Apparatus and method for quantifying lunar dust cleaning

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of lunar dust cleaning, and particularly relates to a device capable of quantitatively cleaning lunar dust and a method for cleaning lunar dust. The device is externally mounted and comprises an electron beam cleaning and monitoring probe and a mounting control support. The electron beam cleaning and monitoring probe comprises a hollow cylindrical probe shell with an opening on one side. The probe shell comprises an electron gun, a lunar dust monitor and a laser range finder, which are all arranged on the side with the opening. The electron gun is used to emit an electron beam to bombard a surface to be cleaned, so that the lunar dust is separated from the surface. The lunar dust monitor is used to monitor the number of lunar dust separated during the cleaning process. The laser range finder is used to measure the distance between the surface to be cleaned and the electron beam cleaning and monitoring probe. The mounting control support is used to mount and fix the entire device, control the movement of the electron beam cleaning and monitoring probe, and control the opening and closing of the electron beam cleaning and monitoring probe.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of lunar dust cleaning, in particular to a device and method for quantitatively cleaning lunar dust. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the deepening of lunar exploration, China will carry out long-term scientific exploration on the moon. However, lunar dust will be a challenge that must be faced in the long-term exploration of the moon. Related research shows that there is a large amount of lunar dust suspended on the surface of the moon, and various exploration instruments for lunar exploration are directly exposed to the lunar dust environment. The lunar dust adhering to the moving mechanism of the explorer will exacerbate the wear of the components; the lunar dust adhering to the surface of the sensor of the explorer will cause distortion of the scientific measurement results; the lunar dust adhering to the solar electromagnetic array will reduce the power supply efficiency; the lunar dust adhering to the optical lens will cause occlusion of the detection line of sight, and the lunar dust will bring many influences to the astronauts and explorers on the lunar surface.

[0003] Currently, the lunar dust cleaning technologies include brush cleaning method, surface charging method, mechanical vibration method, and electric curtain dust removal method. The brush cleaning method has low dust removal efficiency and is easy to scratch the equipment; the surface charging method can repel lunar dust of the same charge, but can attract lunar dust of neutral or opposite charge; the mechanical vibration method is to shake off the lunar dust by applying vibration of a certain frequency and amplitude to the surface adhering to the lunar dust, which has low efficiency and is not suitable for fixedly installed exploration equipment; the electric curtain dust removal method is to form an electric curtain by parallel transparent electrodes of alternating current, generate an alternating electric field, and move the lunar dust outward along the vertical electrode axis direction to achieve dust removal. This technology is suitable for large-area equipment and is generally used for solar cell arrays, heat sinks, etc.

[0004] The above dust removal technologies are difficult to identify the cleanliness and completion of the lunar dust, and for equipment that is not easy to use the above dust removal technologies, a new lunar dust cleaning technology is needed to quantitatively remove the lunar dust adhering to the surface. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application aims to provide an external device that can be applied to various surfaces and can monitor the cleanliness and completion of the lunar dust, and clean the lunar dust on various shaped surfaces of long-term exploration equipment on the moon. Specifically, the present application provides a device and method for quantitatively cleaning lunar dust.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application realizes the technical scheme as follows.

[0007] The present application provides a device for quantitatively cleaning lunar dust, which is external and includes an electron beam cleaning monitoring probe and a mounting control bracket.

[0008] The electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe comprises a probe shell which is hollow and open on one side; an electron gun, a lunar dust monitor and a laser range finder are arranged inside the probe shell and on the open side; wherein,

[0009] The electron gun is used to emit an electron beam flow to bombard a surface to be cleaned and make lunar dust separate from the surface;

[0010] The lunar dust monitor is used to monitor the number of lunar dust separated in the electron beam flow cleaning process;

[0011] The laser range finder is used to measure the distance between the surface to be cleaned and the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe;

[0012] The mounting control support is used to mount and fix the entire device and control the movement of the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe; and is also used to control the opening and closing of the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe.

