Solid material manufacturing equipment

Abstract

To provide a solid material manufacturing device capable of forming a solid material from regolith more simply and efficiently than conventional devices. [Solution] The solid material manufacturing device 1 comprises a heating container 2 that stores the regolith covering the lunar surface 100, a reflector device 4 that has a reflector 5 that reflects sunlight and an irradiation direction control means 6 that controls the irradiation direction of the sunlight concentrated by the reflector to change it to a desired direction, and is configured so that the regolith in the heating container 2 that has been melted by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by the reflector 5 to a predetermined temperature or higher can be formed into a solid material 200 of a desired shape.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a solid material manufacturing apparatus capable of forming a solid material from regolith present on the lunar surface. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, various technologies have been proposed for human activities on the moon. For example, in order to mitigate the large temperature fluctuations on the moon's surface (-170°C to 110°C) and the radiation exposure on the moon's surface (0.5mSv to 10mSv per day), which is said to be more than 100 times that on Earth, it has been proposed to build a lunar base inside a shelter that can block these factors.

[0003] For the above-mentioned shelters, it has been proposed to adopt a structure that can be compactly stored inside a rocket and can be deployed. However, such a structure cannot be expected to provide much insulation or radiation protection, and is therefore not an effective solution. In addition, transporting a shelter from Earth to the Moon by rocket has also been problematic in terms of cost-effectiveness.

[0004] Therefore, various techniques have been proposed for producing building materials for shelters using regolith (also called "sand particles"), which exists in inexhaustible quantities on the surface of the moon (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for producing cement clinker by firing raw materials whose main component is regolith. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for producing ceramics by sintering regolith or the like using microwaves. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for producing a block-shaped hardened molded product by filling a mold with regolith and applying vibrations of a predetermined vibration frequency and pressure of a predetermined compressive stress. If these technologies are adopted, it will be possible to carry out everything on the moon's surface, from procuring building materials to manufacturing the building materials and constructing shelters to protect lunar bases. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-238841 [Patent Document 2] US Patent Application Publication No. 2023 / 280098 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 7430022 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, securing a large amount of electricity is essential when attempting to manufacture brick-shaped solid materials using regolith as a raw material using the techniques disclosed in the above Patent Documents 1 to 3. One source of electricity on the lunar surface is solar power generation, and it is conceivable to secure electricity by, for example, constructing a solar power generation facility on the lunar surface and generating solar power.

[0008] However, the efficiency of power supply by solar power generation is relatively low, and building a solar power generation facility on the lunar surface would be costly. Therefore, there is a need for a solid material manufacturing device that can form solid materials from regolith more simply and efficiently than conventional methods.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a solid material manufacturing apparatus that can form a solid material from regolith more simply and efficiently than conventional apparatuses. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] (1) The present invention comprises a heating container for storing regolith covering the lunar surface, a reflector device having a reflector that reflects sunlight, and an irradiation direction control means that controls the irradiation direction of the sunlight concentrated by the reflector so as to change it to a desired direction, and is configured so that the regolith in the heating container can be melted by irradiating the heating container with sunlight concentrated by the reflector to a predetermined temperature or higher, and can be formed into a solid material having a desired shape.

[0011] According to the present invention as described above in (1), the heating container is heated to a predetermined temperature or higher by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by a reflecting mirror, and the regolith in the heating container is melted to form a solid material having a desired shape.

[0012] (2) Furthermore, the present invention further includes a position display means capable of indicating the position of the heating container, and an imaging means capable of capturing an image of at least the sun and the position display of the heating container displayed by the position display means, and the reflector device is configured to be controllable so that the direction of sunlight irradiation by the reflector is directed toward the heating container based on the imaging information obtained by capturing images of the sun and the position display of the heating container using the imaging means.

[0013] According to the present invention as described in (2) above, the reflector device is controlled to direct sunlight irradiation direction by the reflector toward the heating container based on image information acquired by imaging the sun and the positional indicator of the heating container with the imaging means. As a result, sunlight concentrated by the reflector is efficiently irradiated onto the heating container.

[0014] (3) Furthermore, in the present invention, the reflector device controls the direction of sunlight irradiation by the reflector based on the imaging information obtained by imaging the sun and the position indication of the heating container using the imaging means, so that the midpoint of the line connecting the position of the sun and the position indication of the heating container is located at the center of the imaging surface.

