System and method for lunar continuous mining in conjunction with in-situ base construction
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202611049956.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-07-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-15
Smart Images
Figure CN122752024A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the fields of deep space resource development, lunar base construction, thermal erosion rock breaking, intelligent mining, and in-situ lunar resource utilization, and particularly to a system and method for continuous lunar mining in conjunction with in-situ base construction. Background Technology
[0002] As deep space exploration evolves from short-term scientific exploration to long-term stays, resource development, and space infrastructure construction, the Moon has become a core target for extraterrestrial resource development and base construction. Lunar base construction requires large quantities of lunar regolith, lunar rocks, and building materials for road paving, foundation construction, radiation shielding, underground space support, and equipment foundation construction. Relying entirely on Earth for transportation would result in extremely high launch costs, long resupply cycles, and poor construction continuity. Therefore, developing in-situ mining and resource utilization technologies adapted to the lunar environment is a core requirement for lunar base construction.
[0003] The lunar surface is characterized by extreme environments such as high vacuum, low gravity, strong radiation, large temperature differences between day and night, and complex terrain. Traditional mechanical drilling methods suffer from drawbacks in the high-hardness lunar rock conditions, including severe drill wear, high risk of jamming, difficulty in on-orbit maintenance, and large equipment weight. Blasting requires carrying explosives, oxidizers, and complex safety protection devices, resulting in extremely high launch costs and mission risks. Rock-breaking methods such as hydraulic fracturing, which rely on liquid media, are limited by the lunar vacuum environment and the scarcity of water resources, and cannot be directly applied to lunar mining scenarios.
[0004] Thermal exfoliation rock breaking technology uses high-temperature heat flow to act on the rock surface, creating a significant temperature gradient between the surface and interior of the rock mass. This induces thermal stress cracks and produces flaking, offering natural advantages such as non-contact rock breaking, low mechanical wear, and compatibility with vacuum environments, making it potentially suitable for lunar mining applications. However, current thermal exfoliation mining technology still has the following shortcomings: First, the heat energy supply method is singular, making it difficult to continuously provide high heat flux density input, resulting in low thermal stripping efficiency and an inability to adapt to the long-cycle energy fluctuations of lunar day and night.
[0005] Secondly, the thermal spalling process lacks real-time perception and advance prediction of temperature field, crack activity, spalling surface morphology and mining head position. The spalling behavior is highly random and prone to problems such as insufficient spalling, overheating or spalling path deviation.
[0006] Third, existing operations mostly adopt a single-point heating and intermittent propulsion mode, and the processes of heating, stripping, slag removal and repositioning cannot be connected continuously, making it difficult to meet the continuous mining needs of large-scale construction of the lunar base.
[0007] Fourth, in low gravity and high vacuum environments, detached particles are prone to drift and disperse, and adhere to the surface of equipment, making directional collection and closed transportation difficult, resulting in low particle recovery rates.
[0008] Fifth, the mining, transportation, screening and in-situ construction processes lack integrated connection, making it difficult to convert mined materials into base construction materials in a timely manner, resulting in low efficiency of in-situ resource utilization.
[0009] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a continuous thermal stripping mining technology that can fully utilize lunar in-situ solar energy and integrate in-situ energy storage, pulsed energy release, rolling thermal stripping, intelligent predictive control, continuous propulsion and in-situ construction. Summary of the Invention
[0010] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing lunar mining technologies by providing a system and method for continuous lunar mining in conjunction with in-situ base construction. This system and method solves the problems of existing technologies, such as strong dependence on external energy, high mechanical wear, discontinuous heat supply, uncontrollable spalling state, strong intermittent operation, low particle recovery efficiency, and disconnect between mining and base construction. It enables efficient, continuous, and controllable in-situ mining and integrated mining and construction operations in a lunar environment.
[0011] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a system for continuous lunar mining and in-situ base construction, comprising a concentrated solar energy acquisition module, an in-situ thermal storage module, a pulsed energy release module, a heat flow focusing module, a ring-shaped continuous thermal stripping mining head, a stripping front prediction module, an autonomous propulsion module, a particle recovery and conveying module, a lunar soil screening module, an in-situ construction module, and a central control module.
[0012] The concentrated solar energy acquisition module is connected to the in-situ thermal storage module to collect solar radiation energy from the lunar surface and input thermal energy into the in-situ thermal storage module. The in-situ thermal storage module is connected to the pulsed energy release module to store thermal energy through a multi-compartment rotation method and provide a continuous high-temperature heat source to the pulsed energy release module. The pulsed energy release module is connected to the heat flow focusing module to output thermal energy in the form of pulsed heat flow with set parameters according to the instructions of the central control module. The heat flow focusing module is set on the annular continuous thermal exfoliation mining head to concentrate the pulsed heat flow onto the surface of the rock mass to be mined, so that a temperature gradient and thermal stress concentration are formed on the surface of the rock mass, inducing the initiation, expansion and penetration of thermal cracks, and finally forming thermal exfoliation particles.
[0013] The annular continuous thermal stripping mining head is divided circumferentially into a preheating zone, a thermal stripping zone, a particle recovery zone, and a cooling zone. During the rotation or stepping advance of the mining head, the four zones act sequentially on the same mining zone on the surface of the rock mass to be mined, so that the same mining zone undergoes preheating, thermal stripping, particle recovery, and cooling processes in sequence, realizing a rolling thermal stripping operation with spatial partitioning and temporal continuity.
[0014] The spalling front prediction module integrates multi-source sensing and digital twin analysis capabilities to collect the temperature field, crack activity signals, three-dimensional morphology of the spalling surface, and mining head pose information of the rock mass to be mined, and to predict the location of the thermal spalling front, the expected spalling thickness, the expected spalling volume, and the expected spalling time.
[0015] The autonomous propulsion module is used to drive the annular continuous thermal stripping mining head and its supporting platform to advance continuously along the preset mining path; the particle recovery and conveying module is used to directionally capture stripped particles and convey them in a closed manner under low gravity and high vacuum environment; the lunar soil screening module is used to classify the recovered particles by particle size; and the in-situ construction module is used to convert the classified particles into lunar base construction materials.
