Lunar surface shield

Abstract

The application provides a lunar surface protection device and relates to the technical field of space protection.The lunar surface protection device provided by the application adopts a modular design combining a composite material plate and a prefabricated framework, the prefabricated framework is manufactured on the earth, a shape memory hinge is used as a folding node, the prefabricated framework is folded to a compressed form, the volume size is greatly reduced, the lunar surface protection device is convenient for transportation between the earth and the moon, and the carrying pressure of a carrier rocket is reduced.The lunar surface protection device fully utilizes lunar in-situ resources, completes the manufacturing of the composite material plate, realizes the combination of the manufacturing on the earth and the moon, can reduce the operation steps of manufacturing the protection structure in the extreme environment on the lunar surface, and improves the manufacturing efficiency of the protection structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of space protection technology, and more specifically, to a lunar surface protection device. Background Technology

[0002] The construction of a lunar base is a significant step in human migration to outer space. Due to the extremely harsh lunar environment, including high vacuum, lack of water, meteorite impacts, microgravity (0.18G), severe temperature cycles, and radiation exposure, the construction of a lunar base will face numerous challenges.

[0003] To withstand the harsh lunar environment, lunar bases require protection. Currently, protective structures used for lunar bases include inflatable structures, rigid deployable structures, hybrid structures, and subsurface structures. Rigid structures utilize origami-like design principles, with hinged rigid components that fold and unfold to form complex three-dimensional shapes, achieving efficient space utilization. With its foldability and ability to withstand external loads, rigid structures hold greater promise for fulfilling the protective mission of lunar bases compared to other types of structures.

[0004] However, the rigid structure needs to be pre-designed and folded before being transported to the lunar surface for deployment. This increases the payload burden on the launch vehicle, which is detrimental to Earth-Moon transportation and also increases the safety risks for the crew. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a lunar surface protection device, comprising:

[0006] The system comprises a composite material plate, a prefabricated frame, and spherical hinges; each spherical hinge connects at least two prefabricated frames to form a protective unit, and multiple protective units are connected and assembled into a mesh structure unit; the composite material plate is mounted on the mesh structure unit.

[0007] The composite material board includes a fiber panel and a core, wherein the fiber panel and the core are laminated in layers with spacing between them; the prefabricated skeleton includes a shape memory hinge and a composite material tube; the two ends of the shape memory hinge are respectively connected to two of the composite material tubes; a heating source is provided on the shape memory hinge;

[0008] The fiber panel is made by combining lunar soil with a fiber-forming polymer after melting, and the core is made by sintering alumina powder extracted from the melt of lunar soil.

[0009] Optionally, the composite material plate is obtained by using vertical 3D printing technology to print the fiber panel and the core at intervals.

[0010] Optionally, the cell structure of the sandwich core is a body-centered cubic lattice structure, an octave lattice structure, a three-dimensional hexagonal honeycomb lattice structure, or a Kelvin lattice structure.

[0011] Optionally, the thermal excitation driving method of the heating source is any one of thermal driving, electric driving, radio frequency driving, microwave driving, and optical driving, or a combination of at least two driving methods.

[0012] Optionally, the shape memory hinge consists of two arc-shaped pieces forming a hinge; the two arc-shaped pieces are arranged opposite each other in the bending direction; and the two ends of each arc-shaped piece are respectively connected to the composite material tube in the axial direction.

[0013] Optionally, the heating source is disposed on the arc-shaped sheet, and the arc-shaped sheet is heated by the heating source to change the arc-shaped sheet from a curved state to a straight sheet configuration.

[0014] Optionally, the arc-shaped sheet is integrally prepared from a shape memory composite material with shape memory properties using 4D printing technology.

[0015] Optionally, the shape memory composite material is a resin; the resin is an epoxy-based shape memory polymer or a cyanate-based shape memory polymer.

[0016] Optionally, the shape memory composite material further includes a reinforcement; the reinforcement is carbon fiber, nanoparticles, carbon nanotube-grafted carbon fiber, or chopped fiber.

[0017] Optionally, the mesh structure unit is detachably connected to the composite material plate 1.

