A lunar in-situ automatic lunar soil fiber preparation device and method

Abstract

The application discloses a device and a method for automatically preparing lunar soil fibers in situ on the moon, and belongs to the field of lunar in-situ resources. The device comprises a device side plate, an upper feed hopper and a crucible are arranged on the device side plate in a vertical direction, a feed screw is arranged in the feed hopper, and the feed screw can convey the lunar soil into the crucible; a heating coil is arranged outside the crucible to heat and melt the lunar soil; a nozzle is arranged at the bottom of the crucible; a rotatable winding device is arranged at the lower end of the device side plate, the position of the winding device in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction can be adjusted, and a traction plug is arranged at the end of the winding device; when the lunar soil is heated and melted, the winding device is raised so that the traction plug can block the nozzle; when the fiber is wound, the traction plug can directionally pull the fiber when the fiber is initially formed; the temperature of the lunar soil melt is efficiently controlled by controlling the position of the crucible, the fiber diameter is adaptively controlled by controlling the winding speed, and therefore, the stable preparation and collection of continuous fibers in the lunar environment are realized.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the field of lunar in-situ resource utilization, and particularly relates to a lunar surface in-situ automatic lunar soil fiber preparation device and method. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the deepening of human exploration of space, the moon, as the nearest celestial body to the earth, has become an important research and development target. Various countries and organizations have proposed plans to establish bases and research stations on the lunar surface, deploy various infrastructure, provide effective protection for precision detection equipment, and provide a stable living environment for astronauts to achieve normal lunar surface scientific research activities. Due to the high cost of transportation between the earth and the moon, both the weight and the volume are greatly limited during transportation. Through in-situ resource acquisition on the lunar surface to carry out related manufacturing and construction, the limitation of carrying capacity can be effectively solved to support the long-term sustainable operation of the lunar base and research station.

[0003] The lunar surface contains rich lunar soil resources, which have significant similarities with terrestrial basalt in chemical composition, mineral composition, and physical properties. The preparation of basalt fibers on the ground is a relatively mature technology system, which provides a certain theoretical basis for lunar soil fiber preparation. Limited by the extreme environment on the lunar surface, the spatial distribution difference of lunar soil composition, and the difficulty of human control, it is urgent to develop an automatic lunar soil fiber preparation technology suitable for the lunar environment. SUMMARY

[0004] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the purpose of the present application is to provide a lunar surface in-situ automatic lunar soil fiber preparation device and method to solve the problems in the prior art.

[0005] The purpose of the present application can be achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0006] A lunar surface in-situ automatic lunar soil fiber preparation device, comprising a device side plate, an upper and lower distribution feed hopper and a crucible are arranged on the device side plate, a feed screw is arranged in the feed hopper, and the feed screw can deliver lunar soil into the crucible; a heating coil is arranged outside the crucible to heat and melt the lunar soil; a nozzle is arranged at the bottom of the crucible;

[0007] A winding device capable of rotating is arranged at the lower end of the device side plate, the position of the winding device in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction can be adjusted, and a traction plug is arranged at the end of the winding device; when the lunar soil is heated and melted, the winding device is raised so that the traction plug can block the nozzle; when the fiber is wound, the traction plug directionally pulls the fiber when the fiber is initially formed.

[0008] Further, a heat preservation layer is arranged outside the heating coil, a movable heat preservation layer capable of lifting is arranged at the lower end of the crucible, and the movable heat preservation layer synchronously drives the lifting of the crucible.

[0009] Furthermore, a wire diameter sensor is disposed below the nozzle;

[0010] The device is also equipped with guide rods and movable guide rods, which are located below the fiber diameter sensor and are used to constrain the fiber position.

[0011] Furthermore, a wire diameter measurement advance motor is provided on the side plate of the device to drive the moving guide rod to move horizontally, and the moving guide rod is fixedly connected to the wire diameter sensor;

[0012] During the initial fiber traction, both the moving guide rod and the fiber diameter sensor are close to the side plate of the equipment; after the winder descends to its lowest position, the moving guide rod and the fiber diameter sensor move outward to be flush with the guide rod to constrain the fiber position.

[0013] Furthermore, the nozzle has several holes, and the traction plug is equipped with several plugging needles, which can correspond one-to-one with the holes and seal them.

[0014] Furthermore, the device also includes a base plate, on which a horizontal guide rail is fixed, and a vertical guide rail that can slide horizontally is provided on the horizontal guide rail; the winder is installed on the vertical guide rail and can be adjusted up and down along the vertical guide rail.

