A circumferential array group needle type lunar soil water ice thermal extraction device

Abstract

The application provides a circumferential array group needle type lunar soil water ice heat extraction device and belongs to the technical field of space exploration.The application solves the problem of how to provide a low-energy-consumption and high-efficiency water resource extraction device.The structure is that a drilling heat volatilization unit and a state testing unit are both installed on the top surface of a condenser shell of a condensation and collection unit;one constant force mechanism is connected to each drilling unit of the drilling heat volatilization unit, which is used for providing constant force of the drilling unit downward;an feeding unit is connected to multiple drilling units, which is used for ensuring that the multiple drilling units move simultaneously;the multiple drilling units are arranged in a hexagonal mode, and the inner layer and the outer layer are arranged in an equilateral triangle mode.In a certain area, through the arrangement mode of the multilayer heating drill rod, the single-layer drill tool heat affected zone is arranged with a hexagonal virtual boundary as the target, the maximum packing density in the plane is taken as the target, the heating coverage area is increased as much as possible, and the lunar water resource collection efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of space exploration technology, and in particular relates to a circular array needle-type lunar soil water ice-thermal extraction device, which can be applied in the field of resource exploration. Background Technology

[0002] In the polar environment, lunar operational equipment has limited power, while the mechanical strength of ice-containing lunar regolith is extremely high, the thermal conductivity of lunar regolith particles is extremely low, and its porous structure increases gas flow resistance, resulting in a low collection rate of volatile water vapor. These factors make thermal extraction of water resources extremely difficult. Currently, domestic and international research institutions have proposed numerous extraction schemes for water-ice resources in lunar polar regions, but the engineering feasibility of comprehensive schemes is generally limited, and large-scale extraction of ice-rich profiles is challenging. my country's research in this area started late, and breakthroughs are still needed in basic research and equipment. There is an urgent need for a low-energy-consumption, high-efficiency water resource extraction device. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, in order to solve the problem of how to provide a low-energy-consumption and high-efficiency water resource extraction device, and in response to the need for efficient and large-scale mining of surface frost and profile-enriched ice layers in the permanently shadowed areas of the moon, this invention proposes a circular array needle-type lunar soil water ice thermal extraction device. This device can not only provide a solution for my country's future in-situ utilization of water resources in the lunar polar regions, realizing the effective extraction and conversion of lunar water ice resources, but also provide technical support for my country's subsequent lunar exploration projects.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a circular array needle-type lunar soil water ice-thermal extraction device, comprising a drilling heat volatilization unit, a condensation collection unit and a state testing unit, wherein the drilling heat volatilization unit and the state testing unit are both installed on the top surface of the condenser shell of the condensation collection unit; The drilling heat evaporation unit includes multiple drilling units, multiple constant force mechanisms, a connecting unit, and a feeding unit. Each drilling unit is connected to a constant force mechanism to provide a constant downward force to the drilling unit. The feeding unit is connected to multiple drilling units to ensure that the multiple drilling units move simultaneously. The multiple drilling units are arranged in a hexagonal pattern, with the inner and outer layers arranged in an equilateral triangle pattern.

[0005] Furthermore, the drilling unit includes a drilling motor and a drill rod. The drilling motor is connected to the drill rod and drives the drill rod to drill. A heating rod is installed inside the drill rod to provide heat for the thermal volatilization of lunar water ice.

[0006] Furthermore, the connecting unit is used to connect the drilling unit, the connecting unit, and the feeding unit. The connecting unit includes a slider and a slide rail. The drilling motor is mounted on a motor support base. The motor support base and the slider are mounted together and slide together on the slide rail. Every two drilling motors are installed together on the front and back sides of the slide rail.

[0007] Furthermore, one end of the constant force mechanism is installed on the top surface of the condenser housing of the condensation collection unit, and the other end is connected to the tension and compression sensor.

[0008] Furthermore, the feeding unit includes a rotary motor, a lead screw, and a feed movable plate. The rotary motor drives the lead screw to rotate, and the feed movable plate has a nut structure at its center that cooperates with the lead screw. The rotation of the lead screw drives the feed movable plate to make linear displacement. The feed movable plate is connected to the slide rail through a slider.

[0009] Furthermore, tension and compression sensors are installed between the constant force mechanism and the motor support to detect the force applied to the drilling unit when drilling into lunar water ice.