[0018] The lunar surface protection device provided by this invention adopts a modular design combining composite material panels and a prefabricated frame. The prefabricated frame is manufactured on-site, and shape memory hinges are used as folding nodes to compress the frame into a compressed form, significantly reducing its size. This facilitates Earth-Moon transportation, reduces the launch vehicle's payload pressure, and minimizes safety risks for the launch vehicle's crew. Furthermore, by fully utilizing in-situ lunar resources to manufacture the composite material panels, a combined Earth-Moon construction approach is achieved, further reducing the launch vehicle's payload pressure. Compared to construction methods that solely utilize in-situ lunar resources, this approach reduces the operational steps involved in constructing the protective structure in the extreme lunar environment, thus improving construction efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the deployed state of a lunar surface protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a side view of a lunar surface protection device in its deployed state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a top view of a lunar surface protection device in its deployed state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the prefabricated frame in a lunar surface protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolded configuration of a prefabricated frame in a lunar surface protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the folded configuration of a prefabricated frame in a lunar surface protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from three perspectives: a, b, and c.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the composite material plate in a lunar surface protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the body-centered cubic lattice structure in a composite material plate of a lunar surface protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of an octagonal truss lattice structure in a composite material plate of a lunar surface protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a three-dimensional hexagonal honeycomb lattice structure in a composite material plate of a lunar surface protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the Kelvin dot matrix structure in a lunar surface protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Among them, 100-Lunar base, 1-Composite material plate, 2-Prefabricated skeleton, 3-Spherical hinge, 11-Fiber panel, 12-Sandwich core, 21-Shape memory hinge, 22-Composite material tube. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although some embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the present invention. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of the present invention are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] It should be understood that the various steps described in the method embodiments of the present invention may be performed in different orders and / or in parallel. Furthermore, the method embodiments may include additional steps and / or omit the steps shown. The scope of the present invention is not limited in this respect.

[0033] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein are open-ended, meaning "including but not limited to"; the term "based on" means "at least partially based on"; the term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments"; and the term "optionally" means "optional embodiments". Definitions of other terms will be given in the following description. It should be noted that the concepts of "first," "second," etc., mentioned in this invention are used only to distinguish different devices, modules, or units, and are not intended to limit the order of functions performed by these devices, modules, or units or their interdependencies.

[0034] It should be noted that the terms "a" and "a plurality of" used in this invention are illustrative rather than restrictive. Those skilled in the art should understand that, unless otherwise expressly indicated in the context, they should be understood as "one or more".

[0035] The names of the messages or information exchanged between the multiple devices in the embodiments of the present invention are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of these messages or information.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a lunar surface protection device. After being deployed, the lunar surface protection device is installed on the outer surface of the lunar base 100 or covers the lunar exploration equipment, providing the lunar base 100 with the performance of a lunar survival environment and the ability to provide a safe shelter space for the lunar exploration equipment.

[0037] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the lunar surface protection device provided in this embodiment of the invention includes:

[0038] The system comprises a composite material plate 1, a prefabricated frame 2, and spherical hinges 3. Each spherical hinge 3 connects at least two prefabricated frames 2 to form a protective unit. It can be understood that the structure formed by connecting each spherical hinge 3 to a prefabricated frame 2 constitutes a protective unit. Multiple protective units are connected and assembled into a mesh structure unit. Specifically, when multiple protective units are connected, the spherical hinge 3 in one protective unit is connected to the prefabricated frame 2 in another protective unit. The mesh structure unit is a polygonal structure, with three adjacent spherical hinges 3 forming a triangle. A composite material plate 1 conforming to the shape of the triangle is installed at each triangle of the mesh structure unit. Specifically, modular assembly interfaces can be provided on the three prefabricated frames 2 included at each triangle, allowing the composite material plate 1, manufactured in situ on the lunar surface, to be suspended on the mesh structure unit through these modular assembly interfaces, achieving a detachable connection between the mesh structure unit and the composite material plate 1. The lunar surface protection device, constructed using a modular assembly method, possesses excellent overall mechanical properties such as strength, stiffness, and vibration isolation. This enables modular design and in-situ construction of the lunar surface protection device at a lower cost, enhancing the adaptability and fault tolerance of the lunar base's lunar surface protection device.