[0016] The central control module is electrically connected to each of the above modules and is used to dynamically adjust the heat flow input power, pulse duration, heat pulse frequency, heat flow application location / direction, mining advance speed and mining path according to the spalling front prediction results, forming a full-process control of "sensing-prediction-control-feedback".
[0017] Furthermore, the concentrated solar energy acquisition module includes a deployable reflector, a sun-tracking mechanism, and a heat transfer channel; the deployable reflector is used to concentrate solar radiation energy, the sun-tracking mechanism is used to adjust the azimuth and elevation angles of the reflector in real time to track the sun's position, and the heat transfer channel is used to transfer the concentrated high-temperature heat energy to the in-situ heat storage module.
[0018] Furthermore, the in-situ thermal storage module includes at least two thermal storage chambers, each of which can independently switch between a charging state, a standby state, and a heat release state. When at least one thermal storage chamber is in the heat release state, at least another thermal storage chamber is in the charging state or a standby state, maintaining a continuous and stable heat flow supply through multi-chamber rotation. Preferably, the operating temperature range of the thermal storage chamber is 800℃~1800℃, and the thermal storage medium inside the chamber is selected from one or more of fluoride eutectic materials, metal phase change materials, and ceramic composite thermal storage materials.
[0019] Furthermore, the pulse energy release module includes a high-temperature valve control unit, a heat flow modulation unit, and a pulse frequency control unit; the high-temperature valve control unit is used to control the opening and closing of the heat flow path, the heat flow modulation unit is used to adjust the heat flow input power, and the pulse frequency control unit is used to adjust the pulse duration and the heat pulse frequency.
[0020] Furthermore, the heat flow focusing module includes a heat flow guiding channel and a focusing nozzle, with the focusing nozzle facing the surface of the rock mass to be mined; the heat flow focusing module can adjust the nozzle attitude according to the instructions of the central control module, thereby changing the position and direction of the pulsed heat flow.
[0021] Furthermore, the annular continuous thermal spalling mining head includes an annular support, a zoned heat insulation structure, a preheating nozzle, a thermal spalling nozzle, a particle recovery port, and a cooling protection structure. The preheating nozzle is located in the preheating zone, the thermal spalling nozzle is located in the thermal spalling zone, the particle recovery port is located in the particle recovery zone, the cooling protection structure is located in the cooling zone, and the zoned heat insulation structure is located between adjacent zones to reduce thermal interference between zones. The preheating zone is used to preheat the surface of the rock mass to be mined with low intensity, reducing the thermal shock threshold of subsequent thermal spalling; the thermal spalling zone is used to apply a high heat flux density pulsed heat flow to the preheated rock mass, inducing rapid propagation of thermal cracks; the particle recovery zone is used to directionally collect the detached spalling particles; and the cooling zone is used to provide heat insulation protection or cooling for the mining head structure, suppressing the impact of heat accumulation on equipment lifespan.
[0022] Furthermore, after the pulsed heat flow acts on the rock mass, the thickness of a single thermal spalling is 1mm~50mm, and the area of a single spalling is 0.01m². 2 ~2m 2 .
[0023] Furthermore, the spalling front prediction module includes an infrared thermal imaging monitoring unit, an acoustic emission monitoring unit, a laser point cloud scanning unit, an inertial navigation unit, a digital twin analysis unit, and a data fusion controller. The infrared thermal imaging monitoring unit is used to acquire the temperature field distribution and temperature gradient of the rock mass surface in real time; the acoustic emission monitoring unit is used to collect acoustic emission signals during the initiation, propagation, and penetration of thermal cracks; the laser point cloud scanning unit is used to acquire the three-dimensional morphology of the spalling surface, the boundary of the spalling pit, and the height change data; the inertial navigation unit is used to acquire the spatial pose and propulsion status of the mining head; the digital twin analysis unit is used to fuse multi-source data to construct a virtual-real mapping model of the thermal spalling working face; and the data fusion controller is used to calculate and generate spalling front prediction results based on the model and the perceived data.
[0024] Furthermore, the data fusion controller calculates the thermal damage gradient, crack propagation direction, expected spalling thickness, expected spalling volume, and expected spalling time based on the rock surface temperature gradient, frequency of acoustic emission events, change in spalling height, mining head advance displacement, and current damage variables.
[0025] When the expected spalling thickness is less than the lower limit of the preset thickness range, the central control module performs at least one of the following operations: increasing the heat flow input power, extending the pulse duration, increasing the heat pulse frequency, and decreasing the mining advance speed. When the expected spalling thickness is greater than the upper limit of the preset thickness range, the central control module performs at least one of the following operations: decreasing the heat flow input power, shortening the pulse duration, decreasing the heat pulse frequency, and increasing the mining advance speed. When the distance between the spalling leading edge and the preset mining path is greater than the preset deviation threshold, the central control module adjusts at least one of the heat flow application position, heat flow application direction, and mining path to make the spalling leading edge converge towards the preset mining path.
[0026] Furthermore, the particle recovery and conveying module includes a negative pressure collection unit, an electrostatic adsorption unit, and a closed conveying channel; the negative pressure collection unit and the electrostatic adsorption unit work together to achieve directional collection of detached particles in a low gravity and high vacuum environment, suppressing particle drift and dispersion; the closed conveying channel is used to transport the collected particles to the lunar soil screening module in a sealed manner.
[0027] Furthermore, the lunar soil screening module includes a particle size screening unit, a coarse particle output port, a medium particle output port, and a fine particle output port; the coarse particle output port is connected to the foundation construction or road paving unit, the medium particle output port is connected to the lunar soil sintering unit, and the fine particle output port is connected to the additive manufacturing unit.
[0028] Furthermore, the in-situ construction module includes one or more of the following: lunar soil sintering unit, additive manufacturing unit, radiation shielding layer construction unit, and base foundation construction unit, used to prepare graded particles into sintered bricks, construction modules, radiation shielding layers, road layers, subgrades, or underground support structures.
[0029] This invention also provides a lunar continuous thermal exfoliation mining method with in-situ energy storage and release prediction and control, implemented using the above-mentioned system, and including the following steps: S1, the concentrating solar energy acquisition module gathers solar radiation energy from the lunar surface and inputs the gathered high-temperature heat energy into the in-situ heat storage module.
