A lunar soil penetrating probe

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of aerospace equipment, in particular to a lunar soil penetration probe, comprising: a shell, a plurality of load cabins are sequentially arranged along the axial direction of the shell; a multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure is arranged in the shell and located between two adjacent load cabins, the multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure can reduce the axial and radial vibration of the plurality of load cabins; a solid boost rocket is arranged at one end of the shell, and an expandable antenna is arranged at the end of the solid boost rocket; a penetration cap is arranged at the other end of the shell. The multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure can effectively attenuate and absorb high-frequency impact signals in the penetration impact overload, that is, most of the high-frequency sharp pulse burr signals caused by the resonance of the lunar soil penetration probe can be effectively filtered out, and the damage caused by the high-frequency burr pulse overload to the scientific load is effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerospace equipment technology, specifically to a lunar soil penetrating probe. Background Technology

[0002] Unlike traditional methods of profiling such as drilling, digging, and impact penetration, the penetrating detection method that utilizes initial flight kinetic energy to achieve millisecond-level high-speed penetration of the target profile has unique advantages such as high penetration efficiency, low requirements for detector resources, simple configuration, and easy installation of internal sensing components. Therefore, it is expected to become an effective means of detecting extraterrestrial objects in the future.

[0003] The physical essence of penetration is the conversion of kinetic energy, that is, the conversion of initial kinetic energy into the work done by compacting and squeezing the stellar soil and the heat generated by friction of the penetrator. The mechanical, thermal, and electrical responses in the process contain a wealth of physical information. At the same time, the large amount of heat from the penetrator will excite volatile substances contained in the interior of the planet, and further detection can yield more information about the celestial body.

[0004] Penetrating probes effectively address the challenges of detecting areas inaccessible to the primary spacecraft and conducting wide-area, grouped, network-based probes during extraterrestrial object exploration. Therefore, penetrating probes have garnered increasing attention in recent space missions. Because penetrating probes penetrate the subsurface of stellar regolith at high speeds using kinetic energy, the system will endure immense shock loads during this process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the problem of existing penetrating detectors being subjected to extremely large impact overloads, thereby providing a lunar soil penetrating detector.

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a lunar soil penetration probe, comprising: a housing, with multiple payload compartments sequentially arranged along the axial direction of the housing; a multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure disposed within the housing and located between two adjacent payload compartments, the multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure providing vibration damping for the multiple payload compartments in the axial and radial directions; a solid rocket booster disposed at one end of the housing, the end of the solid rocket booster being provided with a deployable antenna; and a penetration cap disposed at the other end of the housing.

[0007] Furthermore, the multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure includes a damping pad, which is disposed between multiple load chambers along the axial direction of the shell.

[0008] Furthermore, the multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure also includes multiple damping rings, which are sleeved around the circumference of the load chamber at the connection between two adjacent load chambers.

[0009] Furthermore, the multi-stage buffer vibration reduction and isolation structure also includes shear pins, with multiple shear pins disposed at the connection points of two adjacent load chambers along the circumferential direction of the load chamber.

[0010] Furthermore, a keyway is provided on the inner wall of the housing, and the keyway is positioned corresponding to the position of the shear pin.

[0011] Furthermore, the penetration cap is equipped with a temperature sensing element and an acceleration detection element.

[0012] Furthermore, the penetration cap has a spiral groove inside, and the temperature sensing element is located inside the spiral groove.

[0013] Furthermore, the payload compartment consists of an electronic control compartment, a mass spectrometer compartment, and an onboard power supply compartment, which are connected by a main cable.

[0014] Furthermore, a pneumatic detonator is also provided inside the shell, and the pneumatic detonator is located between the missile-borne power compartment and the penetration cap.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes a rocket base, on which the solid-propellant booster is mounted, and a flight plug is provided between the solid-propellant booster and the electronic control cabin.

[0016] The technical solution of this invention has the following advantages:

[0017] 1. The lunar soil penetration probe provided by the present invention includes: a shell, with a plurality of payload compartments arranged sequentially along the axial direction of the shell; a multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure disposed within the shell and located between two adjacent payload compartments, the multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure providing vibration damping for the plurality of payload compartments in the axial and radial directions; a solid rocket booster disposed at one end of the shell, the end of the solid rocket booster being provided with a deployable antenna; and a penetration cap disposed at the other end of the shell.