[0039] like Figure 4 As shown, the prefabricated frame 2 includes: a shape memory hinge 21 and a composite material tube 22; two composite material tubes 22 are connected to each end of the shape memory hinge 21; a heating source is provided on the shape memory hinge 21. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the prefabricated skeleton 2 has two forms: an unfolded configuration and a folded configuration. The heating source provides a temperature source for the shape memory hinge 21. After being excited by the external temperature, the shape memory hinge 21 changes from a folded, bent state to its initial straight plate configuration. This causes the prefabricated skeleton 2 to change from a folded configuration to an unfolded configuration.

[0040] It is understandable that the shape memory effect of the shape memory hinge 21 is used to control the unfolding and folding of the composite material tube 22, thereby controlling the unfolding and folding of the entire mesh structure unit.

[0041] In this embodiment, after the prefabricated frame 2 is transported to a fixed location on the moon, an external excitation can be applied to the shape memory hinge 21 of the prefabricated frame 2, causing the shape memory hinge 21 to change from a folded, bent state (also known as a temporary configuration) to an initial straight plate configuration. This allows the prefabricated frame 2 to change from a folded state to an unfolded state. After the prefabricated frame 2 is installed on the surface of the lunar base, the composite material plate 1 manufactured in situ on the lunar surface can be suspended through a predetermined modular assembly interface, thus fulfilling the protective function of the protective device.

[0042] like Figure 7 As shown, the composite material plate 1 includes: a fiber panel 11 and a core 12, which are formed by layering the fiber panel 11 and the core 12 in alternating layers.

[0043] The fiber panel 11 is made by combining lunar soil with a fiber-forming polymer after melting, and the core 12 is made by sintering alumina powder extracted from the melt of lunar soil.

[0044] It should be noted that after lunar soil is melted, it can form basalt fibers with stable properties and alumina powder that can be refined to prepare alumina ceramics with specific structures.

[0045] Lunar exploration results indicate that the lunar surface is covered with a layer of lunar soil, whose main components include various mineral fragments and glassy materials. This is quite similar to basalt ore distributed on the Earth's surface in terms of composition and physicochemical properties. Since lunar soil and Earth's basalt ore have similar compositions and properties, basalt fiber can be manufactured using lunar soil as a raw material, analogous to the preparation of Earth's basalt fiber. Basalt fiber is a high-performance fiber obtained by melting and fiberizing basalt ore. It is one of the most common reinforcements in composite materials, possessing excellent mechanical properties, strong corrosion resistance, a wide operating temperature range, and low thermal conductivity, effectively improving the overall performance of fiber panel 11.

[0046] Alumina ceramic sandwich cores are fabricated using refined alumina powder. Alumina ceramic, a material with excellent properties, can be manufactured using 3D printing technology. Alumina powder can be deposited layer by layer and sintered as needed to ultimately produce an alumina ceramic sandwich core. Because the 3D printing process is layer-by-layer, it is possible to create sandwich cores with various complex impact-resistant structures, giving them superior impact resistance.

[0047] Furthermore, by employing vertical 3D printing technology, basalt fibers are directly incorporated into 3D-printed alumina ceramics. The composite material board is obtained by printing the fiber panels and cores alternately. Compared to printing the fiber panels and cores separately and then combining them into a composite material board, this method can improve the composite stability of the composite material board.

[0048] The core of the 3D-printed alumina ceramic material can be a honeycomb structure, an open-cell foam structure, a closed-cell foam structure, or a lattice structure. In this embodiment, the cell structure of the core is a body-centered cubic lattice structure (also known as a BCC lattice metamaterial structure), an octet lattice structure (also known as an Octet lattice metamaterial structure), a three-dimensional hexagonal honeycomb lattice structure, or a Kelvin lattice structure. Figure 8 The body-centered cubic lattice structure shown is... Figure 8 (a) is a sandwich-type cell structure. Figure 8 (b) shows the cell structure of the composite material plate. For example... Figure 9 The octave truss lattice structure shown is... Figure 9 (a) is a sandwich-type cell structure. Figure 9 (b) shows the cell structure of the composite material plate. For example... Figure 10 The three-dimensional hexagonal honeycomb lattice structure shown is Figure 10 (a) is a sandwich-type cell structure. Figure 10 (b) shows the cell structure of the composite material plate. For example... Figure 11 The Kelvin lattice structure shown is Figure 11 (a) is a sandwich-type cell structure. Figure 11 (b) shows the cell structure of the composite material plate.