[0010] Furthermore, the condensation collection unit includes multiple drill rod insulation sleeves, condensation coils, liquid nitrogen passages, condensation fins, and a condenser shell. The drill rod insulation sleeves are fixed to the condenser shell by threaded connection. The drill rod passes through the drill rod insulation sleeves. The condensation coils are integrated with the liquid nitrogen passages. The condensation fins are welded to the condensation coils. The condensation coils are installed on the condenser shell.

[0011] Furthermore, the water vapor generated by the drilling heat evaporation unit directly enters the condensation and collection unit. The water vapor directly adheres to the wall surface of the annular condensation fins and undergoes a gas-solid phase change, transforming from water vapor into ice, thus completing the water vapor collection.

[0012] Furthermore, the status detection unit includes a vacuum gauge and a displacement sensor, both of which are installed on the top surface of the condenser housing of the condensation collection unit. The vacuum gauge is used to detect pressure changes inside the condensation collection unit, and the displacement sensor is used to detect the feed distance of the drilling heat volatilization unit.

[0013] A method for using a circular array needle-type lunar regolith water ice thermal extraction device involves placing the entire device in a vacuum environment. After the device starts working, the drilling thermal evaporation unit drills into the surface of the lunar regolith water ice. The heating rod inside the drill rod begins to heat the drill rod. After a period of time, once a certain temperature is reached, the lunar regolith water ice begins to evaporate water vapor. The water vapor generated by thermal evaporation directly enters the condensation and collection unit. The water vapor undergoes a gas-solid phase change in the condensation and collection unit under low-temperature vacuum conditions, ultimately achieving the purpose of extracting lunar water ice resources.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the circular array needle-type lunar soil water cryogenic extraction device of the present invention are: 1. This invention, within a certain area, uses a multi-layered arrangement of heated drill rods to maximize the packing density in a plane. The heat-affected zone of a single-layer drill rod is arranged with a hexagonal virtual boundary to maximize the heating coverage area and improve the efficiency of lunar water resource collection.

[0015] 2. This invention has low energy consumption and high efficiency, and can be used for large-scale mining of ice-rich profiles, making it highly feasible in engineering.

[0016] 3. The fin design and arrangement of the condenser section in this invention aims to maximize condensation efficiency. Considering the water molecule dynamics effect in a vacuum environment, the fins are arranged circumferentially and circumferentially to maximize the condensation area. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a general structural diagram of the circular array needle-type lunar soil water ice-thermal extraction device described in this invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the drilling heat volatilization unit described in this invention; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the drilling thermal evaporation unit described in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the feed unit in the drilling thermal volatilization unit described in this invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the inverted structure of the condensation collection unit described in this invention; Figure 6 Drill pipe layout diagram; Figure 7 This is a diagram of a multi-layer drill pipe layout scheme; In the diagram: 1-Drilling heat evaporation unit, 2-Condensation collection unit, 3-Status detection unit, 101-Drilling motor, 102-Tension and compression sensor, 103-Drill rod, 104-Constant force mechanism, 105-Motor support, 106-Slider, 107-Slide rail, 108-Heating rod, 109-Rotary motor, 110-Lead screw, 111-Feed movable plate, 201-Drill rod heat insulation sleeve, 202-Condensation coil, 203-Liquid nitrogen passage, 204-Condensation fins, 205-Condenser shell, 301-Vacuum gauge, 302-Displacement sensor. Detailed Implementation The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown in the drawings, and not all of them. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention.

[0018] See Figure 1-7 This embodiment describes a circular array needle-type lunar soil water ice-thermal extraction device, comprising a drilling heat volatilization unit 1, a condensation collection unit 2, and a state testing unit 3. The condensation collection unit 2 is located at the lower part of the circular array needle-type lunar soil water ice-thermal extraction device, and both the drilling heat volatilization unit 1 and the state testing unit 3 are installed on the top surface of the condenser shell 205 of the condensation collection unit 2.

[0019] The drilling heat volatilization unit 1 includes multiple drilling units, multiple constant force mechanisms 104, a connecting unit, and a feeding unit. The drilling units are used for drilling lunar soil. The constant force mechanism 104 is installed on one side of the drilling unit and provides a downward constant force. The connecting unit is used to connect the drilling units, the connecting unit, and the feeding unit. The feeding unit is used to ensure that multiple drilling units move simultaneously.