[0018] The shell contains multiple payload chambers, each housing different mechanisms. These mechanisms work together to power the lunar soil penetrating probe. A multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure is installed between adjacent payload chambers. This structure effectively attenuates and absorbs high-frequency impact signals during penetration overload, filtering out most of the high-frequency spike pulse glitches caused by the lunar soil penetrating probe's resonance. This significantly reduces the damage to the scientific payload caused by high-frequency spike pulse overload.

[0019] 2. The lunar soil penetration detector provided by this invention includes a multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure comprising vibration damping pads, which are disposed between multiple payload chambers along the axial direction of the shell. The vibration damping pads are made of low-impedance, high-stability metal-rubber, which effectively attenuates and absorbs high-frequency impact signals during penetration impact overload. Specifically, it effectively filters out most of the high-frequency spike pulse glitches caused by the structural resonance of the penetrator system, thus significantly reducing the damage to scientific payloads caused by high-frequency glitch pulse overload.

[0020] 3. The lunar soil penetrating detector provided by this invention includes a multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure further comprising multiple damping rings. These damping rings are circumferentially fitted onto the connection points of adjacent payload chambers. The damping rings are made of low-impedance, high-stability metal-rubber, which effectively attenuates and absorbs high-frequency impact signals during penetration impact overload. This means they effectively filter out most of the high-frequency spike pulse glitches caused by the structural resonance of the penetrator system, thus significantly reducing the damage to the scientific payload caused by high-frequency glitch pulse overload.

[0021] 4. The lunar soil penetration detector provided by this invention includes a multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure further comprising shear pins. Multiple shear pins are disposed along the circumferential direction of the load cell at the connection points of adjacent load cells. The shear pins, vibration damping pads, and vibration damping rings work together to support the load cell, effectively reducing high-frequency burr impacts and lowering the overall low-frequency average value, thus ensuring the survivability of the load cell under penetration impact overload.

[0022] The summary section is provided to present the chosen concepts in a simplified form, which will be further described in the detailed description below. The summary section is not intended to identify essential or necessary features of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lunar soil penetration detector provided by the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Side view;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the shock-absorbing pad of the lunar soil penetration detector provided by the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the penetration cap of the lunar soil penetrating detector provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the penetration cap of the lunar soil penetrating detector provided by the present invention.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0030] 1. Shell; 2. Solid-propellant rocket; 3. Deployable antenna; 4. Penetration cap; 5. Shock-absorbing pad; 6. Shock-absorbing ring; 7. Shear pin; 8. Temperature sensing element; 9. Acceleration detection element; 10. Groove; 11. Electronic control compartment; 12. Mass spectrometer compartment; 13. Onboard power compartment; 14. Pneumatic detonator; 15. Rocket base; 16. Flight plug; 17. Main cable; 18. Inner layer; 19. Outer layer; 20. Onboard power supply. Detailed Implementation

[0031] In the following description, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art will recognize, the described embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the drawings and description are to be considered exemplary in nature and not restrictive.

[0032] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0033] In the description of this disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joint" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections, electrical connections, or connections that allow for communication; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0035] The following disclosure provides numerous different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of this disclosure. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples; such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed. In addition, various specific examples of processes and materials are provided in this disclosure, but those skilled in the art will recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0036] The preferred embodiments of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0037] Please see Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the present invention provides a lunar soil penetration probe, comprising: a housing 1, wherein multiple payload chambers are sequentially arranged along the axial direction of the housing 1; a multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure is disposed within the housing 1 and located between two adjacent payload chambers, the multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure providing vibration damping for the multiple payload chambers in the axial and radial directions; a solid rocket booster 2 is disposed at one end of the housing 1, and a deployable antenna 3 is provided at the end of the solid rocket booster 2; and a penetration cap 4 is disposed at the other end of the housing 1.

[0038] The shell 1 contains multiple payload chambers, each housing different mechanisms. These mechanisms work together to power the lunar soil penetrating probe. A multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure is installed between adjacent payload chambers. This structure effectively attenuates and absorbs high-frequency impact signals during penetration overload, filtering out most of the high-frequency spike pulse glitches caused by the lunar soil penetrating probe's resonance. This significantly reduces the damage to the scientific payload caused by high-frequency spike pulse overload.

[0039] The lunar regolith penetrating probe detonates after its mission, exposing a profile to a certain depth under controlled contamination conditions, which can then be used for remote sensing around the probe. This low-cost and flexible probe, capable of acquiring information on mechano-thermo-electro-volatile substances, can reveal the interaction mechanism between the penetrating projectile and lunar regolith. It provides a design basis and application scenarios for subsequent penetrating probe missions, serving more in-situ testing scientific objectives requiring low-cost and easy-to-operate conditions.

