Lunar laser ranging head with shielding self-checking function

Abstract

The application provides a lunar surface laser detection head with a shielding self-checking function, and belongs to the field of lunar dust detection and lunar dust prevention and control. The problems of the prior art, such as long-term exposure of a front end, easy pollution of a window, lack of rapid self-checking ability before detection, and insufficient integration of the front end structure, are solved. The lunar surface laser detection head comprises a front shielding cover, a main body shell, a main path receiving module, a transmitting module and a transparent protective window. The front shielding cover is installed at the front end of the main body shell. The transparent protective window is installed in the main body shell through a window mounting step. The main path receiving module and the transmitting module are arranged in an internal optical cavity of the main body shell. An inner side reference reflection layer is arranged on the inner side of the front shielding cover. The lunar surface laser detection head is mainly used for lunar rover to perform a lunar dust environment monitoring task.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of lunar dust detection and control, and in particular relates to a lunar surface laser detector with a shielding self-test function. Background Technology

[0002] The lunar environment contains a large number of fine lunar dust particles, which are characterized by their small size, strong adhesion, and significant abrasiveness. When laser detection equipment operates on the lunar surface, its front-end detection port, transparent protective window, and internal optical components are easily affected by lunar dust deposition, adhesion, and erosion, leading to decreased transmittance, signal attenuation, and reduced detection accuracy. In severe cases, it can even affect the normal operation of the detection device.

[0003] Currently, the common protective measure is to install an openable and closable mechanical protective cover for the optical window. During non-operational periods, the protective cover is closed to isolate lunar dust; during operation, the protective cover is opened for exploration. However, this structure has a significant drawback: the probe itself may experience performance degradation after long-term operation, such as a decrease in laser power, a reduction in detector sensitivity, and window contamination. However, the opening and closing function of the protective cover can only provide protection and cannot perform self-diagnosis of the probe's core optical performance. On the distant moon, once the equipment malfunctions, ground personnel will find it difficult to determine whether the problem lies with external targets or the equipment itself, which brings great difficulties to mission execution and troubleshooting. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention aims to propose a lunar surface laser detector head with a shielding self-test function to solve the problems of existing lunar surface laser detectors, such as long-term exposure of the front end, easy contamination of the window, lack of rapid self-test capability before detection, and insufficient integration of the front end structure.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A lunar surface laser probe with shielding self-test function includes a front shielding cover, a main housing, a main path receiving module, a transmitting module, and a transparent protective window. The front shielding cover is installed at the front end of the main housing, and the transparent protective window is installed inside the main housing via a window mounting step. The main path receiving module and the transmitting module are located inside the optical cavity of the main housing, and an inner reference reflection layer is provided on the inner side of the front shielding cover.

[0006] Furthermore, a branch receiving module is provided on one side of the transmitting module.

[0007] Furthermore, a front window sealing ring is provided between the transparent protective window and the window mounting step.

[0008] Furthermore, the transparent protective window is provided with a lunar dust settling tank on the side near the front shielding cover.

[0009] Furthermore, the front shielding cover is connected to the main body housing via a rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is connected to a drive motor, and the drive motor is installed in the motor drive compartment.

[0010] Furthermore, a shaft sealing ring is provided on the outer side of the shaft.

[0011] Furthermore, the main receiving module and the transmitting module are arranged vertically or horizontally within the internal optical cavity.

[0012] Furthermore, the outer side of the front shielding cover is coated with a protective adsorption material.

[0013] Furthermore, the inner reference reflective layer is a reflective material layer coated on the inner surface of the front shielding cover or a reflective sheet installed on the inner side of the front shielding cover.

[0014] Furthermore, the main receiving module, transmitting module, branch receiving module, and drive motor are all electrically connected to the control system.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. In the non-working state, the present invention uses a front-end shielding cover to cover the detection port, so that the transparent protective window is only exposed for a short time when measurement is needed, thereby helping to reduce the probability of lunar dust deposition and the degree of cumulative pollution.

[0016] 2. By setting a reference reflection layer inside the shielding cover, the present invention enables the probe to complete a short-range reference detection before starting the detection. This detection does not depend on external targets or require an additional independent reference target structure. It can comprehensively judge the transmission status, reception status, overall window status and closed position status, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of the detection mission.

[0017] 3. This invention does not rely solely on a flip cover to protect the internal structure. Instead, a fixed transparent protective window is set behind the flip cover, and the window is reliably installed and sealed by installing steps and sealing rings. This creates a stable isolation interface between the external lunar dust environment and the internal transmitting / receiving module. Furthermore, the optical cavity and the drive motor cavity are isolated to prevent the motor cavity from contaminating the optical cavity.

[0018] 4. Since the reference reflective layer is directly arranged inside the shielding cover and the transmitting and receiving modules are directly integrated inside the main body shell, the entire structure can achieve four functions of "protection, window isolation, self-testing, and detection" in a small volume, which is beneficial for its placement in lunar rovers, small environmental detection devices, or other compact payloads.