[0030] S2. The in-situ thermal storage module operates in rotation through at least two thermal storage chambers, which are in charging, standby, and heat release states respectively, to achieve thermal energy storage and continuous and stable output.
[0031] S3. The central control module controls the pulse energy release module to release the thermal energy in the thermal storage module in the form of pulsed heat flow with set power, pulse duration and pulse frequency according to the mining task parameters.
[0032] S4. After being focused by the heat flow focusing module, the pulsed heat flow acts on the surface of the rock mass to be mined, causing the surface layer of the rock mass to heat up rapidly, forming a significant temperature gradient with the interior, which in turn generates thermal stress concentration and thermal cracks.
[0033] S5. The annular continuous thermal stripping mining head rotates or advances step by step, so that the preheating zone, thermal stripping zone, particle recovery zone and cooling zone act sequentially on the same mining zone on the rock mass surface, and the rock mass completes the preheating, thermal stripping, particle detachment and cooling processes in sequence.
[0034] S6. The particle recovery and conveying module captures detached particles in the particle recovery area through the combined action of negative pressure and electrostatics, and then conveys them to the lunar soil screening module through a closed channel.
[0035] S7, the spalling leading edge prediction module collects multi-source data through infrared thermal imaging, acoustic emission, laser point cloud, and inertial navigation, inputs it into the digital twin model for fusion analysis, and predicts the location of the thermal spalling leading edge, the expected spalling thickness, the expected spalling volume, and the expected spalling time.
[0036] S8. The central control module dynamically adjusts the heat flow input power, pulse duration, heat pulse frequency, heat flow application location / direction, mining advance speed and mining path based on the spalling leading edge prediction results to achieve closed-loop optimization control.
[0037] S9, the lunar soil screening module classifies the recovered particles by size, and transports coarse, medium and fine particles to the corresponding units of the in-situ construction module respectively.
[0038] S10, the in-situ construction module, prepares graded lunar soil particles into various base construction materials for the construction of facilities such as roads, foundations, radiation protection layers, and underground supports in the lunar base.
[0039] Furthermore, in step S2, the heat storage capacity of the in-situ heat storage process satisfies:
[0040]
[0041] In the formula, The theoretical heat storage capacity of the thermal storage chamber is expressed in J. The effective heat storage capacity is expressed in J after deducting heat loss and unusable temperature range; m is the mass of the heat storage medium, expressed in kg. This is the equivalent isobaric specific heat capacity of the heat storage medium, expressed in J / (kg·K). and These are the upper limit temperature and lower limit temperature of thermal storage, respectively, in K or °C. The effective energy utilization coefficient of the thermal storage system is 0 to 1.
[0042] The released power of the pulsed energy release process satisfies:
[0043] In the formula, The pulse output power is expressed in watts (W). This represents the duration of a single heat release, measured in seconds (s).
[0044] Furthermore, in step S4, the surface temperature gradient of the rock mass satisfies:
[0045]
[0046] In the formula, This represents the temperature difference between the rock mass surface and a reference position inside the rock mass, expressed in K. The surface temperature of the rock mass; This is the reference temperature inside the rock mass; This represents the surface temperature gradient of the rock mass, expressed in K / m. This is the distance from the surface of the rock mass to the reference position inside, in meters.
[0047] Rock mass thermal stress satisfies:
[0048] In the formula, Thermal stress, measured in Pa; This refers to the elastic modulus of the rock mass, expressed in Pa. The linear expansion coefficient of the rock mass is expressed in °C. -1 ; Let be the Poisson's ratio of the rock mass, which is dimensionless. At that time, thermal spalling occurred in the rock mass, among which... This represents the tensile strength of the rock mass, expressed in Pa.
[0049] Furthermore, in step S7, the evolution relationship of thermal exfoliation damage satisfies:
[0050] In the formula, The current damage variable is dimensionless. These are temperature field parameters; The cumulative number of acoustic emission events; These are thermal strain parameters.
[0051] The predicted location of the thermal spalling front satisfies:
[0052] In the formula, For the predicted time interval Predicted location vector of the peeling leading edge; is the current leading edge position vector; n is the unit vector of the main crack propagation direction determined based on the temperature gradient and acoustic emission signal; This is the damage leading edge correction factor, in meters (m). Let this be the velocity vector of the mining head advance. To advance the correction coefficient, dimensionless.
[0053] Furthermore, in step S8, the mining advance speed satisfies:
[0054] In the formula, This refers to the mining advance speed, measured in m / s. To improve the efficiency coefficient, dimensionless; The volume of flaking per unit time is expressed in meters (m). 3 / s; The area of the mining face is expressed in square meters (m²). 2 .
[0055] Furthermore, in steps S9-S10, the lunar soil resource utilization rate satisfies:
[0056] In the formula, Lunar soil utilization rate, dimensionless; The mass of lunar regolith entering the in-situ construction module is expressed in kg. The total mass of lunar soil collected is expressed in kg; when At this time, the system enters a state of efficient procurement and construction collaboration.
[0057] Furthermore, during the lunar day, the concentrating solar energy acquisition module continuously inputs heat energy into the in-situ thermal storage module, with at least one thermal storage chamber in a charging state and at least one thermal storage chamber in a heat release state, enabling continuous operation with simultaneous charging and releasing; during the lunar night, the concentrating solar energy acquisition module stops inputting heat energy, and the thermal storage chamber in a high-temperature energy storage state supplies heat to the pulse energy release module and the equipment insulation system to maintain the system in a low-load mining operation or in an insulation standby state.
[0058] Furthermore, in scenarios such as lunar lava tube exploration, underground space excavation, or underground base construction, a ring-shaped continuous thermal stripping mining head is placed at the front end of the tunneling equipment. The autonomous propulsion module drives the tunneling equipment to advance along a preset path, while the particle recovery and conveying module simultaneously removes the stripped particles in front. Support equipment or in-situ construction modules are simultaneously deployed at the rear for structural support and construction, realizing integrated operation of continuous underground space tunneling, slag removal, and support.