[0015] Furthermore, the crucible is made of high-temperature resistant ceramic material and is equipped with a temperature sensor for temperature control;

[0016] The heating coil is a molybdenum wire heating wire or an induction heating coil;

[0017] The nozzle is made of platinum-rhodium alloy and is equipped with a temperature sensor for temperature control.

[0018] Furthermore, the traction plug is made of molybdenum rod or high-temperature resistant ceramic.

[0019] A method for in-situ automated lunar regolith fiber preparation on the lunar surface, using the aforementioned in-situ automated lunar regolith fiber preparation apparatus, includes the following steps:

[0020] S1, control the winder to rise until the traction plug just blocks the nozzle, and transport the lunar soil into the crucible through the feeding hopper and feeding screw. The heating coil is energized to heat and melt the lunar soil in the crucible. Then control the moving insulation layer and the crucible to move downward, and at the same time, the winder moves downward synchronously to control the nozzle temperature in the range of 1200℃-1400℃.

[0021] S2, control the winder to move downwards and pull out the lunar soil fiber until the lowest position;

[0022] S3 controls the moving guide rod and the wire diameter sensor to move outward until they are flush with the guide rod; the wire diameter sensor feeds back the fiber diameter data, controls the winder rotation speed, and achieves target wire diameter control;

[0023] S4 controls the horizontal movement of the winder to evenly wind the fiber. After winding is complete, the winder resets.

[0024] Furthermore, in S1, the temperature at which the lunar soil is heated and melted is greater than 1500°C.

[0025] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0026] 1. The lunar soil fiber forming method of this invention has wide applicability to different lunar soil compositions. The melting point and high-temperature melt viscosity characteristics of lunar soil with different compositions differ greatly, and the corresponding suitable fiber forming temperature ranges vary greatly. By controlling the temperature at the nozzle outlet and the melting zone, it can dynamically adapt to different lunar soil compositions over a wide range.

[0027] 2. The lunar soil fiber forming process in this invention can achieve full-process self-closed-loop control. The lunar soil fiber forming process involves the control of parameters such as temperature, filament diameter, traction speed, and winding speed. By setting the control logic relationship between the feedback data of each control motor and related sensors, the process self-closed-loop control is achieved.

[0028] 3. The lunar soil fiber forming process in this invention can be automated and unmanned. In the processes of raw material feeding, initial traction, and dynamic winding, the timing and spatial motion logic of each structural mechanism is designed to achieve fully automated and unmanned operation of the entire process. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0030] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of an in-situ automated lunar soil fiber preparation device on the lunar surface;

[0031] Figure 2 Schematic diagrams showing the matching of different types of nozzles with traction plugs;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the initial positions of the moving guide rod and the wire diameter sensor.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the crucible and nozzle temperature control.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the fiber formation process in lunar soil.

[0035] In the diagram: 1-Feed hopper, 2-Feed screw, 3-Insulation layer, 4-Heating coil, 5-Crucible, 6-Nozzle, 7-Moving insulation layer, 8-Wire diameter sensor, 9-Guide rod, 10-Moving guide rod, 11-Vertical guide rail, 12-Vertical motor, 13-Horizontal guide rail, 14-Horizontal motor, 15-Winder, 16-Winding motor, 17-Traction plug, 18-Lunar soil, 19-Robotic arm, 20-Lunar soil melt, 21-Fiber, 22-Temperature control adjustment motor, 23-Equipment side plate, 24-Wire diameter measurement feed motor. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, an in-situ automated lunar soil fiber preparation device includes a side plate 23. A feed hopper 1 and a crucible 5 are arranged vertically on the side plate 23. A feed screw 2 is installed inside the feed hopper 1. Lunar soil 18 is fed into the feed hopper 1 via a robotic arm 19 and then into the crucible 5 under the conveying action of the feed screw 2. The feed screw 2 is used to achieve stable and quantitative addition of lunar soil. A heating coil 4 is installed on the outside of the crucible 5, and an insulation layer 3 is installed on the outside of the heating coil 4. The heating coil 4 can heat the lunar soil in the crucible 5 to form a lunar soil melt 20. A nozzle 6 is installed at the bottom of the crucible 5, and the bottom of the nozzle 6 has several holes as outlets for the lunar soil melt. The nozzle 6 can spray the lunar soil melt into fibers 21.

