Lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology

Abstract

The invention provides a lunar surface drilling method based on a high-energy electron beam technology, which comprises the following steps of: adopting a high-energy electron beam as a non-contact heat knife, melting lunar soil in situ through annular or conical cutting, and condensing to form a high-strength vitrification lining internally packaged with a lunar soil sample; the high-strength vitrification lining is used as an in-situ generated vitrification sleeve to tightly wrap and solidify the lunar soil sample which is not influenced by heat inside to form a lunar soil sample monomer protected by the high-strength vitrification lining, so that in-situ packaging of the lunar soil sample is realized. The invention relates to a lunar surface drilling and in-situ packaging sampling method based on a high-energy electron beam technology, in particular to a method for drilling, sampling and melting hole forming on the surface of the moon by using the high-energy electron beam technology, which is suitable for scientific detection of the moon, in-situ resource utilization and base construction. And more technical means are provided for detection and exploitation of lunar mineral resources.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lunar exploration and resource development technology, specifically to a lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology. Background Technology

[0002] As the closest celestial body to Earth, the Moon is the premier testing ground for deep space exploration. The Moon contains abundant mineral resources, such as ilmenite, silicates, Krippar (a unique lunar mineral rich in potassium, phosphorus, and rare earth elements), and large quantities of helium-3. The exploration of lunar mineral resources is fundamental for future lunar base construction and deep space exploration activities. It is worth noting that lunar surface samples alone cannot provide sufficient information; therefore, physical geological samples from depths of tens or even hundreds of meters are indispensable for lunar exploration missions. Traditional lunar surface drilling techniques (such as mechanical drilling and ultrasonic drilling) suffer from problems such as drill bit wear, lunar dust jamming, and high energy consumption. The Moon's naturally high-vacuum environment provides ideal conditions for electron beam technology, necessitating the development of new drilling techniques tailored to the unique lunar environment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a lunar drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology, which can effectively solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0004] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0005] This invention provides a lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology, comprising: using a high-energy electron beam as a non-contact thermal cutter to melt and condense lunar soil in situ through annular or conical cutting to form a high-strength vitrified liner containing a lunar soil sample; the high-strength vitrified liner, as an in-situ generated vitrified sleeve, tightly wraps and solidifies the unheated lunar soil sample inside, forming a single lunar soil sample protected by the high-strength vitrified liner, thereby achieving in-situ encapsulation of the lunar soil sample.

[0006] Furthermore, the lunar regolith includes surface lunar regolith and deep lunar rock.

[0007] Furthermore, the method of using a high-energy electron beam as a non-contact thermal knife to melt and condense lunar regolith in situ through annular or conical cutting to form a high-strength vitrified liner containing a lunar regolith sample includes:

[0008] The high-energy electron beam drills along a ring-shaped trajectory, which precisely defines a ring-shaped action zone on a horizontal plane. This ring-shaped action zone is used to deposit energy. The high-energy electron beam causes the local temperature of the ring-shaped action zone to instantaneously exceed 3000°C, inducing a phase transition in the lunar regolith within the ring-shaped action zone. This results in a molten material that is a mixture of gas, liquid, and solid phases. Due to the natural ultra-high vacuum and microgravity environment of the moon, the molten material within the ring-shaped action zone is dominated by surface tension, spreads on the wall surface, and rapidly condenses, forming a high-strength vitrified liner of appropriate thickness. Furthermore, by controlling the ring-shaped trajectory of the high-energy electron beam, the central sample area of ​​the ring-shaped action zone is ensured to be protected from direct bombardment by the high-energy electron beam, thus maintaining the original stratification information of the lunar regolith sample.

[0009] Furthermore, the annular action area is the region formed between the inner and outer diameters of the annular trajectory.

[0010] Furthermore, the method of using a high-energy electron beam as a non-contact thermal knife to melt and condense lunar regolith in situ through annular or conical cutting to form a high-strength vitrified liner containing a lunar regolith sample includes:

[0011] Step S1: Obtain lunar surface environment information for the drilling target area;

[0012] Step S2: Based on the lunar surface environment information, a preset parameter matching model is used to calculate the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters for the drilling target area at different drilling depths h.

[0013] Step S3: Plan the dynamic scanning path of the electron beam and the multi-degree-of-freedom deflection control parameters;

[0014] Step S4, Lunar drilling operation:

[0015] The high-energy electron beam drilling device emits a corresponding high-energy electron beam according to the basic values ​​of the drilling operation parameters, and makes the high-energy electron beam deflected according to the multi-degree-of-freedom deflection control parameters and drills into the drilling target area according to the electron beam dynamic scanning path, thereby melting and condensing the lunar soil in situ through annular or conical cutting to form a high-strength vitrified liner containing a lunar soil sample inside.

[0016] Step S5: With mechanical assistance, the high-strength vitrified liner containing the lunar soil sample is extracted as a whole.

[0017] Furthermore, the lunar surface environment information of the drilling target area includes: lunar soil particle size distribution, lunar soil shape characteristics, lunar soil layering structure, lunar soil thermophysical properties, and lunar soil chemical mineral composition; the lunar soil layering structure includes: the characteristics and depth range of the surface lunar soil, and the characteristics and depth range of the deep lunar rocks.

[0018] Furthermore, step S2 includes:

[0019] The lunar surface environment information at different drilling depths h is input into the parameter matching model; the parameter matching model outputs the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters for each drilling depth h; wherein, the drilling operation parameters include the accelerating voltage, beam current intensity and focused beam spot diameter of the high-energy electron beam;

[0020] Based on the nonlinear differences in the physical properties of lunar soil at different drilling depths h, the basic values ​​of the drilling operation parameters have the following two configuration schemes:

[0021] (1) Pore matching scheme for surface lunar regolith

[0022] When the drilling depth h is located in the loose, low-density surface lunar regolith, the principle for setting the accelerating voltage, beam current intensity, and focused beam spot diameter of the high-energy electron beam is as follows: set the accelerating voltage to a low value, increase the focused beam spot diameter to a maximum value, switch to a certain beam current intensity, and continuously output the high-energy electron beam. Under this condition, the high-energy electron beam focuses on causing local melting of the lunar regolith through heat deposition over a large area. Utilizing the surface tension-dominated characteristic under the microgravity of the lunar surface, the molten material is condensed to form a stable initial borehole boundary, thereby ensuring the stability of the initial cutting stage.