[0059] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. This invention combines concentrated solar energy collection with multi-compartment rotating high-temperature thermal storage to fully utilize the in-situ solar energy resources on the moon, achieving large-scale storage and continuous and stable release of thermal energy. This not only solves the problem of intermittent solar energy supply, but also supports low-load operation and equipment insulation during the lunar night. This in-situ energy self-sufficiency method, which is adapted to the lunar day-night cycle, greatly reduces the dependence on Earth's energy supply.
[0060] 2. This invention releases stored thermal energy in a concentrated manner in the form of high heat flux density pulses through a pulse energy release module, which quickly forms a severe temperature gradient and thermal stress concentration on the surface of the rock mass, significantly improving the efficiency of thermal crack initiation, propagation and penetration. The thickness and area of a single spalling are controllable, making it suitable for mining hard rocks such as high-strength basalt on the moon.
[0061] 3. This invention adopts a circumferentially partitioned annular mining head, which spatially divides the four processes of preheating, hot stripping, particle recovery, and cooling into zones. The mining head rotates or steps to achieve cyclical switching of processes (i.e., each zone works continuously for the same ore belt in time), transforming the traditional intermittent operation into a rolling continuous operation, saving the time of frequent shutdowns for slag removal and repositioning, and greatly improving mining efficiency.
[0062] 4. This invention achieves advanced prediction of the thermal stripping front by integrating multi-source sensing and digital twins, and reversely adjusts the heat flow parameters and propulsion parameters based on the prediction results to form a complete dynamic control mechanism. This effectively reduces the randomness of the stripping process, avoids insufficient stripping or overheating, and improves the controllability and autonomy of the mining process.
[0063] 5. This invention adopts a particle recovery scheme that combines negative pressure capture and electrostatic adsorption, which effectively solves the problems of particle drift and dispersion and the difficulty of directional capture in the low gravity and high vacuum environment of the moon, improves the particle recovery rate, and reduces equipment pollution.
[0064] 6. This invention constructs a continuous operation system for the entire chain of "mining-recycling-screening-construction". The mined particles are graded and directly correspond to different construction scenarios, realizing efficient in-situ conversion of resources. The utilization rate of lunar soil can reach more than 80%, directly serving the large-scale construction of lunar bases.
[0065] 7. In addition to being applicable to open-pit mining on the lunar surface, the system of the present invention can also be adapted to scenarios such as lunar lava tube detection and underground base excavation. After parameter adjustment, it can also be extended to resource development of other extraterrestrial bodies such as Mars and asteroids. Attached Figure Description
[0066] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the system of the present invention.
[0067] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the in-situ energy storage and pulse energy release module in this invention.
[0068] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the annular continuous thermal stripping mining head in this invention.
[0069] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of continuous thermal spalling propulsion in this invention.
[0070] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the process for predictive control of thermal spalling leading edge in this invention.
[0071] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the integrated mining-construction operation process in this invention.
[0072] In the diagram: 1-Concentrated solar energy acquisition module; 2-In-situ thermal storage module; 3-Pulse energy release module; 4-Heat flow focusing module; 5-Annular continuous thermal stripping mining head; 5a-Annular support structure; 5b-Zoned thermal insulation structure; 5c-Preheating nozzle; 5d-Thermal stripping nozzle; 5e-Particle recovery port; 5f-Cooling protection structure; 6-Particle recovery and conveying module; 7-Lunar soil screening module; 8-In-situ construction module; 9-Central control module; 10-Stripping front prediction module; 11-Rock mass to be mined; 12-Thermal stripping front; 13-Stripped particles; 14-Particle recovery channel; 15-Autonomous propulsion mechanism; 16-Next mining face; 17-Infrared thermal imaging monitoring unit; 18-Acoustic emission monitoring unit; 19-Laser point cloud scanning unit; 20-Digital twin analysis unit; 21-Leading edge prediction unit; 22-Heat flow control unit; 23-Propulsion control unit; 24-Thermal stripping mining unit; 25-Particle recovery unit; 26-Screening unit; 27-Sintering unit; 28-Additive manufacturing unit; 29-Base construction unit; 30-Deployable reflector; 31-Day tracking mechanism; 32-Multi-storage heat unit; 33-Energy release valve control unit; 34-Heat flow modulation unit; 35-Heat flow output channel. Detailed Implementation
[0073] The present invention will be further described below.
[0074] Example 1: System Overall Structure and Basic Working Principle like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a system for continuous lunar mining and in-situ base construction, used for the continuous mining of high-strength lunar rocks such as basalt on the lunar surface. The core includes a concentrated solar energy acquisition module 1, an in-situ thermal storage module 2, a pulsed energy release module 3, a heat flow focusing module 4, a ring-shaped continuous thermal stripping mining head 5, a particle recovery and conveying module 6, a lunar soil screening module 7, an in-situ construction module 8, a central control module 9, and a stripping front prediction module 10.
[0075] The overall system workflow is as follows: The concentrating solar energy acquisition module 1 collects solar radiation energy from the lunar surface, converts it into high-temperature heat energy, and inputs it into the in-situ heat storage module 2; the in-situ heat storage module 2 stores heat energy through a multi-compartment rotation mode and continuously provides a high-temperature heat source to the pulse energy release module 3; under the control of the central control module 9, the pulse energy release module 3 outputs heat energy in the form of pulsed heat flow with set power, frequency, and duration; after being focused by the heat flow focusing module 4, the pulsed heat flow is concentrated on the surface of the rock mass 11 to be mined.
[0076] The surface layer of the rock mass 11 to be mined experiences a rapid temperature rise under the action of pulsed high heat flow, forming a significant temperature gradient with the internal low-temperature rock mass. Due to the internal constraint on the thermal expansion of the surface layer, tensile stress concentration occurs on the surface layer of the rock mass. When the thermal stress exceeds the tensile strength of the rock mass, thermal cracks parallel to the free surface are generated on the surface layer of the rock mass. After the cracks gradually expand and penetrate, they form sheet-like spalling particles 13.
[0077] Driven by the autonomous propulsion mechanism 15, the annular continuous thermal stripping mining head 5 advances along the mining path while simultaneously rotating or stepping, allowing the preheating, thermal stripping, recycling, and cooling processes to cycle through the same mining zone, achieving continuous stripping operations. Stripped particles 13 are collected by the particle recycling and conveying module 6 using a negative pressure + electrostatic synergy method, and then transported via the particle recycling channel 14 to the lunar soil screening module 7 for particle size classification. The classified particles are then input into the in-situ construction module 8, where they are transformed into various base construction materials.