[0020] The drilling unit includes a drilling motor 101 and a drill rod 103. The drilling motor 101 is connected to the drill rod 103 and drives the drill rod 103 to drill. A heating rod 108 is installed inside the drill rod 103 to provide heat for the thermal volatilization of lunar water ice.

[0021] The drill rod 103 is made of a high-hardness, high-thermal-conductivity alloy to achieve efficient drilling into lunar soil water ice with high mechanical strength to a depth greater than 300mm.

[0022] The tension and compression sensor 102 is installed between the constant force mechanism 104 and the motor support 105 to detect the force situation when the drilling unit drills into lunar water ice.

[0023] The constant force mechanism 104 is installed on the top surface of the condenser shell 205 of the condensation collection unit 2, and the other end is connected to the tension and compression sensor 102. It is used to give a constant force to a single drilling mechanism, which, in conjunction with the resistance of the lunar soil water ice profile, enables a single rotary drill rod to stop drilling on its own when it encounters hard rock, while the other drill rod 103 drills normally.

[0024] The connecting unit includes a slider 106 and a slide rail 107. The drilling motor 101 is mounted on a motor support 105. The motor support 105 and the slider 106 are mounted together and slide together on the slide rail 107. Every two drilling motors 101 are installed together on the front and back sides of the slide rail 107.

[0025] The feed unit includes a rotary motor 109, a lead screw 110, and a feed movable plate 111, which together are responsible for the feed function of the drilling thermal volatilization unit. The rotary motor 109 drives the lead screw 110 to rotate. The feed movable plate 111 has a nut structure at its center that cooperates with the lead screw 110. The rotation of the lead screw 110 causes the feed movable plate 111 to make linear displacement. The feed movable plate 111 is connected to the slide rail 107 through a slider 106, which serves to limit the circular motion of the feed movable plate 111.

[0026] The rotation of the lead screw 110 controls the up-and-down movement of the feed movable plate 111. A drilling unit consisting of a single drilling motor 101 and a single drill rod 103 is placed on the feed movable plate 111. Multiple drilling units are placed on the same feed movable plate 111 to achieve simultaneous movement. However, the downward feed force is provided by the constant force mechanism 104. The feed movable plate 111 is used to ensure simultaneous movement. After the collection task is completed, the feed movable plate 111 moves upward, lifting multiple drilling units together. The drill rod 103 is connected to the drilling motor 101, and the drilling motor 101 is connected to the slide rail 107 via a slider 106. The feed of the feed movable plate 111 is directly applied to the slider 106, which drives the longitudinal displacement of the drilling unit.

[0027] When the drilling thermal volatilization unit 1 is in its initial state, the entire unit is supported by the feed movable plate 111, but the two are not connected. After the device starts working, the feed movable plate 111 feeds downward, and the drilling thermal volatilization unit 1 moves downward due to the downward constant force provided by the constant force mechanism 104. If a single drill encounters hard rock, it can stop drilling on its own without affecting the drilling of other drill rods.

[0028] Based on the concept of single-actuator group control, this invention designs a feed unit equipped with an independent constant force mechanism 104 to achieve synchronous drilling of the lunar regolith profile by the drilling motor 101 and drill rod 103 under a single drive control path. After the lunar regolith water ice resources in this area are mined out, the drilling motor 101 reverses, withdrawing the drill from the lunar regolith water ice profile, and the feed unit cooperates to lift multiple sets of drills simultaneously. To achieve rapid heat transfer into the lunar regolith water ice, a heating rod 108 is built into the drill rod 103 for heating.

[0029] The condensation collection unit 2 includes a drill rod heat insulation sleeve 201, a condensation coil 202, a liquid nitrogen passage 203, condensation fins 204, and a condenser shell 205. The drill rod heat insulation sleeve 201 is fixed to the condenser shell 205 by a threaded connection. The condensation coil 202 and the liquid nitrogen passage 203 are integrated. The condensation fins 204 are welded to the condensation coil 202. The condensation coil 202 is installed on the condenser shell 205.