[0023] (2) Matching scheme for impact drilling of deep lunar rocks

[0024] When the drilling depth h is located in deep hard lunar rock, the principle for setting the accelerating voltage, beam current intensity, and focused beam spot diameter of the high-energy electron beam is as follows: set the accelerating voltage to a high value, compress the focused beam spot diameter to a minimum value, and switch to high-frequency pulse mode to output the high-energy electron beam. Under this condition, the high-energy electron beam focuses on acting on the lunar rock through heat deposition over a small area and through extremely high energy density, generating a severe instantaneous thermal stress gradient inside the lunar rock, causing thermal fracturing and local gasification of the lunar rock material, and using the recoil pressure generated by gasification to achieve efficient stripping of deep hard lunar rock.

[0025] Furthermore, step S3 includes:

[0026] Step S31: A circular lunar surface with an initial scanning radius of R1 is defined at the horizontal plane of the lunar surface in the drilling target area. The deflection angle of the high-energy electron beam relative to the horizontal plane of the lunar surface is... Based on the initial scan radius R1 and deflection angle A sampling plane with a scanning radius of R2 is determined at the target sampling depth h1, and the following relationship is satisfied. ;

[0027] A conical dynamic scanning path is formed between the circular lunar surface with scanning radius R1 and the sampling plane with scanning radius R2. Specifically, during high-energy electron beam drilling, the instantaneous scanning radius R(h) of the high-energy electron beam is dynamically calculated and adjusted according to the real-time drilling depth h, following the following linear functional relationship:

[0028]

[0029] The annular region corresponding to the instantaneous scanning radius R(h) is the dynamic scanning path of the high-energy electron beam at the real-time drilling depth h;

[0030] Step S32, the multi-degree-of-freedom deflection control parameters include deflection frequency;

[0031] Step S33: When the real-time drilling depth h is reached, the end of the high-energy electron beam is focused into a beam spot within a set range. The electromagnetic deflection system controls the beam spot of the high-energy electron beam to perform high-speed circular motion along the circular trajectory corresponding to the calculated instantaneous scanning radius R(h) at a preset deflection frequency, thereby accurately defining a conical thermal action zone that contracts from R1 to R2 in the three-dimensional space of the drilling target area.

[0032] Furthermore, step S4 specifically involves:

[0033] Step S41: Start the high-energy electron beam drilling device, which emits a high-energy electron beam to perform drilling operations according to the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters when the drilling depth h=0, and monitors the current drilling depth h in real time through a high-precision displacement sensor.

[0034] Step S42: During the drilling operation, the local temperature at the current drilling depth h is collected in real time, and the current drilling depth h, local temperature, high-energy electron beam scanning energy and scanning time are input into the pre-constructed BP neural network model in real time; the BP neural network model predicts the forming quality of the glassy liner.

[0035] The predicted forming quality of the vitrified liner is compared with the preset vitrified tube wall standard to determine whether the predicted forming quality of the vitrified liner meets the forming requirements. If it does, the drilling operation optimization parameters for the next moment are obtained based on the current drilling operation parameters. This process is repeated continuously to achieve continuous drilling until the target sampling depth h1 is reached. If it does not meet the requirements, step S43 is executed.

[0036] Step S43: Based on the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters for different drilling depths h set in step S2, adjust the current drilling operation parameters to the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters corresponding to the current drilling depth h, and return to step S42 after a set time interval; if the forming requirements are still not met after a set number of cycles, end the drilling and sampling in this drilling target area and start drilling and sampling in other adjacent areas.

[0037] Furthermore, step S5 includes:

[0038] The mechanical recovery device is activated and enters the borehole. Because the high-strength vitrified liner provides sufficient structural support and acts as a physical barrier, the mechanical gripping mechanism of the mechanical recovery device enters the bottom along the smooth high-strength vitrified liner and performs in-situ gripping and extraction of the combination of the high-strength vitrified liner and lunar soil sample. This enables the accurate acquisition of lunar soil samples at a specific depth, and the lunar soil samples do not scatter or become disordered during the extraction process.

[0039] The lunar drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology provided by this invention has the following advantages:

[0040] This invention relates to a lunar surface drilling and in-situ encapsulation sampling method based on high-energy electron beam technology. Specifically, it involves a method for drilling, sampling, and melting borehole formation on the lunar surface using high-energy electron beam technology. This method is applicable to lunar scientific exploration, in-situ resource utilization, and base construction, providing more technical means for the exploration and mining of lunar mineral resources. Attached Figure Description

[0041] 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, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0042] Figure 1 A flowchart of a lunar drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 2 This is the drilling cone dynamic scanning path diagram of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0044] To make the technical problems solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0045] To address the technical challenges of traditional mechanical contact drilling (such as mechanical drilling and ultrasonic drilling), including severe drill bit wear, lunar dust jamming, high energy consumption, and easy collapse of the borehole walls in the low-gravity environment of the lunar surface, this invention provides a lunar surface drilling and in-situ encapsulation sampling method based on high-energy electron beam technology. Specifically, it involves a method for drilling, sampling, and melting borehole formation on the lunar surface using high-energy electron beam technology. This method is applicable to lunar scientific exploration, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), and base construction, providing more technical means for the exploration and mining of lunar mineral resources.