[0015] According to the present invention as described in (3) above, the reflector device is controlled based on the imaging information to direct the sunlight emitted by the reflector toward the heating container so that the midpoint of the line segment connecting the sun and the position indication of the heating container is located at the center of the imaging surface. As a result, the sunlight concentrated by the reflector is irradiated onto the heating container more efficiently.

[0016] (4) In the present invention, the reflecting mirror is a parabolic mirror or is configured by arranging a plurality of plane mirrors in the shape of a parabolic mirror.

[0017] According to the present invention as described above in (4), the reflector is made of a parabolic mirror or is constructed by arranging a plurality of flat mirrors in the shape of a parabolic mirror, so that sunlight concentrated by the reflector is efficiently irradiated onto the heating container.

[0018] (5) Furthermore, in the present invention, the heating container is formed of a material that has heat resistance to temperatures of 1200°C or higher, and is configured so that the molten regolith can be formed into a solid material of a desired shape by heating it to 1200°C or higher through irradiation with sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror.

[0019] According to the present invention as described above in (5), the heating container is made of a material that has heat resistance to temperatures of 1200°C or higher, and by irradiating sunlight concentrated by a reflector with heat to 1200°C or higher, a solid material having the desired shape is formed from the molten regolith.

[0020] (6) Furthermore, the present invention further comprises a heating container moving means capable of carrying the heating container and moving it on the lunar surface.

[0021] According to the present invention as described in (6) above, since the heating container moving means capable of carrying the heating container and moving it on the lunar surface is provided, the heating container can be moved to a desired position on the lunar surface.

[0022] (7) In the present invention, the heating container moving means is controlled so as to be movable to a position on the lunar surface that is shaded by the sun.

[0023] According to the present invention as described above in (7), the heating container moving means is controlled so that it can be moved to a shaded position on the lunar surface, and by moving the heating container moving means to a shaded position, the heating container is cooled after heating.

[0024] (8) Furthermore, in the present invention, the regolith in the heating vessel is heated to 700°C or higher by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror, thereby making it possible to extract hydrogen from the regolith.

[0025] According to the present invention as described in (8) above, hydrogen is extracted from the regolith by heating the regolith in the heating vessel to 700°C or higher by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by a reflecting mirror.

[0026] (9) Furthermore, in the present invention, the regolith in the heating container is heated to 1000°C or higher by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror, and hydrogen is reacted with the heated regolith to produce water.

[0027] According to the present invention as described in (9) above, the regolith in the heating vessel is heated to 1000°C or higher by irradiating sunlight concentrated by a reflecting mirror, and water is produced by reacting hydrogen with the heated regolith. As a result, water can be produced and secured in the process of producing a solid material made of regolith.

[0028] (10) Furthermore, in the present invention, a plurality of the reflecting mirror devices are provided.

[0029] According to the present invention as described above in (10), since a plurality of reflecting mirror devices are provided, sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirrors can be efficiently irradiated onto the heating container. [Effects of the Invention]

[0030] The present invention has the effect of enabling a solid material to be formed from regolith more easily and efficiently than conventional methods. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a solid material manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view showing a heating container and a heating container moving means in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the reflector device in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the reflecting mirror in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating control of the irradiation direction of sunlight using an imaging means and an irradiation direction control means, where FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of the imaging means, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of an image captured by the imaging means. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Hereinafter, a solid material manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0033] <Overall configuration of solid material manufacturing equipment> 1 includes a heating container 2 that stores regolith that covers the lunar surface 100, heating container moving means 3 that can move the heating container 2 over the lunar surface 100 with the heating container 2 mounted thereon, a reflector device 4 that has a reflector 5 and irradiation direction control means 6, and position display means 24 that indicates the position of the heating container 2, and is configured so that the regolith in the heating container 2 can be melted by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by the reflector 5 to a predetermined temperature or higher, thereby forming the melted regolith into a solid material 200 having a desired shape. Each component of the solid material manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described below.

[0034] <About the heating container> The heating container 2 shown in Fig. 2 comprises a heating container body 7 formed in a box shape with an open top, and a lid 8 that covers the top opening of the heating container body 7. The heating container body 7 has a storage section 9 capable of storing regolith therein, and is configured to be unfoldable so that the formed solid material 200 can be easily removed. The lid 8 has a handle 10 on its top surface.

[0035] The heating vessel 2 is made of a material that can withstand temperatures of 1200°C or higher, and is configured so that the molten regolith can be formed into a solid material 200 having a desired shape by heating it to 1200°C or higher through irradiation with sunlight concentrated by a reflecting mirror 5. Examples of the "heat-resistant material" include ceramic and titanium.