[0013] As one of the improvements of the above technical solution, the electron gun, the lunar dust monitor and the laser range finder are all at a certain distance from the open side of the probe shell, which provides space for the lunar dust separated from the surface; at the same time, in the cleaning process, the lunar dust separated from the surface enters the lunar dust monitor by loading a positive potential on the shell of the lunar dust monitor and loading a negative potential on the shells of the electron gun and the laser range finder.

[0014] As one of the improvements of the above technical solution, the distances between the electron gun, the lunar dust monitor and the laser range finder and the open side of the probe shell are equal.

[0015] As one of the improvements of the above technical solution, the open side of the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe is provided with a protective cover matched with the opening; the protective cover is opened when the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe works; and the protective cover is closed when the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe does not work.

[0016] As one of the improvements of the above technical solution, the mounting control support comprises a mounting base, a supporting rotating mechanism, a communication control cable and a control circuit; wherein,

[0017] The mounting base is used to mount and fix the entire device;

[0018] The supporting rotating mechanism is a hollow structure and is used to control the movement of the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe;

[0019] The communication control cable is used to connect the control circuit through the hollow supporting rotating mechanism;

[0020] The control circuit is arranged inside the mounting base and is used to control the opening and closing of the supporting rotating mechanism and the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe.

[0021] As one of the improvements of the above technical solutions, the mounting base bottom is designed with mounting lugs for further fixing the entire device at the corresponding position.

[0022] As one of the improvements of the above technical solutions, the support rotating mechanism comprises M hollow cylindrical support rods and M vacuum-sealed three-dimensional rotating mechanisms, and M≥2.

[0023] The M support rods and M three-dimensional rotating mechanisms are alternately connected one by one into one body, one end of the three-dimensional rotating mechanism is connected with the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe, and the other end of the support rod is connected with the mounting base.

[0024] The application further provides a method for quantitatively cleaning lunar dust, which is realized based on the device for cleaning and monitoring lunar dust by using an electron beam flow according to one of the above technical solutions, and the method comprises the following steps:

[0025] The electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe is moved to a set position away from the surface to be cleaned by cooperation of the mounting control bracket and the laser range finder.

[0026] The electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe is controlled by the mounting control bracket to emit an electron beam flow with a certain energy to bombard the surface of the equipment, so that the lunar dust is separated from the surface to be cleaned.

[0027] The separated lunar dust is monitored by the lunar dust monitoring instrument.

[0028] When the monitored quantity returns to the quantity before cleaning or the monitored quantity of lunar dust is close to zero, it is indicated that the lunar dust on the surface to be cleaned has been cleaned.

[0029] The electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe is moved to the remaining surfaces by cooperation of the mounting control bracket and the laser range finder, and cleaning treatment is performed.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the application has the following advantages:

[0031] 1. The application designs an external device for quantitatively cleaning lunar dust, which can clean the lunar dust on the surface of the equipment working on the moon for a long time in a non-contact manner without changing the state of the equipment and damaging the equipment to be measured.

[0032] 2. The device is external and can be moved to the vicinity of the equipment to be cleaned by a lunar rover or an astronaut. After the device is started, the control circuit automatically performs the cleaning work of removing the lunar dust. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the device composition;

[0034] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe composition;

[0035] Figure 3 is an electronic beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe schematic diagram;

[0036] Figure 4 is a quantifiable lunar dust cleaning device working schematic diagram. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The technical solutions of the present application will be described in detail below in combination with the drawings and examples. The composition diagram of the device mainly plays a schematic role, and the specific size can be adaptively designed according to the actual application scene.

[0038] Example 1

[0039] The embodiment 1 of the present application gives a quantifiable lunar dust cleaning device, which comprises a mounting base, a support rod, a three-dimensional rotating mechanism, an electronic beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe and a control circuit, etc., as shown in Figure 1 . The support rod is designed as a cylindrical hollow structure, and a communication control cable is connected to the control circuit through the hollow support rod. The control circuit is placed inside the mounting base, and controls the three-dimensional rotating mechanism and the electronic beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe. The three-dimensional rotating mechanism is designed in a vacuum sealed state to avoid the influence of lunar dust on itself. The electronic beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe is designed as a cylinder, which includes an electron gun, a lunar dust monitor and a laser range finder inside. As shown in Figure 2 , it is a block diagram of the electronic beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe. Since there is always lunar dust suspended on the surface of the moon, the protective cover is in an open state during the cleaning work, and the electron gun, the lunar dust monitor and the laser range finder are all designed at a certain distance from the probe opening to suppress the influence of external lunar dust. As shown in Figure 2 , the distance between the lunar dust monitor, the electron gun and the laser range finder and the probe opening is d.