[0049] In this embodiment, the structure used in the sandwich core has excellent specific strength and specific stiffness, as well as good shock absorption, noise reduction, and energy absorption buffering effects.

[0050] In this embodiment, a shape memory hinge forms a hinge, and the two arc-shaped pieces are arranged opposite each other in the bending direction; the two ends of each arc-shaped piece are respectively connected to the composite material tube. The arc-shaped pieces are integrally fabricated from shape memory composite materials with shape memory properties using 4D printing technology. During manufacturing, the arc-shaped pieces are in a straight sheet configuration (e.g., ...). Figure 5 The curved piece shown in the image is shaped through a shaping process, transforming it from a straight shape to a curved state (as shown in the image). Figure 6 The curved sheet shown is used to achieve the purpose of folding and shrinking the volume of the prefabricated skeleton. By exciting the curved sheet, it can be transformed into a straight and curved state. The glass transition temperature of the shape memory composite material meets the requirements of the prefabricated skeleton. In this embodiment, the shape memory composite material includes: resin and reinforcement. The resin is an epoxy-based shape memory polymer or a cyanate-based shape memory polymer. The reinforcement is carbon fiber, nanoparticles, carbon nanotube-grafted carbon fiber, or chopped fiber.

[0051] It is understandable that shape memory polymers (SMPs) are a new type of smart material. Under different external environmental stimuli (heat, light, magnetism, etc.), they have the ability to maintain temporary deformation and return to their initial shape when subjected to the same external stimuli again, thus exhibiting a memory function for the initial shape. Foldable shape memory hinges made of shape memory polymers can autonomously return to their initial shape under external environmental stimuli without external loading, achieving large deformations such as bending and folding.

[0052] In this embodiment, the heating source is set on the arc-shaped sheet, and the arc-shaped sheet is heated by the heating source to change the arc-shaped sheet from a curved state to a straight sheet configuration.

[0053] The heating source can be driven by any one of the following methods: thermal drive, electric drive, radio frequency drive, microwave drive, or optical drive, or a combination of at least two of them.

[0054] If heat-driven operation is used, a resistive thin-film heater is attached to the surface of the heating source. When the attached thin-film heater is energized, the curved sheet deforms from a 180° bent state to a flat, unfolded state after the temperature reaches above the glass transition temperature, and then the heating stops. The state change of the curved sheet causes the shape memory hinge to change from a folded, bent state (also known as a temporary configuration) to the initial straight sheet configuration.

[0055] If electrically driven, the heating source should be doped with one or more of the following: single-walled or multi-walled carbon nanotubes, graphene, carbon black, carbon nanopaper, carbon nanofibers, chopped carbon fibers, continuous carbon fibers, or hybrid particles. An external power source should be connected to the heating source to form a circuit. When the heating source is energized, and the temperature reaches above the glass transition temperature, the curved sheet deforms from a 180° bent state to a flat, unfolded state, at which point heating stops. This state change of the curved sheet causes the shape memory hinge to transition from a folded, bent state (also known as a temporary configuration) to its initial straight configuration.

[0056] If a microwave-driven method is used, the heating source should be doped with carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, and silicon carbide. A microwave field is applied to the heating source, and once the temperature reaches above the glass transition temperature, the curved sheet deforms from a 180° bent state to a flat, unfolded state, at which point heating stops. This state transformation of the curved sheet causes the shape memory hinge to change from a folded, bent state (also known as a temporary configuration) to its initial straight configuration.