[0046] This invention provides a lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology, which is a lunar surface drilling and in-situ encapsulation sampling method. The main idea is to use a high-energy electron beam as a non-contact thermal cutter to melt and solidify lunar regolith in situ through annular or conical cutting, forming a high-strength vitrified liner, also known as a high-strength vitrified sleeve, that encapsulates the lunar regolith sample. This high-strength vitrified liner, as an in-situ generated vitrified sleeve, tightly wraps and solidifies the unaffected lunar regolith sample, forming a single lunar regolith sample protected by the high-strength vitrified liner, thus achieving in-situ encapsulation of the lunar regolith sample. It is important to emphasize that the lunar regolith of this invention includes, but is not limited to, surface lunar regolith and deep lunar rocks. This invention can achieve encapsulation sampling of deep lunar materials while protecting the original physical properties of the central lunar regolith sample.

[0047] In this invention, the use of a high-energy electron beam as a non-contact thermal knife to melt and condense lunar regolith in situ through annular or conical cutting to form a high-strength vitrified liner containing a lunar regolith sample is described, comprising:

[0048] The high-energy electron beam drills along a ring-shaped trajectory, which precisely defines a ring-shaped action zone on a horizontal plane. This ring-shaped action zone is used to deposit energy. The high-energy electron beam causes the local temperature of the ring-shaped action zone to instantaneously exceed 3000°C, inducing a phase transition in the lunar regolith within the ring-shaped action zone, forming a molten material that is a mixture of gas, liquid, and solid phases. Due to the natural ultra-high vacuum and microgravity environment of the moon, the molten material within the ring-shaped action zone spreads on the wall surface under the influence of surface tension and rapidly condenses, forming a high-strength vitrified liner of appropriate thickness. Furthermore, by controlling the ring-shaped trajectory of the high-energy electron beam, the central sample area of ​​the ring-shaped action zone is ensured to be protected from direct bombardment by the high-energy electron beam, maintaining the original layering information of the lunar regolith sample. The ring-shaped action zone is the region formed between the inner and outer diameters of the ring-shaped trajectory.

[0049] Two embodiments of the present invention are described below:

[0050] Example 1:

[0051] See Figure 1As an example, the lunar drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology of the present invention includes:

[0052] Step S1, Environmental Perception Phase: Obtain lunar surface environmental information of the drilling target area;

[0053] The lunar surface environment information of the drilling target area includes, but is not limited to: lunar soil particle size distribution (ranging from nano-sized iron particles to millimeter-sized breccia), lunar soil shape characteristics, lunar soil layering structure, lunar soil thermophysical properties, and lunar soil chemical and mineral composition; the lunar soil layering structure includes: the characteristics and depth range of the surface lunar soil, and the characteristics and depth range of the deep lunar rocks.

[0054] Step S2, Drilling operation parameter initialization stage: Based on the lunar surface environment information, a preset parameter matching model is used to calculate and obtain the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters for the drilling target area at different drilling depths h.

[0055] Specifically, this step involves: inputting the lunar surface environment information at different drilling depths h into the parameter matching model; the parameter matching model outputs the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters for each drilling depth h required to perform ring cutting; wherein, the drilling operation parameters include the accelerating voltage, beam current intensity, and focused beam spot diameter of the high-energy electron beam; wherein, the accelerating voltage is set in the range of 10-200kV, the beam current intensity is set in the range of 1-50mA, and the focused beam spot diameter is in the range of 0.1-2mm.

[0056] Based on the nonlinear differences in the physical properties of lunar soil at different drilling depths h, the basic values ​​of the drilling operation parameters can be configured using the following two schemes:

[0057] (1) Pore matching scheme for surface lunar regolith

[0058] When the drilling depth h is located in the loose, low-density surface lunar regolith, the principle for setting the accelerating voltage, beam current intensity, and focused beam spot diameter of the high-energy electron beam is as follows: set the accelerating voltage to a low value, increase the focused beam spot diameter to a maximum value, switch to a certain beam current intensity, and continuously output the high-energy electron beam. Under this condition, the high-energy electron beam focuses on causing local melting of the lunar regolith through heat deposition over a large area. Utilizing the surface tension-dominated characteristic under the microgravity of the lunar surface, the molten material is condensed to form a stable initial borehole boundary, thereby ensuring the stability of the initial cutting stage.

[0059] (2) Matching scheme for impact drilling of deep lunar rocks

[0060] When the drilling depth h is located in deep hard lunar rock, the principle for setting the accelerating voltage, beam current intensity, and focused beam spot diameter of the high-energy electron beam is as follows: set the accelerating voltage to a high value, compress the focused beam spot diameter to a minimum value, and switch to high-frequency pulse mode to output the high-energy electron beam. Under this condition, the high-energy electron beam focuses on acting on the lunar rock through heat deposition over a small area and through extremely high energy density, generating a severe instantaneous thermal stress gradient inside the lunar rock, causing thermal fracturing and local gasification of the lunar rock material, and using the recoil pressure generated by gasification to achieve efficient stripping of deep hard lunar rock.

[0061] Step S3: Plan the dynamic scanning path of the electron beam and the multi-degree-of-freedom deflection control parameters;

[0062] Specifically, the inner and outer diameters of the electron beam's trajectory are set according to the target core diameter, and the width of the annular groove is determined as the energy deposition area. This ensures that the central sample area is not directly bombarded by the beam in physical space, thus maintaining the original bedding information of the sample.

[0063] Step S31: A circular lunar surface with an initial scanning radius of R1 is defined at the horizontal plane of the lunar surface in the drilling target area. The deflection angle of the high-energy electron beam relative to the horizontal plane of the lunar surface is... Based on the initial scan radius R1 and deflection angle A sampling plane with a scanning radius of R2 is determined at the target sampling depth h1, and the following relationship is satisfied. ;

[0064] A conical dynamic scanning path is formed between the circular lunar surface with scanning radius R1 and the sampling plane with scanning radius R2. Specifically, during high-energy electron beam drilling, the instantaneous scanning radius R(h) of the high-energy electron beam is dynamically calculated and adjusted according to the real-time drilling depth h, following the following linear functional relationship:

[0065]

[0066] The annular region corresponding to the instantaneous scanning radius R(h) is the dynamic scanning path of the high-energy electron beam at the real-time drilling depth h;

[0067] Step S32, the multi-degree-of-freedom deflection control parameters include deflection frequency;

[0068] Step S33: When the real-time drilling depth h is reached, the end of the high-energy electron beam is focused into a beam spot within a set range. The electromagnetic deflection system controls the beam spot of the high-energy electron beam to perform high-speed circular motion along the circular trajectory corresponding to the calculated instantaneous scanning radius R(h) at a preset deflection frequency, thereby accurately defining a conical thermal action zone that contracts from R1 to R2 in the three-dimensional space of the drilling target area.