[0040] During the cleaning work, under the bombardment of the electron beam flow, the lunar dust is separated from the surface to be cleaned, and part of it will enter the probe. Since the separated lunar dust is negatively charged, the lunar dust monitor shell is designed to be loaded with a certain positive potential, and the electron gun and the laser range finder shell are designed to be loaded with a certain negative potential. Under the action of the shell potential of the electron gun, the lunar dust monitor and the laser range finder, the lunar dust entering the probe will be attracted and concentrated to the lunar dust monitor with positive electricity, which is beneficial to monitoring. Similarly, these lunar dust will be repelled by the shell negative of the lunar dust monitor and the laser range finder, preventing the pollution of the lunar dust to the electron gun and the laser range finder.

[0041] The electronic beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe is designed with a protective cover, which is opened during work; when not working, the protective cover is closed to prevent external lunar dust from polluting the internal electron gun, lunar dust monitor and laser range finder. As shown in Figure 3 , it is a schematic diagram of the electronic beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe.

[0042] The mounting base is designed with mounting lugs, which facilitates the device to be placed at any appropriate position. The support rod and the three-dimensional rotating mechanism can realize the all-directional rotation and movement of the cleaning and monitoring probe in pitch, fore-and-aft and the like; the laser range finder is responsible for monitoring the distance between the cleaning and monitoring probe and the surface to be cleaned, so as to avoid collision with the surface to be measured, causing damage. The lunar dust monitoring instrument monitors the amount of lunar dust separated from the surface of the device during the cleaning process, so as to judge the completion degree of cleaning.

[0043] The electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe is the core component of the device, which uses an electron gun to emit an energy-controllable electron beam flow to bombard the surface to be cleaned, so that the lunar dust is separated, thereby realizing the cleaning function, so that the device has a non-direct contact cleaning form without touching and damaging the surface to be cleaned. The lunar dust monitoring instrument is used to monitor the amount of lunar dust separated in real time, so that the device has a quantitative function of identifying the cleaning degree and completion degree of lunar dust, and can feed back the cleaning state of lunar dust to the lunar surface control system or the operator in real time. The laser range finder can accurately control the minimum distance between the probe and the surface to be cleaned, thereby creating the feasibility condition of quantitative monitoring. Since there is always lunar dust suspended on the lunar surface, when the distance between the probe and the surface to be cleaned is too large, the probe will be disturbed by the suspended lunar dust, and cannot correctly identify the cleaning degree and completion degree of lunar dust.

[0044] Embodiment 2

[0045] The embodiment 2 of the present application gives a device for quantitatively cleaning lunar dust and a method for cleaning lunar dust. The working principle of the device for quantitatively cleaning lunar dust is as shown in Figure 4 The cleaning and monitoring probe is moved to a distance of 10 mm from the surface of the device to be cleaned by cooperation of the three-dimensional rotating mechanism and the laser range finder. Then the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe emits an electron beam flow with a certain energy to bombard the surface of the device, so that the lunar dust is separated from the surface of the device. The separated lunar dust is in a scattered state on the lunar surface and enters the lunar dust monitoring instrument. During the cleaning process, the lunar dust monitoring instrument will initially monitor a sharp increase in the amount of lunar dust. Then the amount of lunar dust decreases, and when the amount of lunar dust monitoring returns to that before cleaning or approaches zero, it indicates that the cleaning of the region is completed. Then, the cleaning and monitoring probe is moved to the remaining surface by cooperation of the three-dimensional rotating mechanism and the laser range finder, and cleaning treatment is performed.