[0030] The drill pipe heat insulation sleeve 201 is used to isolate the heat exchange between the drilling heat volatilization unit and the condensation collection unit. Liquid nitrogen enters the condensation coil 202 through the liquid nitrogen passage 203 to provide low temperature protection for the condensation collection unit. Liquid nitrogen flows in from one end of the liquid nitrogen passage 203 and flows out from the other end to simulate the low temperature environment of the moon. The densely distributed annular condensation fins 204 allow water vapor to adhere to the wall surface more quickly and carry out gas-solid phase change.

[0031] Water vapor generated by the drilling heat evaporation unit 1 directly enters the condensation and collection unit 2. The water vapor adheres directly to the wall surface of the annular condensation fins 204 and undergoes a gas-solid phase change, transforming directly from water vapor into ice, thus completing water vapor collection. The annular condensation fins 204 are arranged circumferentially to maximize the condensation area.

[0032] The state detection unit 3 includes a vacuum gauge 301 and a displacement sensor 302, both of which are installed on the top surface of the condenser housing 205 of the condensation collection unit 2. The vacuum gauge 301 is used to detect the pressure change inside the condensation collection unit 2, and the displacement sensor 302 is used to detect the feed distance of the drilling heat volatilization unit 1.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a layout diagram of the drill rods for this device. Each layer of drill rods 103 is arranged in a hexagonal pattern, with the inner and outer layers arranged in an equilateral triangle pattern, which allows for a wider heat evaporation area. The multi-layered layout can maximize the conversion of water ice resources into heat evaporation water vapor.

[0034] Figure 7 This diagram shows a multi-layer drill pipe layout scheme. The layout scheme uses a hexagonal arrangement, expanding outward layer by layer to gradually increase the area of ​​the heat volatilization zone and enhance the drilling heat extraction effect of water ice resources.

[0035] The operation process of the circular array needle-type lunar soil water cryogenic extraction device of the present invention is as follows: The entire device is placed in a vacuum environment. After the device starts working, the drilling thermal evaporation unit 1 drills into the surface of lunar water ice. The heating rod 108 inside the drill rod 103 begins to heat the drill rod 103. After a period of time, when a certain temperature is reached, the lunar water ice begins to evaporate water vapor. The water vapor generated by thermal evaporation directly enters the condensation and collection unit 2. The water vapor undergoes a gas-solid phase change in the condensation and collection unit 2 under low-temperature vacuum conditions, ultimately achieving the purpose of extracting lunar water ice resources. The design requirements for a multi-layered, clustered-needle lunar soil water ice extraction device include: (1) The device can work on the lunar surface for a certain period of time. Correspondingly, in terms of structural design, the present invention adds a drill rod heat insulation sleeve 201 between the drilling heat volatilization unit 1 and the condensation collection unit 2 to reduce heat exchange between high and low temperatures; in terms of materials, stainless steel is selected, which can withstand low temperatures to the greatest extent and enable the device to maintain high mechanical performance in low temperature environments.

[0036] (2) The drilling unit can drill into the surface of lunar soil water ice to a certain depth. Correspondingly, the present invention designs a drilling heat volatilization unit 1, in which the drilling motor 101 and the drill rod 103 synchronously drill into the lunar soil profile.

[0037] (3) The heating rod can achieve a certain heating power. Correspondingly, the present invention designs a heating rod 108 inside the drill rod 103 to realize the rapid transfer of heat into the lunar soil water ice.

[0038] (4) The overall system weight and power consumption of the device are reduced as much as possible. Correspondingly, the present invention uses a slide rail frame shared by every two drilling units to reduce the weight burden of the device; the integrated design of the drill rod 103 with the built-in heating rod 108 changes the space and weight burden of the external heating device; a feed moving plate 111 drives the movement of multiple drilling units to reduce the control burden.

[0039] (5) Increase the heating coverage area as much as possible within a certain area. Correspondingly, the drill rod 103 in the drilling heat volatilization unit 1 of the present invention adopts a hexagonal layout, with the inner and outer layers arranged in an equilateral triangle layout, so that the heat volatilization area is more extensive.

[0040] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicating orientation and positional relationships are based on the orientation and positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0041] The embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are merely illustrative of the invention. These embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the invention to the specific implementations described. Many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of the invention, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize the invention.