[0019] 5. This invention adds a reference reflection layer to the flip cover, enabling it to simultaneously form a reference echo in the closed state, thereby transforming the mechanical component into a cooperating component with optical functions and improving the component utilization efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0020] 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 cross-sectional view of a lunar laser probe with a shielding self-testing function according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is a side view of a lunar laser probe head with shielding self-testing function according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view of a lunar laser probe with shielding self-testing function according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the self-test status. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the working status.

[0021] In the picture: 1-Front-end shielding cover, 2-Main body shell, 3-Front window sealing ring, 4-Main road receiving module, 5-Transmitting module, 6-Branch receiving module, 7-Internal optical cavity, 8-Transparent protective window, 9-Window mounting step, 10-Moon dust settling tank, 11-Inner reference reflection layer, 12-Motor drive compartment, 13-Rotating shaft sealing ring. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, and the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments.

[0023] Detailed Implementation Method 1: See Figure 1-5This embodiment describes a lunar laser detector with a shielding self-test function, comprising a front shielding cover 1, a main housing 2, a main receiving module 4, a transmitting module 5, and a transparent protective window 8. The main housing 2 constitutes the main structure of the detector, and has an internal optical cavity 7 for the main receiving module 4 and the transmitting module 5. A window mounting step 9 is machined at the front end of the housing, and the transparent protective window 8 is mounted on the window mounting step 9 with a high-precision mounting surface. A front window sealing ring 3 is pressed between the two to ensure that the internal optical cavity 7 is completely sealed from the external environment. A ring-shaped lunar dust settling groove 10 is machined in front of the transparent protective window 8 and on the outer end face of the main housing 2. The transmitting module 5 and the main receiving module 4 are installed and fixed side by side in the internal optical cavity 7, and can be arranged vertically or horizontally. Near the laser emission path of the transmitting module 5, a branch receiving module 6 is also provided for sampling a portion of the emitted laser.

[0024] The front shielding cover 1 is rotatably mounted on the outer front end of the main body housing 2 via a precision rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is connected to a drive motor installed in the motor drive compartment 12 to realize the automatic opening and closing of the front shielding cover 1. A rotating shaft sealing ring 13 is provided at the part where the rotating shaft passes through the main body housing 2 to achieve dynamic sealing. The outer surface of the front shielding cover 1 is coated with a protective adsorption material, and an inner reference reflection layer 11 is provided on its inner side. The inner reference reflection layer 11 can be a directly coated diffuse reflection white paint or a pasted Lambertian target plate with a specific reflectivity.

[0025] In this embodiment, a front window sealing ring 3 is provided between the transparent protective window 8 and the window mounting step 9 to ensure the sealed isolation of the internal optical cavity 7 of the main body shell 1 from the external lunar environment, preventing lunar dust from entering the area of ​​the precision optical components.

[0026] In this embodiment, the transparent protective window 8 is provided with a lunar dust settling groove 10 on the side near the front shielding cover 1. The lunar dust settling groove 10 can effectively capture and contain lunar dust that slides off the protective cover or is disturbed by airflow, reducing the probability that it will directly adhere to the working area of ​​the transparent protective window 8.

[0027] In this embodiment, the main receiving module 4 and the transmitting module 5 are arranged vertically or horizontally within the internal optical cavity. This juxtaposed layout is compact and facilitates the miniaturization and integration of the optical system.

[0028] In this embodiment, the outer side of the front shielding cover is coated with a protective adsorption material, such as a Teflon coating or other low surface energy material, which can reduce the adhesion between lunar dust and the outer surface of the cover, making it easier for lunar dust to be removed under opening and closing vibrations or other actions.

[0029] In this embodiment, the probe has strong expansion potential. In the future, without changing the overall architecture, a position detection unit, additional sealing structure, dust-proof steps, maze dustproof structure, double-layer window or more complex reflective reference area design can be added to meet the requirements of higher-level detection missions.

[0030] In this embodiment, the main receiving module 4, the transmitting module 5, the branch receiving module 6, and the drive motor are all electrically connected to the control system. Before entering the detection working state, the front shielding cover 1 is kept closed, and the transmitting module 5 is controlled to emit a detection laser. The receiving module 4 receives a short-range self-test signal to determine the status of the probe. When the self-test signal is normal, the drive motor is controlled to switch the front shielding cover 1 to the open position for external detection. After the external detection is completed, the drive motor is controlled to switch the front shielding cover 1 back to the closed position.

[0031] Working principle: When the rover is not performing lunar dust detection tasks, the front shielding cover 1 is in the closed position, and the detection port is blocked. At this time, the transparent protective window 8 is located behind the front shielding cover 1 and is not directly exposed to the external lunar dust environment. Since lunar dust is easy to adhere to and accumulate in the lunar environment, if the transparent protective window 8 is exposed for a long time, its transmittance will gradually decrease, which will affect the laser emission and echo reception effect. By shielding the transparent protective window 8 with the front shielding cover 1, the transparent protective window 8 is only exposed for a short period of time when performing detection tasks, thereby reducing the risk of lunar dust contamination.