[0046] Due to the non-direct contact cleaning form of the electron beam flow, the accurate distance control of the laser range finder and the three-dimensional rotating mechanism, the device of the present application is not limited to the hemisphere shown in Figure 4 for the surface of the device to be cleaned during actual cleaning.

[0047] Finally, it should be noted that the above examples are merely used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application but not to limit. Although the present application is explained in detail with reference to the examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present application can be modified or replaced equivalently without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application, and all of them should be covered in the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A device for quantifying the cleaning of lunar dust, characterized by, The device is external, comprising: an electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe and a mounting control support; The electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe comprises: a hollow column and an open-sided probe shell; the probe shell comprises an electron gun, a lunar dust monitor and a laser range finder, which are all arranged on the open side; The electron gun is used for emitting an electron beam flow to bombard the surface to be cleaned, so that the lunar dust is separated from the surface; The lunar dust monitor is used for monitoring the number of lunar dust separated during the electron beam flow cleaning process; The laser range finder is used for measuring the distance between the surface to be cleaned and the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe; The mounting control support is used for mounting and fixing the entire device, controlling the movement of the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe, and controlling the opening and closing of the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe; the electron gun, the lunar dust monitor and the laser range finder are all arranged at a certain distance from the open side of the probe shell, so as to provide space for the lunar dust separated from the surface; at the same time, during the cleaning process, the lunar dust separated from the surface is introduced into the lunar dust monitor by loading a positive potential on the lunar dust monitor shell and loading a negative potential on the electron gun and the laser range finder shells.

2. The device for quantifiable cleaning of lunar dust according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distance between the electron gun, the lunar dust monitor and the laser range finder and the open side of the probe shell is equal.

3. The device for quantifiable cleaning of lunar dust according to claim 1, characterized in that, The open side of the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe is provided with a protective cover matched with the opening; the protective cover is opened when the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe is working, and the protective cover is closed when the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe is not working.

4. The device for quantifiable cleaning of lunar dust according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting control support comprises a mounting base, a supporting rotating mechanism, a communication control cable and a control circuit; The mounting base is used for mounting and fixing the entire device; The supporting rotating mechanism is a hollow structure and is used for controlling the movement of the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe; The communication control cable is used for connecting the control circuit through the hollow supporting rotating mechanism; The control circuit is arranged in the mounting base and is used for controlling the opening and closing of the supporting rotating mechanism and the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe.

5. The device for quantifiable cleaning of lunar dust according to claim 4, characterized in that The mounting base is provided with mounting lugs at the bottom, which are used for further fixing the entire device at a corresponding position.

6. The device for quantifiable cleaning of lunar dust according to claim 4, characterized in that, The supporting rotating mechanism comprises: M hollow column supporting rods and M vacuum-sealed three-dimensional rotating mechanisms; M≥2; The M hollow column supporting rods and the M vacuum-sealed three-dimensional rotating mechanisms are alternately connected as a whole, one end of the three-dimensional rotating mechanism is connected with the electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe, and the other end of the supporting rod is connected with the mounting base.

7. A method for quantitatively cleaning lunar dust, implemented by the device for quantitatively cleaning lunar dust according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The method comprises: The electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe is moved to a set position away from the surface to be cleaned through the cooperation of the mounting control support and the laser range finder; The electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe emits an electron beam flow with a certain energy to bombard the surface of the equipment, so that the lunar dust is separated from the surface to be cleaned through the cooperation of the mounting control support; The number of separated lunar dust is monitored through the lunar dust monitor; When the monitored number returns to the number before cleaning or the monitored number of lunar dust is close to zero, it indicates that the lunar dust on the surface to be cleaned has been cleaned; The electron beam flow cleaning and monitoring probe is moved to the remaining surfaces through the cooperation of the mounting control support and the laser range finder, and cleaning treatment is performed. The electronic gun, the lunar dust monitor and the laser range finder are all a certain distance from the opening side of the probe shell, which provides space for the lunar dust to be separated from the surface; at the same time, during the cleaning process, the lunar dust separated from the surface enters the lunar dust monitor by loading a positive potential on the lunar dust monitor shell and loading a negative potential on the electronic gun and the laser range finder shell.

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