[0036] Although not particularly shown, the heating container body 7 has an interior (storage section 9) shaped to allow the solid materials 200 to be formed into a desired shape. For example, the interior shape of the storage section 9 is configured to allow the formation of unevenness on the side surfaces of the solid materials 200 so that the solid materials 200 can be easily stacked when constructing a shelter, or to allow the formation of solid materials 200 with a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape for use in constructing a dome.

[0037] <Means for moving the heating container> 2 is a carriage (vehicle) that has multiple (four) tires 11 and can move on the lunar surface 100 while carrying the heating container 2, and is controlled so that it can move to a shaded position 101 on the lunar surface 100. In this embodiment, the heating container moving means 3 carries the heating container 2 on its upper portion via a pair of support parts 12.

[0038] <About spherical mirrors> The heating container moving means 3 in this embodiment further includes a spherical mirror 13 that displays the position of the heating container 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The spherical mirror 13 is a parabolic mirror having a hemispherical outer shape and a reflective surface 14 whose inner surface is formed in a parabolic shape, and is connected to the heating container moving means 3 via a rotation mechanism 15. The spherical mirror 13 is controlled via the rotation mechanism 15 so that it can rotate so that the reflective surface 14 and the heating container 2 move closer to each other, and so that the reflective surface 14 and the heating container 2 move away from each other.

[0039] When the heating container 2 is heated (i.e., when sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror 5 is irradiated onto the heating container 2), the spherical mirror 13 is rotated via the rotating mechanism 15 so that the reflective surface 14 approaches the heating container 2, and is positioned so that the reflective surface 14 faces the heating container 2. Hereinafter, this positioning of the spherical mirror 13 will be referred to as "standing the spherical mirror 13" as appropriate. By standing the spherical mirror 13, when sunlight is irradiated onto the heating container 2 to heat it, the radiant heat escaping from the heated heating container 2 can be reflected by the reflective surface 14 of the spherical mirror 13 and returned to the heating container 2. Therefore, by providing the spherical mirror 13, the solid material manufacturing apparatus 1 can efficiently heat the heating container 2.

[0040] Furthermore, when the heating container 2 is not in use (i.e., when sunlight is not irradiating the heating container 2), the spherical mirror 13 is rotated via the rotation mechanism 15 so that the reflective surface 14 and the heating container 2 are separated, and the spherical mirror 13 is positioned so that the reflective surface 14 and the heating container 2 do not face each other.

[0041] <Reflector device> The reflector device 4 shown in Figure 3 has a reflector 5 that reflects sunlight, an irradiation direction control means 6 that controls the irradiation direction of the sunlight concentrated by the reflector 5 so as to change it to a desired direction, and a leg 16 that stands on the lunar surface 100 and can support the reflector 5.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 1, a plurality of reflector devices 4 (three in this embodiment) are arranged on the lunar surface 100, and each reflector device 4 is arranged so that focal lengths L1, L2, L3 can be individually set and the angle of the reflector 5 can generate the focal lengths L1, L2, L3. Fig. 1 illustrates a case where the focal lengths L1, L2, L3 of all heating containers 2 are the same, and in this case, the reflectors 5 are arranged at arc-shaped positions at the same focal lengths L1, L2, L3 from the heating container 2. Note that the number of reflector devices 4 arranged in the implementation of the solid material manufacturing apparatus 1 is not limited to that of this embodiment.

[0043] In this embodiment, the reflecting mirror device 4 is placed at a desired position on the lunar surface 100 by a working robot 17 (see FIG. 1) that is controlled to be movable on the lunar surface 100. Alternatively, although not shown, the reflecting mirror 5, irradiation direction control means 6, and legs 16 may be mounted on a carriage (vehicle) that has multiple (four) tires and can travel on the lunar surface 100, like the heating container moving means 3, and a configuration may be provided in which the carriage is controlled to be movable to a desired position on the lunar surface 100.

[0044] <About the reflector> 3 and 4 is configured by arranging a plurality of (nine) plane mirrors 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 18e, 18f, 18g, 18h, and 18i in the shape of a parabolic mirror whose inner surface is parabolic. Alternatively, although not shown, a parabolic mirror having a reflective surface whose inner surface is formed in a parabolic shape may be used as the reflecting mirror 5.