[0039] like Figure 4 As shown, a movable heat-insulating layer 7 that can be raised and lowered is provided at the lower end of the crucible 5, thereby driving the crucible 5 to rise and fall to adjust the relative position of the crucible 5 and the heating coil 4, and further controlling the temperature of the crucible 5 and the nozzle 6; in this embodiment, a temperature control adjustment motor 22 is provided on one side of the heat-insulating layer 3 to drive the movable heat-insulating layer 7 to rise and fall, and drive the crucible 5 to rise and fall.

[0040] In this embodiment, the crucible 5 is made of high-temperature resistant ceramic and is equipped with a temperature sensor for temperature control. The heating coil 4 is a molybdenum wire heating wire or an induction heating coil. The nozzle 6 is made of platinum-rhodium alloy and is equipped with a temperature sensor for temperature control.

[0041] A winder 15 is provided at the lower end of the side plate 23 of the equipment. A winding motor 16 is provided on one side of the winder 15 to drive its rotation, thereby realizing the winding and collection of fibers. The position of the winder 15 is adjustable in both the vertical and horizontal directions. A traction plug 17 is provided at the end of the winder 15; Figure 2 As shown, the traction plug 17 is provided with several plug needles, and when the lunar soil 18 is heated and melted, the winder 15 is controlled to rise, so that the several plug needles on the traction plug 17 can seal the several holes on the nozzle 6 respectively; when fiber winding is required, the traction plug 17 provides directional traction for the fibers during initial fiber formation; and during winding, controlling the horizontal movement of the winder 15 can achieve uniform winding and collection of the fibers 21.

[0042] The in-situ automated lunar soil fiber preparation device also includes a base plate. In this embodiment, a horizontal guide rail 13 is fixed on the base plate, and a vertical guide rail 11 that can slide horizontally is provided on the horizontal guide rail 13. A horizontal motor 14 is provided on the horizontal guide rail 13 to drive the vertical guide rail 11 to move horizontally. A winder 15 is installed on the guide rail 11 and can be adjusted up and down along the vertical guide rail 11. A vertical motor 12 is provided on the vertical guide rail 11 to drive the winder 15 to move up and down. Thus, the winder 15 can be adjusted in both the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0043] In this embodiment, the traction plug 17 is made of molybdenum rod or high-temperature resistant ceramic.

[0044] like Figure 3 As shown, a fiber diameter sensor 8 is installed below the nozzle 6 to monitor the fiber diameter and works in conjunction with the winding motor 16 to control the fiber diameter by different rotation speeds.

[0045] The equipment side plate 23 is also equipped with guide rod 9 and movable guide rod 10. The guide rod 9 and movable guide rod 10 are located below the wire diameter sensor 8 and are used to constrain the fiber position. The fiber is uniformly wound and collected by the horizontal movement of the winder 15.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a wire diameter measurement advance motor 24 is provided on the side plate 23 of the equipment to drive the moving guide rod 10 to move horizontally. The moving guide rod 10 is fixedly connected to the wire diameter sensor 8. When the fiber 21 is initially pulled (the winder 15 descends to release the hole of the nozzle 6), the moving guide rod 10 and the wire diameter sensor 8 are close to the side plate 23 of the equipment to avoid interference between the winder 15 and the moving guide rod 10 and the wire diameter sensor 8 when the winder 15 descends. After being pulled to the lowest position, the moving guide rod 10 and the wire diameter sensor 8 move outward to be flush with the guide rod 9 to constrain the position of the fiber 21.

[0047] Example 2

[0048] Based on the automated in-situ lunar soil fiber preparation device proposed in Example 1, this example proposes an automated in-situ lunar soil fiber preparation method; such as... Figure 5 As shown, it includes the following steps:

[0049] S1, as Figure 5 As shown in (a), the winder 15 rises until the traction plug 17 just blocks the nozzle 6. Through the cooperation of the feed hopper 1 and the feed screw 2, the screened lunar soil 18 sent by the robotic arm 19 is transported into the crucible 5. The heating coil 4 is energized to heat the lunar soil in the crucible 5 to above 1500°C and let it stand for 2 hours. The temperature control adjustment motor 22 controls the moving insulation layer 7 and the crucible 5 to move downward. At the same time, the winder 15 moves downward synchronously to control the temperature of the nozzle 6 within the range of 1200°C-1400°C.