[0040] In some optional embodiments, the multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure includes a damping pad 5, which is disposed between multiple load chambers along the axial direction of the shell 1. The damping pad 5 is made of low-impedance, high-stability metal-rubber, which can effectively attenuate and absorb high-frequency impact signals during penetration impact overload. That is, it can effectively filter out most of the high-frequency spike pulse glitch signals caused by the structural resonance of the penetrator system, thus effectively reducing the damage caused by high-frequency glitch pulse overload to the scientific load.

[0041] In some optional embodiments, the multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure further includes multiple damping rings 6, which are sleeved around the circumference of the load chamber at the connection between two adjacent load chambers. The damping rings 6 are made of low-impedance, high-stability metal-rubber, which effectively attenuates and absorbs high-frequency impact signals during penetration impact overloads. This means they effectively filter out most of the high-frequency spike pulse glitches caused by the structural resonance of the penetrator system, thus significantly reducing the damage caused by high-frequency glitch pulse overloads to the scientific load.

[0042] In some optional embodiments, the multi-stage buffer vibration reduction and isolation structure further includes shear pins 7, with multiple shear pins 7 disposed at the connection points of two adjacent load chambers along the circumferential direction of the load chamber. Specifically, a keyway is provided on the inner wall of the housing 1, and the location of the keyway corresponds to the location of the shear pins 7.

[0043] The shear pin 7 is primarily manufactured from 5052 aluminum alloy, a material known for its high toughness and plasticity, but also for its relatively low stiffness. During assembly, it is wedged into the keyway between the projectile's outer shell and the payload compartment using an interference fit. This serves two purposes: firstly, it effectively positions the projectile and the compartment; secondly, during the penetrating probe's landing and penetration, a small dislocation occurs between the projectile's outer shell and the payload compartment. At this point, the shear pin 7 undergoes plastic shearing, effectively absorbing the residual kinetic energy of the payload compartment and effectively attenuating the low-frequency average overload of the penetration overload. The shear pin 7, along with the vibration damping pad and damping ring, works together to protect the payload compartment, effectively reducing high-frequency burr impacts and lowering the overall low-frequency average, thus ensuring the payload compartment's survivability under penetration impact overload.

[0044] The shear pins 7 are multiple, and the multiple shear pins 7 are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the load chamber.

[0045] In some optional embodiments, the penetration cap 4 is provided with a temperature sensing element 8 and an acceleration detection element 9. The temperature sensing element 8 can measure the temperature during the penetration process, and the acceleration detection element 9 measures the acceleration information during the penetration process.

[0046] Specifically, the penetration cap 4 has a spiral groove 10 inside, and the temperature sensing element 8 is disposed in the spiral groove 10. The presence of the temperature sensing element 8 in the spiral groove 10 can increase the number of temperature sensing elements 8 in the penetration cap 4, thereby increasing the accuracy of the detection data of the temperature sensing element 8.

[0047] In this embodiment, the temperature sensing element 8 is a temperature sensor, and the acceleration detection element 9 is a triaxial accelerometer.

[0048] In some alternative embodiments, the penetration cap 4 has a pointed oval-petal configuration. This structure reduces penetration resistance, and the penetration cap 4 is made of high-strength, high-toughness, and high-thermal-conductivity materials to withstand high overloads and sensing temperature measurements.

[0049] The penetration cap 4 has two layers, namely an inner layer 18 and an outer layer 19. The temperature sensing element 8 is disposed between the inner layer 18 and the outer layer 19. Meanwhile, the inner layer 18 and the outer layer 19 are fixed by mounting screws and fixed to the housing 1. The acceleration detection element 9 is disposed inside the penetration cap 4 of the inner layer 18.

[0050] In some optional embodiments, the payload compartments are, in sequence, an electronic control compartment 11, a mass spectrometer compartment 12, and an onboard power supply compartment 13. The electronic control compartment 11, the mass spectrometer compartment 12, and the onboard power supply compartment 13 are connected via a main cable 17. The main cable 17 connects the electronic control compartment 11, the mass spectrometer compartment 12, and the onboard power supply compartment 13. This main cable 17 enables electrical connection between the electronic control compartment 11 and the mass spectrometer compartment 12, facilitating the transmission of volatile matter measurement information from the mass spectrometer compartment 12 to the control mechanism within the electronic control compartment 11.

[0051] The electronic control compartment 11 contains an electronic control mechanism, and the mass spectrometer compartment 12 contains a mass spectrometer.