[0032] When the rover is ready to perform a lunar dust detection mission, the control system does not initially open the front shielding cover 1. Instead, it performs a short-range self-test while the front shielding cover 1 remains closed. At this time, the transmitting module 5 emits one or more detection laser beams. The laser beams pass through the transparent protective window 8 and are directed towards the inner reference reflection layer 11 located on the shielding cover 1. The inner reference reflection layer 11 reflects or scatters the laser beams back. The returned signal then passes through the transparent protective window 8 again and enters the main receiving module 4. After receiving the short-range reference signal, the main receiving module 4 determines the signal strength, return stability, or whether it is within a preset range based on the signal strength, return stability, or whether it is within a preset range. Within the threshold range, the current working status of the probe is judged. If the short-range reference signal is normal, it means that the current transmitting module 5 can work normally, the main receiving module 4 can receive normally, the transparent protective window 8 is not seriously contaminated or abnormally blocked, and the front shielding cover 1 is basically closed in place. If the short-range reference signal is significantly lower than the preset range, or the return signal fluctuates abnormally, the control system can determine that the current probe has problems such as abnormal transmission, abnormal reception, excessive window contamination, or shielding cover not in place. At this time, it can be selected not to perform subsequent detection tasks, record it as an abnormal state, and perform re-detection.

[0033] If the pre-test self-inspection results meet the requirements, the drive motor drives the front shielding cover 1 to rotate around the shaft to the open position. At this time, the front shielding cover 1 opens the front detection port, and the laser emitted by the transmitting module 5 is directed through the transparent protective window 8 to the lunar dust area to be tested in front of the rovers. The lunar dust particles generate a scattering signal under the laser irradiation. The returned light signal enters the main receiving module 4 through the transparent protective window. The main receiving module 4 collects the received external return signal and uses it to characterize the detection information of lunar dust concentration or relative concentration change.

[0034] After completing an external lunar dust detection, the drive motor drives the front-end shielding cover 1 back to the closed position, putting the front-end detection port back into a shielded and protected state. At this time, the transparent protective window 8 is also back in a protected state, which can reduce the risk of lunar dust deposition during the subsequent stationary phase. The control system can also immediately emit a short-range reference laser after the measurement, using the inner reference reflection layer 11 of the front-end shielding cover 1 to obtain the short-range reference signal after the measurement, and compare this signal with the short-range reference signal before the measurement. If the two do not change much, it indicates that the state of the transparent protective window 8 and the internal system is basically stable during this detection process. If the short-range reference signal after the measurement drops significantly, it indicates that new contamination may have appeared on the surface of the transparent protective window 8 during the detection process, the repeatability of the front-end shielding cover 1 position has deteriorated, or the internal state of the system has drifted. This information can be used for subsequent task decision-making or state maintenance judgment.

[0035] The specific 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 embodiments 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 lunar surface laser probe with a shielding self-test function, characterized in that: The device includes a front shielding cover (1), a main housing (2), a main receiving module (4), a transmitting module (5), and a transparent protective window (8). The front shielding cover (1) is installed at the front end of the main housing (2). The transparent protective window (8) is installed inside the main housing (2) via a window mounting step (9). The main receiving module (4) and the transmitting module (5) are located inside the optical cavity (7) of the main housing (2). An inner reference reflection layer (11) is provided on the inner side of the front shielding cover (1).

2. A lunar surface laser probe head with shielding self-test function according to claim 1, characterized in that: A branch receiver module (6) is provided on one side of the transmitting module (5).

3. A lunar surface laser probe head with shielding self-test function according to claim 1, characterized in that: A front window sealing ring (3) is provided between the transparent protective window (8) and the window mounting step (9).

4. A lunar surface laser probe head with shielding self-test function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transparent protective window (8) has a moon dust settling tank (10) on the side near the front shielding cover (1).

5. A lunar surface laser probe head with shielding self-test function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front shielding cover (1) is connected to the main body shell (2) via a rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is connected to the drive motor, and the drive motor is installed in the motor drive compartment (12).

6. A lunar surface laser probe head with shielding self-test function according to claim 5, characterized in that: A shaft sealing ring (13) is provided on the outer side of the shaft.

7. A lunar surface laser probe head with shielding self-test function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main receiving module (4) and the transmitting module (5) are arranged vertically or horizontally within the internal optical cavity (7).

8. A lunar surface laser probe head with shielding self-test function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer side of the front shielding cover (1) is coated with a protective adsorption material.

9. A lunar surface laser probe head with shielding self-test function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner reference reflective layer (11) is a reflective material layer coated on the inner surface of the front shielding cover (1) or a reflective sheet installed on the inner side of the front shielding cover (1).

10. A lunar surface laser probe head with shielding self-testing function according to claim 5, characterized in that: The main receiving module (4), the transmitting module (5), the branch receiving module (6), and the drive motor are all electrically connected to the control system.

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