[0045] Among the plane mirrors 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 18e, 18f, 18g, 18h, and 18i, predetermined adjacent mirrors are connected to each other by hinges 21. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, plane mirror 18a and plane mirror 18b, plane mirror 18b and plane mirror 18c, plane mirror 18d and plane mirror 18e, plane mirror 18e and plane mirror 18f, plane mirror 18g and plane mirror 18h, and plane mirror 18h and plane mirror 18i are connected to each other by hinges 21, and further, plane mirror 18b and plane mirror 18e, and plane mirror 18e and plane mirror 18h are connected to each other by hinges 21.

[0046] The above configuration allows the reflecting mirror 5 to be folded. The reflecting mirror 5 is folded by first folding the plane mirrors 18d, 18e, and 18f, then folding the plane mirrors 18g, 18h, and 18i, and placing the folded plane mirrors 18g, 18h, and 18i on top of the folded plane mirrors 18d, 18e, and 18f, and then folding the plane mirrors 18a, 18b, and 18c, and placing the folded plane mirrors 18a, 18b, and 18c on top of the folded plane mirrors 18g, 18h, and 18i.

[0047] <About the imaging method> The reflecting mirror 5 is equipped with an imaging means 19 shown in Figures 3 and 4. The imaging means 19 is a camera that can capture images of at least the sun 300 and the position indicator 25 of the heating container 2, and is provided in approximately the center of the mirror surface of the plane mirror 18e of the reflecting mirror 5. Note that the imaging means 19 is not limited to this embodiment, and a configuration in which it is provided separately from the reflecting mirror device 4 may also be adopted.

[0048] The imaging means 19 has a bandpass filter 23 (see FIG. 5(a)). The bandpass filter 23 is an optical filter that is provided in the lens 20 of the imaging means 19 and that allows the wavelength of the laser light irradiated from the position display means 24, which will be described later, to pass through. The imaging means 19 also has an imaging surface 26 therein. The imaging surface 26 is capable of projecting information acquired by imaging (hereinafter referred to as "image information").

[0049] <About the irradiation direction control means> The irradiation direction control means 6 is provided on the back surface of the reflecting mirror 5, and functions to control the irradiation direction of the sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror 5 to change to the desired direction by adjusting the pitch angle and yaw angle of the reflecting mirror 5 to keep the reflecting mirror 5 at the desired angle.

[0050] <About location display methods> The position display means 24 is a device capable of indicating the position of the heating container 2. More specifically, the position display means 24 is a laser light irradiation device capable of irradiating laser light of a predetermined wavelength. The "laser light of a predetermined wavelength" is laser light of a wavelength that can pass through the bandpass filter 23 (see FIG. 5(a)) of the imaging means 19. The position display means 24 irradiates the laser light onto the heating container body 7 of the heating container 2, and is able to indicate the position display 25 of the heating container 2 (see FIG. 5(b)) by the laser light being reflected from the heating container body 7.

[0051] In this embodiment, the position display means 24 is provided integrally with the imaging means 19. Therefore, the position display means 24 is configured to be able to irradiate the heating container 2 with laser light from the imaging means 19. Note that the position display means 24 is not limited to this embodiment, and may be configured to be provided separately from the imaging means 19.

[0052] <Control of sunlight irradiation direction using imaging means and position display means> As shown in Figure 5(a), when the incident angle θ1 of sunlight R1 incident on the imaging means 19 from the sun 300 is equal to the irradiation angle θ2 of laser light R2 from the position display means 24 directed from the imaging means 19 toward the heating container 2, the imaging means 19 and the reflecting mirror 5 are fixed so that they move at the same angle, so the reflecting mirror 5 also faces in this direction, and the sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror 5 is correctly irradiated onto the heating container 2.

[0053] When the incident angle θ1 and the irradiation angle θ2 are equal, as shown in FIG. 5(b), in the imaging information projected onto the imaging surface 26 of the imaging means 19 after passing through the lens 20 of the imaging means 19 (see FIG. 5(a)), sunlight can be correctly irradiated onto the heating container 2 by moving the pitch angle and yaw angle of the reflecting mirror 5 so that the midpoint P of the line segment X1, X2 connecting the image of the sun 300 and the image of the position display 25 (i.e., the laser light irradiated onto the heating container 2 and reflected from the heating container 2 by the position display means 24) coincides with the center O (O) of the imaging surface 26. Note that the line segments X1, X2 and the midpoint P may be actually displayed on the imaging surface 26, or may be virtual.