[0078] During the operation, the stripping front prediction module 10 collects real-time data on rock mass temperature, crack activity, morphology, and equipment position, and predicts the state of the thermal stripping front 12 through a digital twin model; the central control module 9 dynamically adjusts the heat flow parameters and propulsion parameters according to the prediction results to form a closed-loop control, ensuring that the mining process is stable, controllable, and efficient.
[0079] Example 2: Specific Implementation of In-situ Energy Storage and Pulse Energy Release like Figure 2 As shown, the concentrated solar energy acquisition module 1 consists of a deployable reflector 30, a heliostat tracking mechanism 31, and a heat transfer channel. The deployable reflector 30 adopts a lightweight thin-film reflector structure, which is folded and stored during the launch phase and unfolds into a parabolic concentrating structure after entering orbit, with a concentration ratio of 500 to 2000 times. The heliostat tracking mechanism 31 is equipped with a dual-axis servo drive, which adjusts the azimuth and elevation angles of the reflector in real time according to the sun's position to ensure that solar radiation is continuously focused on the entrance of the heat transfer channel. The heat transfer channel adopts a high-temperature resistant ceramic liner structure to conduct the collected high-temperature heat energy to the in-situ heat storage module 2.
[0080] The in-situ thermal storage module 2 adopts a multi-compartment thermal storage unit 32. In this embodiment, three thermal storage compartments are set, each with a volume of 0.5m³. 3The storage chambers are filled with a lithium fluoride-yttrium fluoride eutectic phase change thermal storage medium, with a phase change temperature of approximately 1100℃ and a thermal storage temperature range of 900℃ to 1500℃. The three thermal storage chambers are independently controlled, operating in three states: charging, standby, and heat release. In the charging state, the storage chamber receives solar energy input, and the thermal storage medium heats up to store energy. In the standby state, the storage chamber maintains a high temperature as a backup heat source. In the heat release state, the storage chamber is connected to the pulse energy release module 3, outputting high-temperature heat energy. When the temperature of the heat release chamber drops to the lower limit of 900℃, the central control module 9 controls it to exit heat release mode, switching the standby chamber to heat release mode, and the original heat release chamber to charging mode, achieving a continuous 24-hour heat flow supply through rotation.
[0081] The pulsed energy release module 3 includes an energy release valve control unit 33, a heat flow modulation unit 34, and a heat flow output channel 35. The energy release valve control unit 33 uses a high-temperature resistant ceramic valve to control the opening and closing of the heat storage chamber and the heat flow output channel 35. The heat flow modulation unit 34 continuously adjusts the heat flow power by regulating the valve opening and heat exchange area. The pulse frequency control unit controls the valve opening and closing cycle to achieve pulsed heat flow output. In this embodiment, the pulse duration can be adjusted within the range of 0.2s to 10s, the pulse frequency can be adjusted within the range of 0.1Hz to 5Hz, and the peak heat flow density can reach 30MW / m³. 2 Multiple thermal stripping nozzles operate in a time-division sequential pulse mode to avoid all nozzles outputting peak power simultaneously.
[0082] In this embodiment, the single-storage heat storage capacity is calculated as follows: heat storage medium mass m = 2000 kg, specific heat capacity at constant pressure C p =1500J / (kg·℃), upper limit of thermal storage T h =1500℃, lower limit T l =900℃, then the heat storage Q s =2000×1500×(1500-900)=1.8×10 9 With J=500kW·h, the total energy storage of the three thermal storage chambers can reach 1500kW·h. Considering heat dissipation, heat exchange losses, and unusable temperature zones in the thermal storage chambers, the effective energy utilization coefficient is taken. The system has an effective heat storage capacity of approximately 1200 kWh.
[0083] During normal daytime mining operations, the concentrating solar power acquisition module directly provides the average operating thermal power, while the in-situ thermal storage module is mainly used to smooth out solar irradiance fluctuations and provide short-term power buffers for peak pulse energy release. The effective area of a single nozzle is 0.05 m². 2 Peak heat flux density 30 MW / m 2Calculations show that the peak thermal power of a single nozzle is approximately 1.5 MW; when the pulse duration is 0.5 s and the pulse frequency is 0.1 Hz, with a duty cycle of 5%, the time-averaged thermal power of a single nozzle is approximately 75 kW. The four thermal stripping nozzles operate in a time-division sequential pulse mode to avoid the superposition of peak power.
[0084] During the lunar night, the system enters a thermal standby mode, ceasing regular continuous mining and maintaining only the thermal management of central control, navigation, valve control, and critical equipment. With the average thermal and control load during the lunar night limited to below 3 kW, the energy demand for a full lunar night of approximately 14.75 days is approximately 1062 kWh, less than the system's effective heat storage of approximately 1200 kWh. The remaining energy serves as a safety margin for fluctuations in heat storage losses and short-term wake-up operations.
[0085] Example 3: Specific Implementation of a Circular Continuous Thermal Exfoliation Mining Head like Figure 3 As shown, the annular continuous thermal stripping mining head 5 is an overall annular disc structure with an outer diameter of 1.2m and an inner diameter of 0.4m. It includes an annular support 5a, a zoned heat insulation structure 5b, a preheating nozzle 5c, a thermal stripping nozzle 5d, a particle recovery port 5e, and a cooling protection structure 5f. The mining head is divided into four fan-shaped areas along the circumference: area A is the preheating area, area B is the thermal stripping area, area C is the particle recovery area, and area D is the cooling area. Zoned heat insulation structures 5b are set between adjacent areas, using aerogel insulation material to reduce thermal conduction interference between areas.
[0086] Eight preheating nozzles (5c) are arranged circumferentially in the preheating zone A, outputting a low-intensity heat flux with a heat flux density of approximately 0.5 MW / m³. 2 The surface of the rock mass 11 to be mined is preheated to raise the surface temperature of the rock mass from the ambient temperature to 300℃~500℃, thereby reducing the thermal shock threshold of subsequent thermal spalling and reducing random damage to the rock mass caused by thermal stress fluctuations.