[0050] S2, as Figure 5 As shown in (b), the winder 15 moves downward to pull out the lunar soil fiber 21 until it reaches the lowest position;

[0051] S3, as Figure 5 As shown in (c), the movable guide rod 10 and the wire diameter sensor 8 move outward to be flush with the guide rod 9; the wire diameter sensor 8 feeds back the fiber wire diameter data and controls the rotation speed of the winder 15 to achieve the target wire diameter control;

[0052] S4, such as Figure 5 As shown in (c) and (d), the winder 15 moves horizontally to wind the fiber evenly. After winding is completed, the winder is reset and the fiber roll is ready to be taken.

[0053] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0054] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A lunar surface in-situ automated lunar soil fiber preparation device, comprising a side plate (23), characterized in that, The equipment side plate (23) is provided with a feed hopper (1) and a crucible (5) arranged vertically. The feed hopper (1) is provided with a feed screw (2) which can transport lunar soil into the crucible (5). The outside of the crucible (5) is provided with a heating coil (4) to heat and melt the lunar soil. The bottom of the crucible (5) is provided with a nozzle (6). The lower end of the side plate (23) of the equipment is provided with a rotatable winder (15). The position of the winder (15) is adjustable in both the vertical and horizontal directions. The end of the winder (15) is provided with a traction plug (17). When the lunar soil is heated and melted, the winder (15) rises so that the traction plug (17) can block the nozzle (6). When the fiber is wound, the traction plug (17) directionally pulls the fiber at the initial fiber formation. A wire diameter sensor (8) is provided below the nozzle (6). The device side plate (23) is also equipped with a guide rod (9) and a movable guide rod (10). The guide rod (9) and the movable guide rod (10) are located below the wire diameter sensor (8) and are used to constrain the fiber position. The side plate (23) of the equipment is equipped with a wire diameter measurement advance motor (24) to drive the moving guide rod (10) to move horizontally. The moving guide rod (10) is fixedly connected to the wire diameter sensor (8). During the initial fiber traction, the moving guide rod (10) and the wire diameter sensor (8) are close to the side plate (23) of the equipment; when the winder (15) descends to the lowest position, the moving guide rod (10) and the wire diameter sensor (8) move outward to be flush with the guide rod (9) to constrain the fiber position.

2. The in-situ automated lunar soil fiber preparation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating coil (4) is provided with an insulation layer (3) on the outside, and the crucible (5) is provided with a movable insulation layer (7) that can be raised and lowered at the lower end, which simultaneously drives the crucible (5) to rise and fall.

3. The in-situ automated lunar soil fiber preparation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nozzle (6) has several holes, and the traction plug (17) is provided with several plug needles, which can correspond to the holes one by one and seal them.

4. The in-situ automated lunar soil fiber preparation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes a base plate, on which a horizontal guide rail (13) is fixed, and a vertical guide rail (11) that can slide horizontally is provided on the horizontal guide rail (13); the winder (15) is installed on the vertical guide rail (11) and can be raised and lowered along the vertical guide rail (11).

5. The in-situ automated lunar soil fiber preparation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The crucible (5) is made of high-temperature resistant ceramic material and is equipped with a temperature sensor for temperature control; The heating coil (4) is an induction heating coil; The nozzle (6) is made of platinum-rhodium alloy and is equipped with a temperature sensor for temperature control.

6. The in-situ automated lunar soil fiber preparation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The traction plug (17) is made of molybdenum rod or high-temperature resistant ceramic.

7. A method for in-situ automated preparation of lunar regolith fibers, using the in-situ automated lunar regolith fiber preparation apparatus described in claim 2, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1, control the winder (15) to rise until the traction plug (17) just blocks the nozzle (6), and transport the lunar soil into the crucible (5) through the cooperation of the feed hopper (1) and the feed screw (2). The heating coil (4) is energized to heat and melt the lunar soil in the crucible (5). Then control the moving insulation layer (7) and the crucible (5) to move downwards, and at the same time, the winder (15) moves downwards synchronously to control the temperature of the nozzle (6) to be in the range of 1200℃-1400℃. S2, control the winder (15) to move downwards and pull out the lunar soil fiber (21) until the lowest position; S3, control the moving guide rod (10) and the wire diameter sensor (8) to move outward until they are flush with the guide rod (9); the wire diameter sensor (8) feeds back the fiber wire diameter data, controls the rotation speed of the winder (15), and achieves the target wire diameter control; S4, control the winder (15) to move horizontally to wind the fiber evenly. After winding is completed, the winder (15) is reset.

8. The method for in-situ automated preparation of lunar soil fibers according to claim 7, characterized in that, In S1, the temperature at which lunar soil is heated and melted is greater than 1500℃.

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