[0054] <About the hydrogen extraction mechanism> In addition to the above configuration, the solid material manufacturing apparatus 1 is also equipped with a hydrogen extraction mechanism (not shown). The hydrogen extraction mechanism is attached to the heating container moving means 3, for example, and is configured to extract hydrogen generated from the regolith by heating the regolith in the heating container 2 to 700°C or higher by irradiating it with sunlight focused by a reflecting mirror 5.

[0055] <Water generation mechanism> In addition to the above configuration, the solid material manufacturing apparatus 1 also includes a water generation mechanism (not shown) that heats the regolith in the heating vessel 2 to 1000°C or higher by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror 5, and reacts the heated regolith with hydrogen extracted by the hydrogen extraction mechanism to generate water.

[0056] <About the manufacturing method of solid materials using solid material manufacturing equipment> Next, a method for manufacturing the solid material 200 using the solid material manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described. First, the regolith covering the lunar surface 100 is stored in the storage section 9 of the heating container 2. To store the regolith in the heating container 2, for example, the work robot 17 scoops up the regolith on the lunar surface 100, removes the lid section 8, stores it in the storage section 9, and then covers the top surface of the heating container body 7 with the lid section 8.

[0057] Then, a work robot 17 grasps a reflector device 4 and travels on the lunar surface 100, placing multiple reflector devices 4 at arc-shaped positions at focal lengths L1, L2, and L3 from the predetermined position where the heating container 2 will be placed. Meanwhile, the heating container moving means 3 travels on the lunar surface 100 and moves to the predetermined position. Then, the spherical mirror 13 is rotated via the rotation mechanism 15 so that the reflective surface 14 and the heating container 2 approach each other, and the spherical mirror 13 is set upright.

[0058] As explained above using Figure 5 etc., the imaging means 19 of all reflecting mirror devices 4 capture images of the sun 300 and the position indicators 25, and the irradiation direction control means 6 of all reflecting mirror devices 4 adjusts the pitch angle and yaw angle of the reflecting mirror 5 based on the relative positions of the sun 300 and the position indicators 25, so that sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror 5 is correctly irradiated onto the heating container 2. As a result, heating of the heating container 2 begins.

[0059] When the heating container 2 is sufficiently heated and the regolith in the storage section 9 reaches a predetermined temperature, such as 1200°C or higher, the heating container moving means 3 travels on the lunar surface 100 and moves away from the predetermined position. This moves the focal points of all the reflector devices 4 away from the heating container 2, causing the heating container 2 to cool.

[0060] Then, when the heating container 2 is heated, the other heating container moving means 22 that has been waiting near the heating container moving means 3 moves to a predetermined position and sets up its spherical mirror 13. Then, heating of the other heating container 2 begins according to the procedure described above.

[0061] While other heating containers 2 are being heated, the heating container moving means 3 carrying the heating container 2 that has finished heating moves to a shaded position 101 on the lunar surface 100 to cool the regolith. Then, after sufficient cooling, the heating container 2 is unfolded, and the work robot 17 removes the solid material 200 that has been sintered into a brick shape and piles it up in a collection area. At the same time, new regolith is stored in the now empty heating container 2, and the heating container moving means 3 approaches and waits near the heating container 2 carrying the heating container 2 that is currently being heated. In this way, the solid material 200 is produced using the solid material manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0062] <Actions and effects obtained by the embodiment> According to this embodiment having the above configuration, the heating container 2 is heated to a predetermined temperature or higher by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by the reflector 5, and the regolith in the heating container 2 is melted to form a solid material 200 having the desired shape.

[0063] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the reflector device 4 is controlled based on the imaging information acquired by imaging the sun 300 and the position display 25 of the heating container 2 with the imaging means 19, so that the direction of sunlight irradiation by the reflector 5 is directed toward the heating container 2. As a result, the sunlight concentrated by the reflector 5 is efficiently irradiated onto the heating container 2.

[0064] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the reflecting mirror device 4 is controlled based on the imaging information from the imaging means 19 to direct the sunlight irradiation direction from the reflecting mirror 5 toward the heating container 2 so that the midpoint P of the line segment X1, X2 connecting the sun 300 and the position indication 25 of the heating container 2 is located at the center O (O) of the imaging surface 26. As a result, the sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror 5 is irradiated onto the heating container 2 more efficiently.

[0065] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the reflecting mirror 5 is made of a parabolic mirror or is configured by arranging a plurality of plane mirrors 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 18e, 18f, 18g, 18h, and 18i in the shape of a parabolic mirror, so that sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror 5 is efficiently irradiated onto the heating container 2.