[0087] Four thermal stripping nozzles (5d) are arranged in the thermal stripping zone of area B, which are connected to the focusing nozzles of the heat flux focusing module 4 to output high heat flux density pulsed heat flux, with a peak heat flux density of up to 30MW / m³. 2 The pulse is applied to the preheated rock surface, rapidly inducing thermal crack propagation and flaking. In this embodiment, the spalling thickness after a single pulse is approximately 5mm to 20mm, and the effective spalling area of a single nozzle is approximately 0.05m². 2 .
[0088] Zone C, the particle recovery area, is equipped with an annular particle recovery port 5e, which is connected to the negative pressure channel and electrostatic electrode of the particle recovery and conveying module 6. The negative pressure collection unit provides a pressure difference of 0.5 kPa to form a directional airflow to entice particles; the electrostatic adsorption unit applies a 10 kV high-voltage electrostatic charge to adsorb fine dust through electrostatic force. The two work together to achieve a particle collection efficiency of ≥95%, effectively suppressing particle drift and dispersion in low-gravity environments.
[0089] The cooling zone in area D is equipped with a cooling protection structure 5f, which uses a combination of radiative heat dissipation and phase change cooling to cool the support structure and seals of the mining head, keeping the equipment operating temperature below 300℃ and ensuring long-term reliable operation.
[0090] During mining operations, the annular continuous thermal stripping mining head 5 rotates at a low speed of 0.5 r / min, while the autonomous propulsion mechanism 15 drives the mining head forward at a speed of 10 mm / min. The same position on the rock surface passes through the preheating zone for preheating, the thermal stripping zone for stripping, the recycling zone for slag removal, and the cooling zone for cooling in sequence, realizing continuous rolling mining without the need to stop for slag removal and repositioning. The continuity of operation is more than 3 times higher than that of traditional intermittent mining.
[0091] Example 4: Specific Implementation of Peeling Lead-Ahead Prediction and Closed-Loop Control like Figure 5 As shown, the peeling leading edge prediction module 10 includes an infrared thermal imaging monitoring unit 17, an acoustic emission monitoring unit 18, a laser point cloud scanning unit 19, a digital twin analysis unit 20, and a leading edge prediction unit 21; the central control module 9 integrates a heat flow control unit 22 and a propulsion control unit 23.
[0092] The infrared thermal imaging monitoring unit 17 uses a mid-wave infrared thermal imager with a sampling frequency of 50Hz and a temperature resolution of 0.1℃ to collect the temperature field distribution on the rock surface in real time and calculate the temperature gradient and the range of the heat-affected zone. The acoustic emission monitoring unit 18 uses a broadband acoustic emission sensor with a sampling frequency of 1MHz to capture the elastic wave signals generated by the initiation and propagation of thermal cracks and to count the frequency and energy of acoustic emission events. The laser point cloud scanning unit 19 uses a line laser scanner with an accuracy of 0.1mm to scan the three-dimensional morphology of the spalled surface in real time and obtain spalling depth and volume data. The inertial navigation unit uses a combination of fiber optic gyroscope and accelerometer to acquire the spatial pose and propulsion displacement of the mining head in real time.
[0093] The digital twin analysis unit 20 is pre-built with lunar rock thermal property parameters, thermal stress calculation models, and damage evolution models. It integrates real-time sensing data with the models to construct a digital twin of the thermal spalling working surface, achieving synchronous mapping between the virtual and real worlds. The leading edge prediction unit 21, based on the twin model and combined with the current damage variable D, temperature gradient, and acoustic emission frequency, calculates the thermal damage gradient and crack propagation direction, predicting the spalling leading edge location, expected spalling thickness, and spalling volume within the next 5 seconds.
[0094] In this embodiment, the damage variable D is calculated using the following formula:
[0095] in This represents the remaining tensile strength of the current rock mass. The initial tensile strength is given; the mapping relationship between D and the three factors is obtained by fitting the temperature field, the number of acoustic emission events, and the thermal strain: , where a, b, and c are fitting coefficients, calibrated through experiments; and the predicted position of the thermal spalling leading edge is calculated.
[0096] The central control module 9 performs dynamic control based on the prediction results: when the expected spalling thickness is <5mm (preset lower limit), the heat flow control unit 22 increases the heat flow power by 20% or extends the pulse duration by 2s, and the propulsion control unit 23 reduces the propulsion speed by 30%; when the expected spalling thickness is >20mm (preset upper limit), the heat flow control unit 22 reduces the heat flow power by 15% or shortens the pulse duration by 1s, and the propulsion control unit 23 increases the propulsion speed by 20%; when the lateral offset of the spalling leading edge is >10mm, the heat flow control unit 22 adjusts the deflection angle of the focusing nozzle to correct the position of the heat flow, and the propulsion control unit 23 corrects the mining path.
[0097] Through the above dynamic control, the actual peeling thickness fluctuation can be controlled within ±15%, and the peeling path deviation can be controlled within ±5mm, which significantly improves the controllability of the thermal peeling process and the uniformity of the finished particle size.
[0098] Example 5: Implementation of Integrated Mining-Construction Operations like Figure 6 As shown, this embodiment realizes integrated mining-construction collaborative operation, and the process is as follows: S601, Thermal stripping mining: Thermal stripping mining unit 24 (i.e., annular mining head and heat flow system) continuously mines the rock mass 11 to be mined, producing stripped particles 13.
[0099] S602, Particle Recovery: Particle recovery unit 25 collects detached particles 13 and transports them to screening unit 26 through a closed conveying channel.
[0100] S603, Particle size classification: The screening unit 26 adopts a combination of vibrating screening and airflow classification to divide the particles into three grades: coarse particles (particle size > 2 mm), medium particles (particle size 0.1~2 mm), and fine particles (particle size < 0.1 mm).
[0101] S604, Coarse Particle Utilization: Coarse particles are transported to base construction unit 29 for use as road sub-layers, foundation filling, radiation protection layer backfilling, or underground space support backfilling in the lunar base.