[0057] If radio frequency (RF) driving is used, the heating source should be doped with RF-sensitive particles, such as carbon nanotubes. An RF field is applied to the heating source, and once the temperature reaches above the glass transition temperature, the curved sheet deforms from a 180° bent state to a flat, unfolded state, at which point heating stops. This state transformation of the curved sheet causes the shape memory hinge to change from a folded, bent state (also known as a temporary configuration) back to its initial straight configuration.

[0058] If optical actuation is used, an optical fiber should be embedded in the heating source. An optical field is applied to the heating source, and once the temperature reaches above the glass transition temperature, the curved sheet deforms from a 180° bent state to a flat, unfolded state, at which point heating stops. This state transformation of the curved sheet causes the shape memory hinge to change from a folded, bent state (also known as a temporary configuration) to its initial straight configuration.

[0059] If a combined driving method is used, the heating source is doped with two or more of the above combinations. When the selected combined driving method of the heating source is applied with appropriate excitation, the curved sheet deforms from a 180° bent state to a flat, unfolded state after the temperature reaches above the glass transition temperature, and then heating stops. The state transformation of the curved sheet causes the shape memory hinge to change from a folded, bent state (also known as a temporary configuration) to the initial straight sheet configuration.

[0060] As described above, the lunar surface protection device provided in this embodiment adopts a modular design combining composite material plates and a prefabricated frame. The prefabricated frame is manufactured on-site, and shape memory hinges are used as folding nodes to fold the prefabricated frame into a compressed form, greatly reducing its size and facilitating Earth-Moon transportation while reducing the launch vehicle's payload pressure. By fully utilizing in-situ lunar resources to complete the manufacturing of composite material plates, a combined Earth-Moon construction approach is achieved. Compared with construction methods that solely utilize in-situ lunar resources, this reduces the operational steps required to construct the protective structure in the extreme environment of the lunar surface, thus improving the construction efficiency of the protective structure.

[0061] While the present invention has been disclosed above, its scope of protection is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such changes and modifications will fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lunar surface protection device, characterized in that, include: Composite material plate, prefabricated skeleton and spherical hinge; each of the spherical hinges connects at least two of the prefabricated skeletons to form a protective unit, and multiple of the protective units are connected and assembled into a mesh structure unit; The composite material plate is mounted on the mesh structure unit; The composite material board includes a fiber panel and a core, wherein the fiber panel and the core are laminated in layers with spacing between them; the prefabricated skeleton includes a shape memory hinge and a composite material tube; the two ends of the shape memory hinge are respectively connected to two of the composite material tubes; a heating source is provided on the shape memory hinge; The fiber panel is made by combining lunar soil with a fiber-forming polymer after melting, and the core is made by sintering alumina powder extracted from the melt of lunar soil. The shape memory hinge consists of two arc-shaped pieces forming a hinge; the two arc-shaped pieces are arranged opposite each other in the direction of bending; the two ends of each arc-shaped piece are respectively connected to the composite material tube in the axial direction; The heating source is disposed on the arc-shaped sheet, and the arc-shaped sheet is heated by the heating source to change the arc-shaped sheet from a curved state to a straight sheet configuration.

2. The lunar surface protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The composite material plate is obtained by using vertical 3D printing technology to print the fiber panel and the core at intervals.

3. The lunar surface protection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cell structure of the sandwich core is a body-centered cubic lattice structure, an octave truss lattice structure, a three-dimensional hexagonal honeycomb lattice structure, or a Kelvin lattice structure.

4. The lunar surface protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating source is driven by thermal excitation in any one of the following methods: thermal drive, electric drive, radio frequency drive, microwave drive, and optical drive, or a combination of at least two of these methods.

5. The lunar surface protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The arc-shaped sheet is integrally prepared from a shape memory composite material with shape memory properties using 4D printing technology.

6. The lunar surface protection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The shape memory composite material includes a resin; the resin is an epoxy-based shape memory polymer or a cyanate-based shape memory polymer.

7. The lunar surface protection device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The shape memory composite material also includes a reinforcement; the reinforcement is carbon fiber, nanoparticles, carbon nanotube grafted carbon fiber, or chopped fiber.

8. The lunar surface protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mesh structure unit is detachably connected to the composite material plate.

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