Device for moving on surfaces of planets

Abstract

FIELD: space-purpose vehicles.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to space-purpose vehicles, namely, to means of moving spacecraft on the surface of celestial bodies during transport and technological operations of both unmanned and manned expeditions. The device for moving on the surfaces of planets contains a drive module 1, a mechanism for transmitting energy to the working tool and the undercarriage. The drive module 1 is connected to the auxiliary module 2 via a screw-nut transmission. In this screw transmission, a nut 4 is installed on the threaded end of the shaft 3, which is rigidly fixed on the housing of the module 2. Module 1 houses a power unit that is connected to the screw shaft 3 via a gear transmission mechanism. Both vertical shafts and each of modules 1 and 2 are connected to each other via a gear pair and connected to the main screw shaft 3 via a bevel gear with two pairs of wheels. One pair of conical wheels is functionally designed to make the shaft move forward with the drill bit 11 embedded in the planet's soil. The other pair of conical wheels is installed to make the shaft move backward with the drill bit 11 removed from the soil. Each module 1, 2 is equipped with idle wheels 23 to reduce friction when moving on the surface. Instead of wheels 23, modules 1, 2 can be equipped with skis.EFFECT: increases the planetary rover's ground and profile mobility when overcoming obstacles.1 cl, 3 dwg

Description

[0001] The invention relates to spacecraft, namely to means of moving spacecraft on the surface of celestial bodies during the performance of transport and technological work of both unmanned and manned expeditions.

[0002] It is known that a vehicle designed to travel on the surface of another planet is called a planetary rover. Some rovers are designed as transport vehicles for space expedition crew members, while others are designed as research vehicles—unmanned, remotely controlled vehicles for surface exploration. Rovers have several advantages over stationary vehicles. They survey a larger area, can be directed to explore objects of interest while still in operation, can change their position relative to the Sun to efficiently utilize solar panels during winter, and can choose and change their route. Furthermore, a planetary rover must be resilient to overloads and remain operational without repairs for the time required to complete the research.A general requirement for rovers is good cross-country performance, so much attention is paid to the design of the suspension, wheels, and drivetrain. For example, all NASA Mars rovers have used rocker-bogie suspensions (https: / / en.wikipedia.org / wiki / Rocker-bogie). These suspensions are designed to overcome obstacles twice the wheel diameter while maintaining contact between all six wheels and the ground, reducing the vehicle's body tilt angle. Transport rovers must have a wide range of propulsion speeds and power ratings. Regardless of the design, the general requirement for exploration rovers is to ensure maximum cross-country performance within the rover's specific geometric dimensions and weight. This requirement is met by the choice of propulsion type, the suspension design of its support and propulsion elements, the type of supporting structure, and the driving modes.Of all propulsion types, wheeled and tracked propulsion systems receive the most attention. Wheeled rovers have a slight advantage over tracked ones, as a rock or soil caught between the drive or idler wheel and the track can cause the track to eject.

[0003] Rotary-screw, combined and other types of propellers and vehicle chassis based on them are also known.

[0004] The first Soviet lunar rover, Lunokhod-1, was delivered to the lunar surface on November 17, 1970, and successfully operated until September 14, 1971. Lunokhod-1 was an eight-wheeled platform (all eight wheels were drive wheels) weighing 756 kilograms and measuring 4.42 x 2.5 x 1.92 meters (length, width, and height). Electric motors served as the propulsion unit, and a solar panel served as the power source. In addition, the rover carried a heat source on board (for heating the scientific equipment) based on a radioactive isotope. The diameter of the wheels of the first space SUV exceeded 500 mm, and the track width was over 1.5 meters. Lunokhod-1 had a maximum speed of 1.2 km / h, and the warranty period was one month. The total distance traveled on the lunar surface was over 10 kilometers. The second Soviet lunar rover, Lunokhod-2, was delivered to the lunar surface on January 16, 1973., worked until May 10, 1973.

[0005] The first Mars rover can be considered a walking rover (the so-called small Mars rover M-71), which landed on the surface of the red planet with the automatic Soviet station Mars-3 on December 2, 1971. It was a scientific instrument with legs, nicknamed the Mars-slap, which, while moving, was supposed to slap along the surface, but after twenty seconds, communication with the station was lost.