[0102] S605, Medium Particle Sintering: Medium particles are conveyed to sintering unit 27 and sintered structural components are prepared by microwave sintering, concentrated solar energy sintering or high temperature sintering processes for use in base walls, road structural layers or equipment foundation construction.
[0103] S606, Fine Particle Additive Manufacturing: Fine particles are conveyed to the additive manufacturing unit 28 and, after pretreatment, are used as raw materials for additive manufacturing to prepare fine structural parts or irregular components.
[0104] S607. Base Construction: According to the base construction task, the base construction unit 29 uses one or more of the coarse particles obtained in step S604, the sintered structural components obtained in step S605, and the additive manufacturing components obtained in step S606 to complete the construction of roads, foundations, radiation protection layers, equipment foundations, or underground support structures.
[0105] In this embodiment, after screening, the recovered particles comprise approximately 15% coarse particles, 60% medium particles, and 20% fine particles. The remaining 5% consists of screening losses, unrecovered fine dust, or impurities unsuitable for direct use. The proportion of particles entering the in-situ construction module can reach approximately 95% of the total extracted particle mass.
[0106] Example 6: Implementation of Continuous Operation During Lunar Day and Night This embodiment is adapted to the lunar day-night cycle of approximately 29.5 days, enabling long-term continuous operation: S1, Lunar Day Phase (approximately 14.75 days): Under continuous sunlight, the concentrating solar energy collection module 1 operates at full power, supplying heat to the pulse energy release module 3 to support continuous mining at full load; on the other hand, it charges the idle thermal storage chambers to store excess solar energy. During this phase, one of the three thermal storage chambers is releasing heat, one is charging heat, and one is on standby, with a rotation cycle of approximately 8 hours to ensure a stable heat supply.
[0107] S2, Lunar Night Phase (approximately 14.75 days): With no solar radiation input, the concentrating solar energy acquisition module ceases operation, and the thermal storage chamber releases stored heat. The system, in principle, ceases conventional thermal stripping mining and enters a thermal standby mode, supplying power only to the central control module, navigation unit, valve control unit, and the thermal insulation systems of key sealing and transmission components. The system maintains equipment temperatures above -40°C to prevent low-temperature damage, while keeping the average lunar night heat load below 3kW. If necessary, short-term, low-frequency equipment status checks and wake-up trials can be conducted. Upon the arrival of the next lunar day, the system recharges and resumes normal mining operations.
[0108] S3. Through multi-warehouse energy storage and day / night mode switching, the system can achieve uninterrupted or intermittent operation throughout the lunar day cycle, greatly increasing the annual mining volume and base construction speed.
[0109] Example 7: Lunar Subsurface Space Tunneling Implementation This embodiment is applied to the scenario of lunar lava pipe expansion and underground base construction. The annular continuous thermal stripping mining head 5 is coaxially mounted on the front end of the tunnel boring equipment. The main body of the tunnel boring equipment is equipped with an in-situ thermal storage module, a control system, and a propulsion mechanism.
[0110] During tunneling operations, the front mining head rotates and advances forward, continuously thermally stripping the rock mass at the face ahead. The stripped rock fragments are collected by the front particle recovery port and discharged backward through the conveying channel inside the tunneling machine. The support robot and in-situ construction module are mounted behind the tunneling equipment, which spray lunar soil sintered layer or assemble support blocks on the excavated tunnel wall in sync with the tunneling progress to form a permanent support structure.
[0111] This method eliminates the need for cutterheads and cutters in traditional tunneling machines, completely avoiding the tool wear problem in hard rock tunneling. It is especially suitable for underground space excavation of high-hardness rock masses such as lunar basalt, and can realize integrated operation of continuous tunneling, synchronous muck removal, and synchronous support.
[0112] 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 system for continuous lunar mining in conjunction with in-situ base construction, characterized in that, It includes a concentrated solar energy acquisition module, an in-situ thermal storage module, a pulsed energy release module, a heat flow focusing module, an annular continuous thermal stripping mining head, a stripping front prediction module, an autonomous propulsion module, a particle recovery and conveying module, a lunar soil screening module, an in-situ construction module, and a central control module. The concentrated solar energy acquisition module is used to collect solar radiation energy from the lunar surface and input thermal energy into the in-situ thermal storage module; The in-situ thermal energy storage module is used to store thermal energy and provide a continuous high-temperature heat source to the pulse energy release module; The pulse energy release module is used to output thermal energy in the form of pulsed heat flow according to control commands; The heat flow focusing module is installed on the annular continuous thermal spalling mining head to concentrate the pulsed heat flow onto the surface of the rock mass to be mined, inducing thermal stress cracks and thermal spalling. The annular continuous thermal stripping mining head is divided into a preheating zone, a thermal stripping zone, a particle recovery zone and a cooling zone in the circumferential direction. Each zone acts on the same mining zone on the surface of the rock mass to be mined in sequence as the annular continuous thermal stripping mining head rotates or advances step by step, so that the rock mass completes the preheating, thermal stripping, particle recovery and cooling processes in sequence. The spalling front prediction module is used to collect information on the temperature field, crack activity, spalling surface morphology, and mining head pose of the rock mass to be mined, and to predict the location of the thermal spalling front, the expected spalling thickness, the expected spalling volume, and the expected spalling time. The autonomous propulsion module is used to drive the annular continuous thermal stripping mining head to advance along a preset mining path; The particle recovery and conveying module is used to collect and convey particles generated by thermal shearing. The lunar soil screening module is used to classify the recovered particles by particle size. The in-situ construction module is used to convert the graded particles into base construction materials; The central control module is used to adjust the heat flow parameters, propulsion parameters, and mining path based on the stripping front prediction results.
2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The concentrated solar energy acquisition module includes a deployable reflector, a sun-tracking mechanism, and a heat transfer channel. The deployable reflector is used to collect solar radiation energy, the sun-tracking mechanism is used to adjust the azimuth and elevation angles of the reflector to track the sun, and the heat transfer channel is used to transfer the collected heat energy to the in-situ heat storage module.
3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The in-situ thermal storage module includes at least two thermal storage chambers, each of which can independently switch between a charging state, a standby state, and a heat release state. When at least one thermal storage chamber is in a heat release state, at least the other thermal storage chamber is in a charging state or a standby state to maintain a continuous heat flow supply.