[0069] Therefore, in the conical path planning and multi-degree-of-freedom deflection control stages, the electron beam is focused using an electromagnetic lens (or electrostatic lens) to form a beam spot with a diameter of 0.1-2 mm. The control system drives the electron beam to execute a dynamic scanning path centered on the borehole center. Driven by the deflection system, the electron beam moves at high speed along a circular trajectory at a frequency of 1-100 kHz, thus precisely defining a circular thermal zone on the horizontal plane. During this process, the scanning radius of the electron beam gradually evolves from the initial radius R1 at the lunar surface to the final radius R2 at the sampling plane with depth. Utilizing micron-level positioning accuracy, the system ensures that energy deposition is strictly limited within the conical annular zone enclosed by R1 to R2.

[0070] Step S4, Lunar drilling operation:

[0071] The high-energy electron beam drilling device emits a corresponding high-energy electron beam according to the basic values ​​of the drilling operation parameters, and makes the high-energy electron beam deflected according to the multi-degree-of-freedom deflection control parameters and drills into the drilling target area according to the electron beam dynamic scanning path, thereby melting and condensing the lunar soil in situ through annular or conical cutting to form a high-strength vitrified liner containing a lunar soil sample inside.

[0072] The lunar drilling operation can be divided into the stages of cone energy deposition and in-situ vitrification encapsulation, as well as the stages of drilling depth determination and dynamic parameter feedback.

[0073] During the cone-shaped energy deposition and in-situ vitrification encapsulation stage, the high-energy electron beam deposits energy along a ring-shaped trajectory, causing the local temperature in the interaction region to instantaneously exceed 3000℃, triggering a phase transition in the lunar regolith or lunar rocks. Because the Moon is in a state of 10... -8 -10 -10 In the natural ultra-high vacuum and microgravity environment of Pa, the molten material in the electron beam region spreads and rapidly solidifies on the wall surface under the influence of surface tension, forming a high-strength vitrified liner with a thickness of approximately 1-3 mm. This liner acts as an in-situ generated sleeve, tightly enclosing and solidifying the original sample at the center, which is not affected by heat, forming a conical sample unit with geometric dimensions defined by R1, R2, and h1, protected by a glassy shell.

[0074] During the drilling depth determination and dynamic parameter feedback phase, the drilling depth of the annular vitrified encapsulation is monitored in real time by sensors. If the current depth does not reach the predetermined sampling target depth h1, the dynamic feedback loop is activated in real time. The system first normalizes the input current drilling depth, local temperature, high-energy electron beam scanning energy, and scanning time. Subsequently, the processed feature values ​​are input into a three-layer BP neural network prediction model, which calculates and outputs a predicted value of the forming quality, including forming density, melting depth, and forming deformation. Based on the predicted value, the system dynamically adjusts the electron beam drilling operation optimization parameters for the next moment to cope with the nonlinear changes in the density of deep rock and ensure uniform extension of the vitrified tube wall.

[0075] The drilling depth determination and dynamic parameter feedback stage can be achieved through the following steps:

[0076] Step S41: Start the high-energy electron beam drilling device, which emits a high-energy electron beam to perform drilling operations according to the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters when the drilling depth h=0, and monitors the current drilling depth h in real time through a high-precision displacement sensor.

[0077] Step S42: During the drilling operation, the local temperature at the current drilling depth h is collected in real time, and the current drilling depth h, local temperature, high-energy electron beam scanning energy and scanning time are input into the pre-constructed BP neural network model in real time; the BP neural network model predicts the forming quality of the glassy liner.

[0078] The predicted forming quality of the vitrified liner is compared with the preset vitrified tube wall standard to determine whether the predicted forming quality of the vitrified liner meets the forming requirements. If it does, the drilling operation optimization parameters for the next moment are obtained based on the current drilling operation parameters. This process is repeated continuously to achieve continuous drilling until the target sampling depth h1 is reached. If it does not meet the requirements, step S43 is executed.

[0079] Step S43: Based on the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters for different drilling depths h set in step S2, adjust the current drilling operation parameters to the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters corresponding to the current drilling depth h, and return to step S42 after a set time interval; if the forming requirements are still not met after a set number of cycles, end the drilling and sampling in this drilling target area and start drilling and sampling in other adjacent areas.

[0080] Step S5, Mechanically Assisted Whole Sample Extraction Stage: With mechanical assistance, the high-strength vitrified liner containing the lunar soil sample is extracted as a whole.

[0081] Specifically, the mechanical recovery device is activated to enter the borehole. Since the high-strength vitrified liner provides sufficient structural support strength and acts as a physical barrier, the mechanical gripping mechanism of the mechanical recovery device can enter the bottom along the smooth high-strength vitrified liner and perform in-situ gripping and extraction of the combination of the high-strength vitrified liner and lunar soil sample. This enables the accurate acquisition of lunar soil samples at a specific depth, and the lunar soil samples do not scatter or become disordered during the extraction process.

[0082] This embodiment addresses the problems of drill bit wear and difficulty in deep drilling in traditional contact-based lunar surface drilling methods by developing a non-contact drilling method. This method utilizes high-energy electron beam technology for lunar surface drilling. The principle behind this invention is to fully leverage the high energy transmission efficiency of electron beams in the high vacuum environment of the lunar surface. By precisely controlling the power density of the electron beam, lunar regolith is melted in situ into a tube, replacing traditional physical drilling tools. This non-contact operation not only eliminates the risks of wear and jamming of mechanical drill bits but also solves the industry pain point of difficulty in forming and extracting loose lunar regolith in a low-gravity environment through vitrification encapsulation technology.