[0006] Also known is the Soviet rover "Pribor Otsenki Pomosnosti - Phobos" (PrOP-FP), a scientific instrument designed to navigate the surface of Phobos, a moon of Mars. It was launched on July 12, 1988, as part of the Phobos-2 spacecraft. Contact was lost on March 27, 1989, after entering Mars orbit. The station did not land on Phobos; it hovered above the surface at an altitude of approximately 50 meters. The station included two small devices that separated from the station and landed on Phobos. One of them had an egg-shaped body that was dropped onto Phobos from a height of 50 meters and bounced around the surface for a long time. Eventually, despite a force of 0.001 g, it calmed down. Soil samples were then taken. After the analysis, the soil was shot away, and in conditions of almost complete absence of gravity, the egg received momentum and began to bounce around the surface again.

[0007] The following rovers have been launched: Sojourner (1997); Spirit and Opportunity (2004), Curiosity (2012); Perseverance, which landed on Mars on February 18, 2021; the Chinese six-wheeled Zhurong rover, which landed on Mars on May 14, 2021, in Utopia Planitia.

[0008] Despite the magnitude of the listed self-propelled devices, they have certain drawbacks in terms of the power required to move along the surface of the planet, to tow heavy objects, and to overcome numerous craters while moving along an inclined plane at a large angle.

[0009] Among modern developments, for example, the invention "Walking Wheel Chassis" is known (RU Patent No. 2851288, IPC B62D 57 / 02, published November 20, 2025). The walking wheel chassis comprises a frame or supporting body, at least one engine, a transmission, and a walking wheel propeller with identical main wheels mounted sequentially on the sides of the chassis, which together form a track on each side when the chassis moves along the supporting surface (on the ground). Each of the main wheels includes a hub with radially oriented support levers and support elements at the ends of the support levers and is connected to the engine (power plant) shaft via a transmission, providing drive to all main wheels. Adjacent main wheels are installed with a mutual angular shift Ψ (according to the orientation of the support levers in the longitudinal plane of the main wheels), equal to (in radians) where N is the number of support levers in the main wheel.

[0010] The Perseverance rover, developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX to explore the Jezero crater on Mars as part of NASA's Mars 2020 mission, was chosen as the prototype. The Perseverance rover has six wheels, an automatic navigation system, and a robotic arm. For movement on the Martian surface, the rover is equipped with 52.5 cm diameter wheels. The wheels are made of aluminum alloy and feature curved titanium spokes for suspension and "spikes" that act as lugs to provide structural strength for improved traction.

[0011] The Perseverance rover's propulsion system is provided by wheels, which, despite their studs, are unable to maneuver the rover when stuck in a crater at an incline angle greater than 30-45°. Slippage is possible on the planet's icy surface, as the studs, by improving traction, help prevent slippage and evenly distribute the vehicle's weight across the wet ground. Furthermore, gravity on Mars is 62% less than on Earth. This means that an object weighing 80 kg on the Red Planet would weigh only 30 kg. Thanks to the low gravity, moving on the surface of Mars is significantly easier than on Earth. Since gravity on Mars is 1 / 3 of that on Earth, and on some planets gravity is 9 times less than on Earth, the spikes on the rover's wheels are useless and therefore complicate the design, and the rover cannot develop much force when moving or towing objects.

[0012] The objective is to create a simple and reliable device for converting engine energy into work that ensures the movement of a planetary rover, which would have increased cross-country ability to overcome craters and steep inclines on the surface of planets.

[0013] The technical result is an increase in the support and profile cross-country ability of the rover when overcoming obstacles associated with soil morphology and complex surface relief, as well as a simplification of the design.