4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pulsed energy release module includes a high-temperature valve control unit, a heat flow modulation unit, and a pulse frequency control unit; the high-temperature valve control unit is used to control the on / off state of the heat flow, the heat flow modulation unit is used to adjust the heat flow input power, and the pulse frequency control unit is used to adjust the pulse duration and the thermal pulse frequency; the heat flow focusing module includes a heat flow guiding channel and a focusing nozzle, the focusing nozzle being positioned towards the surface of the rock mass to be mined; the heat flow focusing module is used to adjust the position and direction of the pulsed heat flow according to control commands.
5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular continuous thermal stripping mining head includes an annular support, a zoned heat insulation structure, a preheating nozzle, a thermal stripping nozzle, a particle recovery port, and a cooling protection structure. The preheating nozzle is located in the preheating zone, the thermal stripping nozzle in the thermal stripping zone, the particle recovery port in the particle recovery zone, the cooling protection structure in the cooling zone, and the zoned heat insulation structure between adjacent zones. The preheating zone is used for low-intensity preheating of the rock mass surface to be mined. The thermal stripping zone is used to apply a high heat flux density pulsed heat flow to the preheated rock mass. The particle recovery zone is used to collect stripped particles. The cooling zone is used for heat insulation protection or cooling of the mining head structure.
6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spalling front prediction module includes an infrared thermal imaging monitoring unit, an acoustic emission monitoring unit, a laser point cloud scanning unit, an inertial navigation unit, a digital twin analysis unit, and a data fusion controller. The infrared thermal imaging monitoring unit acquires the temperature field distribution on the rock mass surface; the acoustic emission monitoring unit collects acoustic emission signals related to the initiation and propagation of thermal cracks; the laser point cloud scanning unit acquires three-dimensional morphological data of the spalling surface; the inertial navigation unit acquires the pose and propulsion status of the mining head; the digital twin analysis unit constructs a virtual-real mapping model of the thermal spalling process; and the data fusion controller fuses multi-source data and generates spalling front prediction results.
7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The data fusion controller calculates the thermal damage gradient, crack propagation direction, expected spalling thickness, expected spalling volume, and expected spalling time based on the rock mass surface temperature gradient, acoustic emission event frequency, spalling surface height change, mining head advance displacement, and current damage variables. When the expected spalling thickness is less than the lower limit of the preset thickness range, the central control module performs at least one of the following operations: increasing the heat flow input power, extending the pulse duration, increasing the heat pulse frequency, and reducing the mining advance speed. When the expected spalling thickness exceeds the upper limit of the preset thickness range, the central control module performs at least one of the following operations: reducing the heat flow input power, shortening the pulse duration, reducing the heat pulse frequency, and increasing the mining advance speed. When the distance between the spalling leading edge and the preset mining path exceeds the preset deviation threshold, the central control module adjusts at least one of the heat flow application location, heat flow application direction, and mining path to make the spalling leading edge converge toward the preset mining path.
8. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The particle recovery and conveying module includes a negative pressure collection unit, an electrostatic adsorption unit, and a closed conveying channel; the negative pressure collection unit and the electrostatic adsorption unit work together to directionally collect detached particles in a low gravity and high vacuum environment, and the closed conveying channel is used to convey the particles to the lunar soil screening module. The lunar soil screening module includes a particle size screening unit, a coarse particle output port, a medium particle output port, and a fine particle output port. The coarse particle output port is used to output larger particles and connect to the foundation construction or road paving unit. The medium particle output port is used to output medium-sized particles and connect to the lunar soil sintering unit. The fine particle output port is used to output fine particles and connect to the additive manufacturing unit. The in-situ construction module includes one or more of the following: lunar soil sintering unit, additive manufacturing unit, radiation shielding layer construction unit, and base foundation construction unit, used to prepare graded particles into sintered bricks, construction modules, radiation shielding layers, road layers, subgrades, or underground support structures.
9. A method for in-situ energy storage and release prediction and control of continuous thermal exfoliation mining on the moon, characterized in that, The system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 comprises the following steps: S1, The concentrating solar energy collection module gathers solar radiation energy from the lunar surface and inputs the heat energy into the in-situ thermal storage module; S2. The in-situ thermal energy storage module stores thermal energy in rotation through at least two thermal energy storage chambers to maintain a continuous high-temperature heat source output; S3. The central control module controls the pulse energy release module according to the mining task to release the thermal energy of the thermal storage module in the form of pulsed heat flow with set parameters. S4. The pulsed heat flow is concentrated on the surface of the rock mass to be mined through the heat flow focusing module, so that a temperature gradient and thermal stress cracks are formed on the surface of the rock mass. S5. The ring-shaped continuous thermal stripping mining head rotates or advances step by step, so that the preheating zone, thermal stripping zone, particle recovery zone and cooling zone act on the same mining zone in sequence, and the rock mass completes preheating, thermal stripping, particle detachment and cooling in sequence. S6. The particle recovery and conveying module captures the detached particles in the particle recovery area and conveys them in a closed manner to the lunar soil screening module. S7. The spalling front prediction module collects temperature field, acoustic emission signal, point cloud morphology, and mining head pose data. Through digital twin and multi-source data fusion, it predicts the spalling front location, expected spalling thickness, expected spalling volume, and expected spalling time. S8. The central control module dynamically adjusts the heat flow input power, pulse duration, heat pulse frequency, heat flow action parameters, mining advance speed and mining path based on the spalling front prediction results. S9, the lunar soil screening module classifies the recovered particles by size and transports particles of different sizes to the corresponding units of the in-situ construction module. S10, the in-situ construction module, prepares graded particles as base construction materials for the construction of lunar base facilities.
10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, During the lunar day, the concentrated solar energy acquisition module continuously inputs heat energy into the in-situ thermal storage module, with at least one thermal storage chamber in a state of being charged and at least one thermal storage chamber in a state of releasing heat. During the moonlit night, the concentrated solar energy acquisition module stops inputting heat energy, and the heat storage chamber, which is in the energy storage state, supplies heat to the pulse energy release module and the equipment insulation system to maintain the system's low-load operation or heat preservation standby.