[0083] Example 2:

[0084] This embodiment provides a lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology. This method boasts advantages such as large drilling depth, high drilling speed, small borehole diameter, flexible drilling direction, and the ability to handle various types (hardnesses) of rock. Furthermore, aside from energy, it consumes almost no other materials to ensure long-term operation. The basic principle of lunar surface drilling using high-energy electron beams is to directly apply the high-energy electron beam to the surface of lunar regolith / rock, causing localized thermal expansion and fracturing, or thermal melting and vaporization, forming a three-phase mixture of gas, liquid, and solid, which is then discharged. This invention solves the problems of drill bit wear and difficulty in deep drilling associated with traditional contact drilling methods. It provides more technical means for the exploration and mining of lunar mineral resources.

[0085] Step S1, Environmental Perception and Acquisition Parameter Initialization Phase:

[0086] First, lunar surface environmental information of the drilling target area is obtained. The lunar surface environmental information includes the particle size distribution of lunar soil (ranging from nano-sized iron particles to millimeter-sized breccia), lunar soil shape characteristics, lunar soil layering structure (such as the weathered topsoil layer and the deep compacted layer), lunar soil thermophysical properties, and one or more of the mineral components.

[0087] Secondly, based on the lunar surface environment information, the system performs theoretical calculations using a preset parameter matching model to set the drilling operation parameters required for the high-energy electron beam drilling device to perform drilling, including the accelerating voltage, beam current intensity, and focused beam diameter. Specifically, the accelerating voltage is controlled within the range of 10kV-200kV, the beam current intensity within the range of 1-50mA, and the focused beam diameter within the range of 0.1-2mm.

[0088] Meanwhile, the system sets the inner and outer diameters of the electron beam's trajectory based on the target core diameter, and determines the width of the annular groove as the energy deposition area, thereby ensuring in physical space that the central sample area is not directly affected by the beam.

[0089] The high-energy electron beam drilling device was then activated, putting the electron beam generating module into a controlled operating state.

[0090] Based on the nonlinear differences in the physical properties of lunar soil / lunar rocks, this embodiment provides the following two typical automated matching schemes:

[0091] (1) Hole-forming matching scheme for the loose lunar regolith layer

[0092] When the target working condition is loose, low-density surface lunar regolith, the parameter matching model automatically sets a lower accelerating voltage (preferably 60kV) and a larger beam focusing diameter (preferably 1.5mm), and matches a beam current intensity of 20mA for continuous output. Under this condition, the electron beam focuses on causing local melting of the lunar regolith through large-area heat deposition. Utilizing the surface tension-dominated characteristic under lunar microgravity, the molten material condenses to form a stable initial borehole boundary, thereby ensuring stability in the initial cutting stage.

[0093] (2) Impact drilling matching scheme for deep hard lunar rocks

[0094] When the target working condition enters deep, hard rock (such as anorthosite or basalt), the parameter matching model automatically increases the acceleration voltage to a high value (preferably 200kV) and compresses the beam spot focusing diameter to a minimum value (preferably 0.2mm) through an electromagnetic lens (or electrostatic lens). Simultaneously, the system switches to a high-frequency pulse mode, with the pulse frequency set to 100kHz. Under this condition, through extremely high energy density ( A severe instantaneous thermal stress gradient is generated inside the rock, causing thermal fracturing and localized gasification of the material. The recoil pressure generated by the gasification is used to achieve efficient stripping of hard rock.

[0095] In this embodiment, the electron beam gun operates in the natural ultra-high vacuum environment of the moon ( Operating under these conditions, the energy transmission efficiency is greater than 95%. Through the above-mentioned intelligent parameter matching mechanism based on the parameter matching model, the device can adjust the energy output combination of the high-energy electron beam in real time according to parameters such as the thermal conductivity and hardness of lunar soil / rock. This improves drilling speed while optimizing energy utilization efficiency and avoids the impact of environmental uncertainties on drilling results.

[0096] Step S2, Conical Path Planning and Multi-DOF Deflection Control Stage:

[0097] The device focuses the electron beam using an electromagnetic lens (or electrostatic lens) to form a beam spot. The control system drives the electron beam to perform a dynamic scanning path centered on the borehole center. Driven by an electromagnetic deflection system, the electron beam moves at high speed along a circular trajectory at a fixed frequency, thus precisely defining a circular thermal zone on a plane. Utilizing micron-level positioning accuracy, the system ensures that energy deposition occurs only within the pre-defined annular zone, effectively protecting the central lunar regolith or rock from thermal damage and maintaining its original bedding information and physical properties.

[0098] Specifically, after determining the drilling start position, the system uses electromagnetic lenses (or electrostatic lenses) and deflection coils (or electrostatic deflectors) to perform multi-degree-of-freedom focusing and deflection control of the electron beam to adapt to the complex geometry of the lunar surface. Based on the preset borehole geometry requirements and target geological characteristics, this embodiment provides the following electron beam control logic:

[0099] During drilling, the device focuses the electron beam using electromagnetic lenses (or electrostatic lenses) to form a beam spot with a diameter of 0.1-2 mm. The control system drives the electron beam to execute a cone-shaped dynamic scanning path based on depth feedback. (See attached reference.) Figure 2 Let the initial scanning radius at the lunar surface be R1, the sampling radius at the preset sampling depth h1 be R2, and the deflection angle of the electron beam relative to the lunar horizontal plane be... During drilling, the system dynamically calculates and adjusts the instantaneous scanning radius R(h) of the electron beam based on the current real-time drilling depth h (0≤h≤h1), which follows the linear functional relationship:

[0100]

[0101] Among them, the deflection angle Determined by the target sampling geometry, satisfying The system controls the electron beam along the calculated path at a frequency of 1-100 kHz using an electromagnetic deflection system. The trajectory executes a high-speed circular motion, precisely defining a conical thermal zone that contracts from R1 to R2 in three-dimensional space. The system ensures that energy deposition is strictly confined within this conical annulus, effectively protecting the lunar regolith or rocks in the central region from thermal damage.