[0066] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the heating container 2 is formed from a material (e.g., ceramic, titanium, etc.) that has heat resistance to temperatures of 1200°C or higher, and by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by the reflector 5, the molten regolith is heated to 1200°C or higher, and a solid material 200 having the desired shape is formed from the molten regolith.

[0067] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the heating container moving means 3, 22 capable of carrying the heating container 2 and moving it on the lunar surface 100 are provided, the heating container 2 can be moved to a desired position on the lunar surface 100.

[0068] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the heating container moving means 3, 22 are controlled so that they can be moved to a shaded position 101 on the lunar surface 100, and by moving the heating container moving means 3, 22 to the shaded position 101, the heating container 2 is cooled after heating.

[0069] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since a hydrogen extraction mechanism is provided, hydrogen is extracted from the regolith by heating the regolith in the heating vessel 2 to 700°C or higher by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror 5.

[0070] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the water generation mechanism is provided, the regolith in the heating vessel 2 is heated to 1000°C or higher by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror 5, and water is generated by reacting the heated regolith with hydrogen. As a result, water can be generated and secured in the process of manufacturing the solid material 200 made of regolith.

[0071] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since a plurality of reflecting mirror devices 4 are provided, sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirrors 5 is efficiently irradiated onto the heating container 2.

[0072] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to form the solid material 200 from regolith more simply and efficiently than in the past.

[0073] The configurations described in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present invention, and are not limited to the configurations of the above embodiments.

[0074] For example, in the above embodiment, the position display means 24 is provided integrally with the imaging means 19, but this is not limited to this. A configuration may also be adopted in which a device capable of irradiating laser light toward the imaging means 19 (i.e., another form of position display means) is provided on the heating container 2 or the heating container moving means 3, 22 that carries the heating container 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1…Solid material manufacturing equipment 2…Heating container 3, 22...Heating container transportation means 4…Reflector device 5...Reflector 6... Irradiation direction control means 7...Heating container body 8…Lid part 9...Storage area 10...Handle part 11...Tires 12...Support part 13...Spherical mirror 14...Reflective surface 15...Rotation mechanism 16...legs 17...Working robot 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 18e, 18f, 18g, 18h, 18i...plane mirror 19...imaging means 20...Lens 21...hinge 23...Bandpass filter 24...Position display means 25…Position display 26...imaging surface 100...Moon surface 101...Shaded location 200…Solid material 300…Sun

Claims

1. a heating vessel for storing regolith covering the lunar surface; a reflector device having a reflector for reflecting sunlight and an irradiation direction control means for controlling the irradiation direction of the sunlight collected by the reflector so as to change the direction in which the sunlight is irradiated to a desired direction; A solid material manufacturing device configured to heat the heating container to a predetermined temperature or higher by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror, thereby forming the molten regolith in the heating container into a solid material of a desired shape.

2. Further, the heating system includes a position display means capable of indicating the position of the heating container, and an imaging means capable of imaging at least the sun and the position indication of the heating container indicated by the position display means, The solid material manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reflector device is configured to be controllable so that the direction of sunlight irradiation by the reflector is directed toward the heating container based on imaging information obtained by imaging the sun and the position indication of the heating container using the imaging means.

3. The solid material manufacturing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the reflector device controls the direction of sunlight irradiation by the reflector based on the imaging information obtained by imaging the sun and the position indication of the heating container using the imaging means so that the midpoint of the line connecting the position of the sun and the position indication of the heating container is located at the center of the imaging surface.

4. 2. The solid material manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting mirror is a parabolic mirror or a plurality of flat mirrors arranged in a parabolic mirror shape.

5. The solid material manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating container is formed from a material having heat resistance to temperatures of 1200°C or higher, and is configured so that the molten regolith can be formed into a solid material of a desired shape by heating it to 1200°C or higher by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by the reflector.

6. 2. The solid material manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a heating container moving means capable of carrying said heating container and moving it on the surface of the moon.

7. 7. The solid material manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said heating vessel moving means is controlled so as to be movable to a position on the moon's surface that is shaded by the sun.

8. 2. The solid material manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the regolith in the heating vessel is heated to 700°C or higher by irradiating the regolith with sunlight concentrated by the reflecting mirror, thereby enabling hydrogen to be extracted from the regolith.

9. 2. The solid material manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, configured to heat the regolith in the heating container to 1000°C or higher by irradiating it with sunlight concentrated by the reflector, and to react hydrogen with the heated regolith to produce water.

10. The solid material manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of said reflector devices.

Images