[0014] The stated technical result is achieved in a device for moving along planetary surfaces, which comprises a drive module, an automatic control and navigation system, a mechanism for transmitting power to the working tool, and a chassis with lugs. According to the invention, an auxiliary module is connected to the drive module via a screw-and-nut transmission. The nut, mounted on the screw shaft, is rigidly connected to the auxiliary module housing. A gear transmission mechanism is installed within the drive module, in which one gear pair, directly connecting the drive shaft to the screw shaft, is installed to perform the forward motion of the screw shaft, while the other gear pair, with an intermediate "idler" gear between the drive gear and the splined gear on the screw shaft, is installed to perform the reverse motion of the screw shaft.In addition, each module vertically houses a shaft with a drill at its end, designed to engage the corresponding module with the planet's soil, and a screw shaft equipped with two spaced-apart lead nuts. Both shafts are connected to each other via a gear pair and linked to the main screw shaft via a bevel gear formed by two pairs of bevel gears connecting the main screw shaft to the vertical screw shaft. One bevel gear pair is oriented for the forward motion of the vertical shaft, driving its drill into the planet's soil, while the other is oriented for the reverse motion, extracting the drill from the soil. Furthermore, in each module, pressure forks are sequentially attached to the lead nut of the vertical screw shaft, which engage with the support collars of the vertical shaft with the drill at its end.Of these, the upper fork is installed in interaction with the corresponding collar during the forward stroke of the vertical shaft, and the lower fork is installed with the possibility of contact with the other collar during the reverse stroke of the vertical shaft to extract the drill from the ground.

[0015] The claimed device is characterized by features aimed at simplifying the design, as both the drive and auxiliary modules are identical, differing only in the presence of a gear transmission mechanism. The device can be repaired by planetary inhabitants using a simple set of wrenches. In the device, both modules are connected by a screw drive with a lead screw and a nut rigidly attached to the auxiliary module. The screw-nut drive eliminates the influence of the planet's gravity, contributing to increased traction. Along with the screw-nut drive, the coupling units with the planet's surface improve cross-country ability for climbing steep inclines when the device is crawling out of craters. Thus, the essential features of the claimed technical solution not only differ from the prototype but also contribute to achieving the desired result in solving the stated problem.It follows that the technical solution meets the criteria for patentability of an invention.

[0016] The device for moving along the surface of planets is schematically shown in Figure 1, Fig. 2 is a kinematic diagram of the device; Fig. 3 is a push fork.

[0017] A device for moving across a planet's surface, equipped with an automatic control and navigation system, comprises a drive module 1 and a mechanism for transmitting power to the working tool and chassis. An auxiliary module 2 is connected to the drive module 1 via a screw-and-nut transmission with a screw shaft 3, the end of which has a trapezoidal thread. A nut 4 is mounted on the threaded end of the shaft 3 in this screw transmission and is rigidly secured to the housing of the auxiliary module 2. Drive module 1 houses a power unit 5, which is connected to the screw shaft 3 via a gear transmission mechanism via a clutch 6. In the transmission mechanism, one gear pair, in which the drive gear 7 is directly connected to the spline gear 8, is installed to perform the forward movement of the screw shaft 3. The other gear pair of the transmission mechanism, containing an intermediate “parasitic” gear 9, is installed to perform the reverse movement of the screw shaft 3.In each of the modules 1, 2, a shaft 10 with a drill 11 at the end and a screw shaft 12 equipped with two lead nuts 13 are vertically positioned. The drill 11 at the end of one or another vertical shaft 10 is designed to engage the corresponding module 1 or 2 with the planet's soil. Both shafts 10 and 12 of each of the modules 1, 2 are connected to each other by a gear pair, which is formed by a gear 14 mounted on the vertical shaft 10, and a gear 15 located on the corresponding screw shaft 12. In each module 1, 2, gears 14 and 15 are designed to regulate the rotation speed of the shaft 10 with the drill 11 and are replaceable. In this case, shafts 10 and 12 in modules 1 and 2 are connected to the main screw shaft 3 by means of a bevel gear formed by two pairs of bevel gears 16, 17, 18, connecting the main screw shaft 3 with the vertical screw shaft 12.Moreover, one pair of bevel gears 16, 17, mounted on shaft 3 and shaft 12, respectively, is functionally designed to perform the forward motion of vertical shaft 10, driving its drill 11 into the planet's soil. The other pair of bevel gears 16 on shaft 3 and 18 on shaft 12 are installed to perform the reverse motion of shaft 10, extracting drill 11 from the soil. In each module 1, 2, on one and the other lead nut 13 of the vertical screw shaft 12, pressure forks 19, 20 are sequentially fixed one after the other. Fork 19 is mounted in interaction with support collar 21, formed on vertical shaft 10, during the forward stroke of vertical shaft 10, and fork 20 is mounted in interaction with collar 22 on shaft 10 during the reverse stroke of shaft 10 for extracting drill 11 from planetary soil. Each module 1, 2 is equipped with idle (non-driven) wheels 23 in the amount of 4 pieces to reduce friction when moving along the surface.Instead of wheels 23 modules 1, 2 can be equipped with skis.