[0102] During path execution, the electromagnetic deflection coil receives high-precision digital control commands and adjusts the deflection magnetic field strength to accurately position the electron beam. This control logic, combined with high-frequency deflection technology (1-100kHz), ensures that the drilling process is precisely confined within a preset heat-affected zone, guaranteeing not only the geometric accuracy of the borehole but also significantly improving the fragmentation efficiency per unit energy. Through this dynamic path planning, the device can flexibly cope with various complex lunar terrains and heterogeneous rock formations, creating ideal boundary conditions for subsequent material recovery.

[0103] Step S3, Cone-shaped energy deposition and in-situ vitrification encapsulation formation stage:

[0104] The high-energy electron beam deposits energy along a ring-shaped trajectory, causing the local temperature to instantaneously exceed 3000℃, triggering a phase transition in the lunar regolith or lunar rocks within the ring-shaped region. This occurs in the natural ultra-high vacuum (10⁻⁶) on the lunar surface. -8 -10 -10 Under microgravity and gravity conditions, the molten material within the electron beam's irradiation zone spreads and rapidly solidifies on the wall surface, dominated by surface tension, forming a high-strength vitrified liner. This liner, acting as an in-situ generated sleeve, tightly encapsulates and solidifies the original sample at the center, which is unaffected by heat, forming a conical sample unit protected by a glassy shell. This enhances the stability of the borehole's outer wall, preventing borehole collapse, while simultaneously achieving preliminary in-situ encapsulation of the target sample.

[0105] Step S4, Drilling Depth Determination and Dynamic Parameter Feedback Stage:

[0106] The system monitors the drilling depth of the annular vitrified enclosure in real time using sensors and compares it with the preset drilling target. If the current depth does not reach the predetermined sampling target, the system dynamically adjusts drilling parameters such as the electron beam scanning speed and beam power based on the current borehole depth feedback data. This is to cope with the nonlinear changes in the density of deep rocks, ensure that the vitrified tube wall can extend downwards uniformly, and maintain the integrity of the enclosure structure.

[0107] This embodiment discloses a specific implementation process of dynamic parameter feedback adjustment based on a BP neural network model in a lunar drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology.

[0108] The system utilizes a high-precision displacement sensor to monitor the current drilling depth h of the annular glass encapsulation in real time. If the current depth h does not reach the preset sampling depth h1, the system automatically triggers a dynamic feedback loop, optimizing and adjusting the electron beam drilling parameters through a pre-constructed BP neural network model. The specific implementation process is as follows: First, the system acquires the feedback parameters of the current drilling operation state, including the current drilling depth h, local temperature, high-energy electron beam scanning energy, and scanning time. To ensure the operational stability of the neural network prediction model and adapt to the sensitivity range of the excitation function, the system first normalizes the above input quantity x. The normalization adopts the following mapping formula:

[0109]

[0110] in, These are the normalized eigenvalues. and These represent the maximum and minimum values ​​of the corresponding parameters in the training sample set. This processing method effectively avoids model fluctuations caused by differences in the magnitude of input layer parameters. The normalized current drilling depth h, local temperature, high-energy electron beam scanning energy, and scanning time are respectively denoted by symbols... express.

[0111] Subsequently, the normalized parameters are input into a three-layer BP neural network prediction model. This model uses the current drilling depth of the electron beam as the starting point. Local temperature High-energy electron beam scanning energy and scan time For the input node, through the hidden layer weights and threshold The nonlinear mapping is used to calculate the predicted value of the molding quality. Its mathematical prediction model is as follows:

[0112]

[0113] Indicates the bias term of the output layer;

[0114] Indicates the first hidden layer One neuron to the output layer The connection weights reflect the connection weights of the hidden layer. Each neuron corresponds to the final output. The degree of contribution; This indicates the number of neurons in the hidden layer;

[0115] Indicates the first One input parameter; This represents the number of input parameters; in this example, It is 4;

[0116] Indicates the first hidden layer The threshold of each neuron;

[0117] Indicates the first hidden layer The neuron relative to the first Hidden layer weights for each input parameter.

[0118] Model-predicted molding quality This includes, but is not limited to, melt depth, molding density, and molding deformation. Molding deformation reflects the thickness of the vitrified tube wall.

[0119] Finally, the system predicts the molding quality based on the model output. The results are compared with the preset glass transition tube wall standard. If the prediction results show that the forming quality of the glass transition liner meets the forming requirements, the drilling operation optimization parameters for the next moment are obtained based on the current drilling operation parameters, including acceleration voltage, beam current intensity and beam spot diameter, to ensure that the glass transition tube wall maintains a uniform thickness and stable encapsulation structure integrity throughout the drilling process to the target depth h1.

[0120] If the prediction results indicate that the molding quality of the vitrified liner does not meet the molding requirements, for example, the increased density of deep rock leads to insufficient molding density or the melting depth cannot meet the encapsulation requirements, the system will return to step S1 to re-initialize and match the parameters.

[0121] The invention is characterized by utilizing the unique environment of the lunar surface: the natural high vacuum environment of the moon provides ideal conditions for electron beam technology. In the lunar vacuum environment (natural ultra-high vacuum, 10...),... -8 -10 -10 The electron beam exhibits no atmospheric scattering, boasts an energy transfer efficiency >95%, and can be efficiently generated without an additional vacuum chamber, reducing equipment complexity. The microgravity environment of the lunar surface allows surface tension to dominate in molten materials, facilitating the formation of smooth pore walls. Lunar regolith contains conductive components such as nano-iron, partially reducing the difficulty of processing insulating materials with the electron beam. High-voltage electric fields (tens to hundreds of kV) are provided using solar energy or small nuclear power sources to accelerate electrons to near the speed of light. Electromagnetic lenses and deflection coils control the electron beam focusing (micrometer-scale spot) and scanning path, adapting to the complex surfaces of lunar regolith / rock.

