than a convex lens. Using the Fresnel lens 14 to focus sunlight as a heat source can generate a higher temperature, which is sufficient to sinter the lunar soil without the need for inefficient photoelectric conversion. Crushing the lunar soil into particles as raw materials simplifies the raw material production process and eliminates the need to transport the lunar soil, which not only saves cost and time, but also maximizes the production efficiency and feasibility of the equipment.

[0046] The photoelectric conversion controller 8 in the photoelectric conversion assembly controls the working state of the entire photoelectric conversion unit and protects the storage battery 10 from overcharge and overdischarge. At the same time, in order to adapt to the huge temperature difference between day and night on the moon, it has the function of temperature compensation. The storage battery 10 stores the electric energy generated by the solar panel and releases it when needed. The solar panel 11 is foldable. It is unfolded by a folding mechanism when in use and folded and folded by a folding mechanism when not in use. This can minimize the space occupied by the walking device, which is conducive to the launch vehicle carrying more materials needed for the moon landing.

[0047] The control unit used in the 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters provided by the present invention is a central controller 7. The central controller 7 is equipped with a wireless communication module, and an external computer control system can perform real-time command control on it; at the same time, the central controller 7 is also equipped with a control mode switching button 20, which can switch between computer remote control and manual control, compensate for the deviation that may be caused by computer remote control, and is conducive to better control of the entire device.

[0048] The present invention proposes a 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters, and its working process is: under the instruction of the central controller 7, the walking device performs detection in the lunar crater 5; when the walking device drives to the designated position, the lunar soil mining device 12 collects the lunar soil in the lunar crater 5 and sends it to the soil crusher 9 to be crushed into particles; the particles are sent to the 3D printing execution unit 15 via the feeding device as printing raw materials; the sunlight is refracted by a large amorphous alloy reflector (first reflector 3); a part of the sunlight is refracted for the second time by the small amorphous alloy reflector (second reflector 6), and is vertically shot into the Fresnel lens to be focused into a point, which is used as the heat source of the 3D printing execution unit 15; the other part of the sunlight irradiates the solar cell panel, and after photoelectric conversion, it powers the motors of the walking device, the lunar soil mining device 12, the soil crusher 9, and the 3D printing execution unit 15; the lunar soil particles sent to the 3D printing execution unit 15 are sintered layer by layer to finally form a product.

[0049] In summary, the 3D printing device proposed by the present invention can be applied to various lunar craters on the moon, and can use reflectors to solve the problem that sunlight is difficult to reach the interior of the lunar craters directly, effectively utilizing the advantages of abundant solar energy resources on the moon, and realizing the utilization of lunar soil in-situ resources in lunar crater 5. In addition, the 3D printing device disclosed by the present invention can realize mining and printing at the same time, and can fully utilize the characteristics of strong radiation and sufficient energy of the sun 1 on the moon. Using the 3D printing device provided by the present invention, the required parts can be manufactured directly on the moon, avoiding the costly and long-cycle process of manufacturing and transporting from the earth to the moon, and minimizing the cost of human survival on the moon. It is no longer necessary to manufacture complex parts on the ground and then launch them to the moon by a carrier rocket; at the same time, through the 3D printing device provided by the present invention, some large structures that cannot be transported by carrier rockets can also be manufactured on the moon, such as large antennas.

[0050] In the description of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that the terms "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0051] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0052] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0053] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0054] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and vary the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters, characterized in that: include: A walking device, the walking device comprising a walking frame and a walking wheel assembly mounted on the walking frame; A lunar soil mining device, installed on the walking frame, used to mine lunar soil in the lunar crater; A soil crusher is installed on the traveling frame. After the lunar soil mining device mines the lunar soil, the lunar soil is transferred to the soil crusher, and the soil crusher performs material processing. A 3D printing execution unit is installed on the traveling frame and connected to the soil crusher through a material conveying device; A Fresnel lens is fixedly mounted above the 3D printing execution unit, and the Fresnel lens focuses on the printing platform; A reflector assembly, comprising a first reflector fixedly mounted on the outside of the walking device and a second reflector fixedly mounted on the walking frame or the 3D printing execution unit, wherein the first reflector and the second reflector cooperate with each other, and the first reflector reflects the sunlight and then projects it toward the second reflector, and the second reflector reflects it again and projects it toward the Fresnel lens; The 3D printing device also includes a photoelectric conversion component installed on the walking device, and the photoelectric conversion component includes a solar panel, a photoelectric conversion controller and a battery; The solar panels are mounted on both sides of the traveling frame, and the solar panels include a folding mechanism for unfolding and folding the solar panels; The mirror area of ​​the first reflector is larger than that of the second reflector, and part of the sunlight reflected by the first reflector is directed toward the second reflector, and the other part is directed toward the solar cell panel; The first reflector is provided with a sun tracker, and the second reflector is provided with a light path monitor. The first reflector and the second reflector adjust the reflection angles through the sun tracker and the light path monitor respectively.

2. A 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters according to claim 1, characterized in that: The 3D printing execution unit, the soil crusher and the lunar soil mining device are arranged in sequence to form a lunar soil product production line.

3. A 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mirror surface of the first reflector and / or the second reflector is made of amorphous alloy material.

4. A 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters according to claim 1, characterized in that: The 3D printing equipment also includes a central controller, which is installed on the walking frame and is controlled and connected to the walking device, the lunar soil mining device, the soil crusher and the 3D printing execution unit.

5. A 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters according to claim 4, characterized in that: The central controller is provided with a wireless communication module, through which real-time data is exchanged with an external computer control system, and the external computer control system performs command control on the central controller.

6. A 3D printing device for lunar soil resources in lunar craters according to claim 5, characterized in that: The central controller also includes a display interface, a status indication interface, a control knob and a control mode switching button.

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