[0018] The device operates as follows. In the drive module 1, when the power unit 5 is turned on, energy is transmitted through the clutch 6 and the gear transmission with the drive pinion 7 and the spline gear 8, which is mounted on the shaft 3, for rotating the screw shaft 3. In module 1, by means of a bevel gear with a gear 16 fixed on the shaft 3, rotation is transmitted through the gear 17 to the vertical screw shaft 12 with the lead nut 13. In this case, the pressure fork 19 on the nut 13 of the vertical screw shaft 12 acts on the collar 21 of the vertical shaft 10 with the drill 11 at the end. The vertical shaft 10 of module 1 makes a straight move, penetrating the drill 11 into the planet's soil. When module 1 is rigidly fixed on the surface of the planet, upon contact of the screw surface of rotating shaft 3 with the screw surface of nut 4, rigidly connected to the body of auxiliary module 2, translational movement of shaft 3 and auxiliary module 2 is carried out over a given distance.When both modules 1 and 2 are spaced apart, module 2 is secured to the planet's surface. In module 2, a bevel gear with pinion 16 secured to shaft 3 transmits rotation through pinion 17 to vertical screw shaft 12 with lead nut 13. In this case, pressure fork 19 on nut 13 of vertical screw shaft 12 acts on collar 21 of vertical shaft 10 with drill 11 at its end. Vertical shaft 10 makes a forward move, penetrating drill 11 into the planet's soil. As a result, module 2 is secured to the planet's surface. Drill 11 of module 1 is removed from the planet's soil, and vertical shaft 10 with drill 11 at its end makes a return move. The return stroke of shaft 10 in module 1 is accompanied by the action of pressure fork 20, which is secured to lead nut 13 of screw shaft 12, on flange 22 of shaft 10. In this case, screw shaft 12 receives rotation from shaft 3 through bevel gear transmission of gears 16, 18.Next, due to the engagement of a gear transmission in module 1, equipped with a parasitic (intermediate) gear wheel 9, shaft 3 reverses, moving along the helical surface of nut 4, secured to auxiliary module 2, while drive module 1 is pulled close to module 2. The described movements of modules 1, 2 and their components are repeated. Thus, the claimed device moves along the planet's surface due to the screw-nut transmission.

[0019] The implementation of the proposed device could have a significant impact on planetary exploration. Its design is quite simple, and operation is also straightforward. Using a screw-and-nut propulsion system, the planet's gravity is completely eliminated, providing the necessary force to tow heavy objects. This device, designed for planetary movement, allows for easy traversal of both smooth rocky ground and icy surfaces. The device's design allows for crawling out of craters and overcoming steep inclines that are beyond the capabilities of wheeled or tracked propulsion systems.

Claims

A device for moving along the surfaces of planets, comprising a drive module, an automatic control and navigation system, a mechanism for transmitting energy to the working tool and a chassis, characterized in that an auxiliary module is connected to the drive module by means of a screw-nut transmission, wherein the nut mounted on the screw shaft is rigidly connected to the housing of the auxiliary module, a gear transmission mechanism is installed in the drive module, in which one gear pair, directly connecting the drive shaft with the screw shaft, is installed to perform the forward movement of the screw shaft, and the other gear pair with an intermediate parasitic gear between the drive gear and the spline on the screw shaft is installed for the reverse movement of the screw shaft, in each module a shaft with a drill at the end made for engaging the corresponding module with the ground of the planet, and a screw shaft equipped with two running nuts located at a distance from each other are vertically placed,Both shafts are connected to each other by means of a gear pair and are connected to the main screw shaft by means of a bevel gear formed by two pairs of bevel gears connecting the main screw shaft to the vertical screw shaft, wherein one bevel pair is oriented towards the forward motion of the vertical shaft with the penetration of its drill into the planet's soil, and the other - towards the reverse motion with the extraction of the drill from the soil, wherein in each module, on one and on the other lead nut of the screw shaft, pressure forks are secured, installed in interaction with the support shoulders of the vertical shaft with a drill at the end, of which the upper fork is installed in interaction with the corresponding shoulder during the forward motion of the vertical shaft, and the lower fork is installed with the possibility of contact with the other shoulder during the reverse motion of the vertical shaft to extract the drill from the soil.

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