Claims

1. A circular array needle-type lunar soil water-ice-thermal extraction device, characterized in that: It includes a drilling heat volatilization unit (1), a condensation collection unit (2) and a condition testing unit (3), wherein the drilling heat volatilization unit (1) and the condition testing unit (3) are both installed on the top surface of the condenser shell (205) of the condensation collection unit (2); The drilling heat evaporation unit (1) includes multiple drilling units, multiple constant force mechanisms (104), a connecting unit and a feeding unit. Each drilling unit is connected to a constant force mechanism (104) to provide a downward constant force to the drilling unit. The feeding unit is connected to multiple drilling units to ensure that multiple drilling units move simultaneously. The multiple drilling units are arranged in a hexagonal pattern, with the inner and outer layers arranged in an equilateral triangle pattern.

2. The circular array needle-type lunar soil water-ice-thermal extraction device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drilling unit includes a drilling motor (101) and a drill rod (103). The drilling motor (101) is connected to the drill rod (103) and drives the drill rod (103) to drill. A heating rod (108) is installed inside the drill rod (103) to provide heat for the thermal volatilization of lunar water ice.

3. The circular array needle-type lunar soil water cryogenic extraction device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting unit is used to connect the drilling unit, the connecting unit and the feeding unit. The connecting unit includes a slider (106) and a slide rail (107). The drilling motor (101) is mounted on a motor support (105). The motor support (105) and the slider (106) are mounted together and slide together on the slide rail (107). Every two drilling motors (101) are mounted together on the front and back sides of the slide rail (107).

4. The circular array needle-type lunar soil water cryogenic extraction device according to claim 3, characterized in that: One end of the constant force mechanism (104) is installed on the top surface of the condenser shell (205) of the condenser collection unit (2), and the other end is connected to the tension and compression sensor (102).

5. The circular array needle-type lunar soil water cryogenic extraction device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The tension and compression sensor (102) is installed between the constant force mechanism (104) and the motor support (105) to detect the force situation when the drilling unit drills into the lunar soil water ice.

6. The circular array needle-type lunar soil water cryogenic extraction device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The feeding unit includes a rotary motor (109), a lead screw (110), and a feeding movable plate (111). The rotary motor (109) drives the lead screw (110) to rotate. The feeding movable plate (111) has a nut structure at its center that cooperates with the lead screw (110). The rotation of the lead screw (110) drives the feeding movable plate (111) to make linear displacement. The feeding movable plate (111) is connected to the slide rail (107) through a slider (106).

7. The circular array needle-type lunar soil water cryogenic extraction device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The condensation collection unit (2) includes multiple drill rod heat insulation sleeves (201), condensation coils (202), liquid nitrogen passages (203), condensation fins (204), and condenser shells (205). The drill rod heat insulation sleeves (201) are fixed to the condenser shells (205) by threaded connection. The drill rod (103) passes through the drill rod heat insulation sleeves (201). The condensation coils (202) and liquid nitrogen passages (203) are integrated. The condensation fins (204) are welded to the condensation coils (202). The condensation coils (202) are installed on the condenser shells (205).

8. The circular array needle-type lunar soil water cryogenic extraction device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The water vapor generated by the drilling heat evaporation unit (1) directly enters the condensation collection unit (2). The water vapor directly adheres to the wall surface of the annular condensation fins (204) to undergo gas-solid phase change, directly transforming from water vapor into ice, thus completing the water vapor collection.

9. The circular array needle-type lunar soil water-ice-thermal extraction device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The state testing unit (3) includes a vacuum gauge (301) and a displacement sensor (302), both of which are installed on the top surface of the condenser shell (205) of the condensation collection unit (2). The vacuum gauge (301) is used to detect the pressure change inside the condensation collection unit (2), and the displacement sensor (302) is used to detect the feed distance of the drilling heat volatilization unit (1).

10. A method of using the circular array needle-type lunar soil water cryogenic extraction device as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that: The entire device is placed in a vacuum environment. After the device starts working, the drilling thermal evaporation unit (1) drills into the surface of lunar water ice. The heating rod (108) inside the drill rod (103) starts to heat the drill rod (103). After a period of time, when a certain temperature is reached, the lunar water ice begins to evaporate water vapor. The water vapor generated by thermal evaporation directly enters the condensation and collection unit (2). The water vapor undergoes a gas-solid phase change in the condensation and collection unit (2) under low temperature vacuum environment, and finally achieves the purpose of extracting lunar water ice resources.

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