[0122] In this invention, the interaction between the electron beam and lunar regolith / lunar soil is primarily thermal. When the electron beam bombards the lunar regolith (mainly composed of silicates, oxides, etc.), the local temperature instantaneously reaches over 3000°C, causing the material to melt or vaporize directly. Simultaneously, high-energy electrons collide with lunar regolith particles, triggering atomic sputtering and localized plasma, aiding in material removal. Furthermore, the electron beam may induce the release of volatile components such as hydrogen / oxygen from the lunar regolith (e.g., captured solar wind hydrogen), which can be used for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU).

[0123] This invention also considers the following aspects: Energy efficiency: Optimizing pulsed electron beam parameters (such as low duty cycle) to reduce power consumption. Thermal management: Due to the large temperature difference between day and night on the moon, heat-resistant materials (such as silicon carbide) and heat dissipation design are required. Lightweight equipment: Simplifying electromagnetic lenses and power systems to adapt to lunar payload limitations. Dust protection: Electron beam bombardment may generate charged lunar dust, requiring anti-static design.

[0124] S5: Mechanically Assisted Extraction of the Encapsulated Sample: The mechanical recovery device, working in conjunction with the drilling rig, enters the borehole to perform the final sampling process. Due to the sufficient structural support provided by the vitrified shell, the mechanical gripping mechanism can access the bottom along the smooth vitrified walls, performing in-situ gripping and extraction of the "glass tube sheath and original sample" assembly with extremely low power consumption. The mechanical device extracts and centrally stores the complete encapsulated sample. Thanks to the physical barrier effect of the vitrified shell, the sample does not scatter or become disordered during extraction and transfer, ultimately achieving precise acquisition of lunar regolith or lunar rock samples at a specific depth.

[0125] The primary application of this invention is to obtain deep lunar regolith / rock samples for analyzing lunar geological history or water ice distribution. This technology can also be extended to in-situ lunar surface construction, melting lunar regolith to form structural components (such as foundations and radiation shielding layers). Furthermore, this technology can be extended to lunar resource extraction, extracting resources such as oxygen, hydrogen, and helium-3 from lunar regolith to support lunar base operations.

[0126] The main advantages of this invention are: high-energy electron beam drilling is a non-contact drilling method, which avoids the problems of drill bit wear and difficulty in deep drilling associated with traditional contact drilling methods. This method offers advantages such as large drilling depth, fast drilling speed, small hole diameter, flexible drilling direction, and the ability to handle various types (hardnesses) of rock. Furthermore, it consumes almost no other materials besides energy to ensure long-term operation. In addition, compared to other high-energy beam sources, such as lasers, electron beams have a natural advantage in the high vacuum environment of the moon, with an energy utilization rate approximately three times that of lasers. Therefore, utilizing the technology of this invention can greatly improve the ability to drill deep and continuously on the lunar surface.

[0127] This invention is primarily applicable to efficient drilling and sampling operations in the lunar environment, particularly for obtaining deep lunar regolith and rock samples. These samples are used to analyze the lunar geological evolution history, rock structure characteristics, and potential water ice distribution, providing reliable data support for lunar scientific research and exploration missions. Furthermore, the high-energy electron beam action and material removal method employed in this invention is non-contact and has high energy density, allowing for further application in in-situ lunar construction. By melting and reconstructing lunar regolith, structures with a certain degree of mechanical stability can be formed for constructing lunar infrastructure, such as foundation structures, protective components, or radiation shielding layers, thereby reducing reliance on extraterrestrial material transportation. In addition, this invention can be extended to the field of lunar resource development and utilization. The high-energy action and fragmentation of lunar regolith or rocks facilitates the subsequent separation and extraction of contained resources, such as oxygen, hydrogen, and helium-3, providing technical support for the long-term operation and energy security of lunar bases.

[0128] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology, characterized in that, include: Using a high-energy electron beam as a non-contact thermal knife, lunar soil is melted and condensed in situ through annular or conical cutting to form a high-strength vitrified liner that encapsulates the lunar soil sample. The high-strength vitrified liner acts as an in-situ generated vitrified sleeve, tightly wrapping and solidifying the unheated lunar soil sample inside, forming a single lunar soil sample protected by the high-strength vitrified liner, thereby achieving in-situ encapsulation of the lunar soil sample.

2. The lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lunar soil includes surface lunar soil and deep lunar rock.

3. The lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method employs a high-energy electron beam as a non-contact thermal knife, using annular or conical cutting to melt and solidify lunar regolith in situ, forming a high-strength vitrified liner containing a lunar regolith sample. This includes: The high-energy electron beam drills along a ring-shaped trajectory, which precisely defines a ring-shaped action zone on a horizontal plane. This ring-shaped action zone is used to deposit energy. The high-energy electron beam causes the local temperature of the ring-shaped action zone to instantaneously exceed 3000°C, inducing a phase transition in the lunar regolith within the ring-shaped action zone. This results in a molten material that is a mixture of gas, liquid, and solid phases. Due to the natural ultra-high vacuum and microgravity environment of the moon, the molten material within the ring-shaped action zone is dominated by surface tension, spreads on the wall surface, and rapidly condenses, forming a high-strength vitrified liner of appropriate thickness. Furthermore, by controlling the ring-shaped trajectory of the high-energy electron beam, the central sample area of ​​the ring-shaped action zone is ensured to be protected from direct bombardment by the high-energy electron beam, thus maintaining the original stratification information of the lunar regolith sample.

4. The lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology according to claim 3, characterized in that, The annular action zone is the area formed between the inner and outer diameters of the annular trajectory.

5. The lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method employs a high-energy electron beam as a non-contact thermal knife, using annular or conical cutting to melt and solidify lunar regolith in situ, forming a high-strength vitrified liner containing a lunar regolith sample. This includes: Step S1: Obtain lunar surface environment information for the drilling target area; Step S2: Based on the lunar surface environment information, a preset parameter matching model is used to calculate the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters for the drilling target area at different drilling depths h. Step S3: Plan the dynamic scanning path of the electron beam and the multi-degree-of-freedom deflection control parameters; Step S4, Lunar drilling operation: The high-energy electron beam drilling device emits a corresponding high-energy electron beam according to the basic values ​​of the drilling operation parameters, and makes the high-energy electron beam deflected according to the multi-degree-of-freedom deflection control parameters and drills into the drilling target area according to the electron beam dynamic scanning path, thereby melting and condensing the lunar soil in situ through annular or conical cutting to form a high-strength vitrified liner containing a lunar soil sample inside. Step S5: With mechanical assistance, the high-strength vitrified liner containing the lunar soil sample is extracted as a whole.