[0052] In some optional embodiments, a pneumatic detonator 14 is also provided inside the housing 1, and the pneumatic detonator 14 is located between the missile-borne power compartment 13 and the penetration cap 4.

[0053] The missile-borne power supply compartment 13 is equipped with at least four missile-borne power supplies 20, which are evenly spaced and arranged. These power supplies 20 provide power to the electronic control compartment 11 and the mass spectrometer compartment 12.

[0054] In some alternative embodiments, the lunar soil penetrating probe also includes a rocket base 15, on which a solid-propellant booster rocket 2 is mounted, and a flight plug 16 is provided between the solid-propellant booster rocket 2 and the electronic control cabin 11. The solid-propellant booster rocket 2 is mounted on the rocket base 15, and a deployable antenna 3 is mounted on the solid-propellant booster rocket 2, which is also connected to the electronic control cabin 11.

[0055] The specific installation process of this lunar soil penetration probe:

[0056] First, the temperature sensing element 8 is installed inside the penetration cap 4, and the penetration cap 4 is installed on the surface of the housing 1 using mounting screws.

[0057] Second, the acceleration detection element 9 is installed inside the penetration cap 4;

[0058] Third, install the pneumatic detonator 14 inside the housing 1;

[0059] Fourth, the power supply compartment is installed inside the casing 1 at the top;

[0060] Fifth, continue to install the mass spectrometer chamber 12 inside the shell 1;

[0061] Sixth, inside the shell 1, connect the main cable 17 and install the electronic control cabin 11, and connect the rocket insertion plug 16 to the electronic control cabin 11;

[0062] Seventh, a rocket base 15 is installed at the tail of the shell 1 and positioned circumferentially with locating pins; wherein, a multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure is provided between two adjacent load cells.

[0063] Eighth, a solid-propellant booster rocket 2 is installed on the rocket base 15, and a deployable antenna 3 is installed on the solid-propellant booster rocket 2, which is also connected to the electronic control cabin 11.

[0064] After installation, the shell 1 is powered by the solid rocket booster 2 system and penetrates the target stellar soil at a certain initial velocity. The temperature sensing element 8 array on the surface of the penetration cap 4 measures the temperature during the penetration process, the acceleration detection element 9 measures the acceleration information during the penetration process, and the volatile information is measured by the mass spectrometer in the mass spectrometer chamber 12. The pneumatic detonator 14 is ignited after the detection is completed to obtain an artificial crater of a certain breadth and depth.

[0065] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A lunar soil penetration probe, characterized in that, include: The shell (1) has multiple load cells arranged sequentially along the axial direction of the shell (1); A multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure is provided inside the shell (1) and located between two adjacent load chambers. The multi-stage buffer and vibration isolation structure provides vibration reduction in the axial and radial directions of the multiple load chambers. A solid-propellant rocket (2) is located at one end of the shell (1), and a deployable antenna (3) is provided at the end of the solid-propellant rocket (2); Penetration cap (4) is located at the other end of the shell (1); The multi-level buffer and vibration isolation structure includes a shock-absorbing pad (5), which is disposed between multiple load chambers along the axial direction of the shell (1). The multi-level buffer and vibration isolation structure also includes multiple damping rings (6), which are sleeved along the circumference of the load chamber at the connection between two adjacent load chambers; The multi-level buffer and vibration isolation structure also includes shear pins (7), and multiple shear pins (7) are provided at the connection of two adjacent load chambers along the circumferential direction of the load chamber; The penetration cap (4) is equipped with a temperature sensing element (8) and an acceleration detection element (9); The penetrating cap (4) has a spiral groove (10) inside, and the temperature sensing element (8) is located in the spiral groove (10); The payload compartment consists of an electronic control compartment (11), a mass spectrometer compartment (12), and a missile-borne power supply compartment (13). A pneumatic detonator (14) is also provided inside the shell (1), and the pneumatic detonator (14) is located between the missile-borne power supply compartment (13) and the penetration cap (4).

2. The lunar soil penetrating detector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the housing (1) is provided with a keyway, and the keyway is positioned in a manner corresponding to the shear pin (7).

3. The lunar soil penetration detector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electronic control compartment (11), mass spectrometer compartment (12), and missile power supply compartment (13) are connected by a main cable (17).

4. The lunar soil penetrating detector according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a rocket base (15), on which the solid booster rocket (2) is mounted, and a flight plug (16) is provided between the solid booster rocket (2) and the electronic control cabin (11).

Images