6. A lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology according to claim 5, characterized in that, The lunar surface environment information of the drilling target area includes: lunar soil particle size distribution, lunar soil shape characteristics, lunar soil layering structure, lunar soil thermophysical properties, and lunar soil chemical mineral composition; the lunar soil layering structure includes: the characteristics and depth range of the surface lunar soil, and the characteristics and depth range of the deep lunar rocks.

7. A lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology according to claim 5, characterized in that, Step S2 includes: The lunar surface environment information at different drilling depths h is input into the parameter matching model; the parameter matching model outputs the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters for each drilling depth h; wherein, the drilling operation parameters include the accelerating voltage, beam current intensity and focused beam spot diameter of the high-energy electron beam; Based on the nonlinear differences in the physical properties of lunar soil at different drilling depths h, the basic values ​​of the drilling operation parameters have the following two configuration schemes: (1) Pore matching scheme for surface lunar regolith When the drilling depth h is located in the loose, low-density surface lunar regolith, the principle for setting the accelerating voltage, beam current intensity, and focused beam spot diameter of the high-energy electron beam is as follows: set the accelerating voltage to a low value, increase the focused beam spot diameter to a maximum value, switch to a certain beam current intensity, and continuously output the high-energy electron beam. Under this condition, the high-energy electron beam focuses on causing local melting of the lunar regolith through heat deposition over a large area. Utilizing the surface tension-dominated characteristic under the microgravity of the lunar surface, the molten material is condensed to form a stable initial borehole boundary, thereby ensuring the stability of the initial cutting stage. (2) Matching scheme for impact drilling of deep lunar rocks When the drilling depth h is located in deep hard lunar rock, the principle for setting the accelerating voltage, beam current intensity, and focused beam spot diameter of the high-energy electron beam is as follows: set the accelerating voltage to a high value, compress the focused beam spot diameter to a minimum value, and switch to high-frequency pulse mode to output the high-energy electron beam. Under this condition, the high-energy electron beam focuses on acting on the lunar rock through heat deposition over a small area and through extremely high energy density, generating a severe instantaneous thermal stress gradient inside the lunar rock, causing thermal fracturing and local gasification of the lunar rock material, and using the recoil pressure generated by gasification to achieve efficient stripping of deep hard lunar rock.

8. A lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology according to claim 5, characterized in that, Step S3 includes: Step S31: A circular lunar surface with an initial scanning radius of R1 is defined at the horizontal plane of the lunar surface in the drilling target area. The deflection angle of the high-energy electron beam relative to the horizontal plane of the lunar surface is... Based on the initial scan radius R1 and deflection angle A sampling plane with a scanning radius of R2 is determined at the target sampling depth h1, and the following relationship is satisfied. ; A conical dynamic scanning path is formed between the circular lunar surface with scanning radius R1 and the sampling plane with scanning radius R2. Specifically, during high-energy electron beam drilling, the instantaneous scanning radius R(h) of the high-energy electron beam is dynamically calculated and adjusted according to the real-time drilling depth h, following the following linear functional relationship: ； The annular region corresponding to the instantaneous scanning radius R(h) is the dynamic scanning path of the high-energy electron beam at the real-time drilling depth h; Step S32, the multi-degree-of-freedom deflection control parameters include deflection frequency; Step S33: When the real-time drilling depth h is reached, the end of the high-energy electron beam is focused into a beam spot within a set range. The electromagnetic deflection system controls the beam spot of the high-energy electron beam to perform high-speed circular motion along the circular trajectory corresponding to the calculated instantaneous scanning radius R(h) at a preset deflection frequency, thereby accurately defining a conical thermal action zone that contracts from R1 to R2 in the three-dimensional space of the drilling target area.

9. A lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology according to claim 5, characterized in that, Step S4 is as follows: Step S41: Start the high-energy electron beam drilling device, which emits a high-energy electron beam to perform drilling operations according to the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters when the drilling depth h=0, and monitors the current drilling depth h in real time through a high-precision displacement sensor. Step S42: During the drilling operation, the local temperature at the current drilling depth h is collected in real time, and the current drilling depth h, local temperature, high-energy electron beam scanning energy and scanning time are input into the pre-constructed BP neural network model in real time; the BP neural network model predicts the forming quality of the glassy liner. The predicted forming quality of the vitrified liner is compared with the preset vitrified tube wall standard to determine whether the predicted forming quality of the vitrified liner meets the forming requirements. If it does, the drilling operation optimization parameters for the next moment are obtained based on the current drilling operation parameters. This process is repeated continuously to achieve continuous drilling until the target sampling depth h1 is reached. If it does not meet the requirements, step S43 is executed. Step S43: Based on the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters for different drilling depths h set in step S2, adjust the current drilling operation parameters to the basic values ​​of drilling operation parameters corresponding to the current drilling depth h, and return to step S42 after a set time interval. If the required forming conditions are still not met after a set number of cycles, drilling and sampling will stop in this target area and drilling and sampling will be carried out in other adjacent areas.

10. A lunar surface drilling method based on high-energy electron beam technology according to claim 5, characterized in that, Step S5 includes: The mechanical recovery device is activated and enters the borehole. Because the high-strength vitrified liner provides sufficient structural support and acts as a physical barrier, the mechanical gripping mechanism of the mechanical recovery device enters the bottom along the smooth high-strength vitrified liner and performs in-situ gripping and extraction of the combination of the high-strength vitrified liner and lunar soil sample. This enables the accurate acquisition of lunar soil samples at a specific depth, and the lunar soil samples do not scatter or become disordered during the extraction process.

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