Lunar Terrain Auger Stabilization via Telescopic Support Poles
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Solution Overview
Problem
The permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) of the lunar poles present challenges for scientific and engineering exploration due to their inaccessibility and lack of surface exploration, which hinders the determination of volatile deposits and regolith properties.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising two vehicles with masts and augers, which stabilize the masts using support and transport cables, and telescoping support poles that extend to contact the terrain, allowing a utilization device to travel along the cables and access the terrain for prospecting and excavation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If large-scale equipment is used for prospecting and mining in PSRs, then the capability to extract volatile deposits and characterize regolith is improved, but the complexity and difficulty of deploying such equipment in permanently shadowed regions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the prospecting and mining operation into multiple segments: two separate vehicles positioned at opposite ends of the crater, each with its own mast and auger system. This segmentation allows smaller, more manageable equipment to access the terrain effectively without requiring one large complex system spanning the entire crater.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces support poles as intermediary elements that extend from the vehicles to the terrain. These poles serve as mediators between the vehicles and the ground, providing stabilization and support structures that enable the augers to effectively reach and process the terrain without requiring the vehicles themselves to be oversized.
2Ease of operation
If the augers are extended to reach the terrain in PSRs, then the accessibility to volatile deposits is improved, but the stability of the masts against forces on the shafts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support poles are deployed locally at specific points where the augers contact the terrain. Each support pole provides localized stabilization at the critical interface between the auger and the ground, rather than requiring the entire mast structure to be reinforced, thus maintaining ease of operation while improving stability where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The support poles are extended and positioned in advance before the augers begin processing the terrain. This preliminary action establishes stable support structures beforehand, preventing mast instability during the augering operation and enabling the augers to reach the terrain effectively.
3Strength
If support poles are telescoped to contact the terrain, then the support for cables is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support poles are designed as telescoping mechanisms that can dynamically adjust their length. This dynamic capability allows the poles to extend to the required length to contact the terrain and provide cable support, then retract when not needed, reducing the overall complexity compared to using permanently long rigid poles.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescoping support poles utilize a nested structure where one pole section is placed inside another. This nesting arrangement allows the poles to compact when not in use and extend when needed, providing cable support strength while minimizing the space and complexity required for storage and deployment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables remote prospecting and mining of PSRs without large-scale equipment, allowing for the characterization of regolith properties and the potential extraction of volatile deposits, such as water ice, in a controlled and efficient manner.
Implementation Method 1
The augers are configured to auger into the terrain and thereby stabilize each of the masts against forces on each of the shafts
Implementation Method 2
The support poles telescope until the support poles contact the terrain. In this manner, the support poles provide support to the support cable and the transport cable
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for utilizing a terrain are disclosed. Two vehicles, each with a mast consisting of a shaft and an auger are provided. The auger attaches to the surface to stabilize the mast. The shaft is attached to a set of cables that run between the two vehicles. Support poles traverse the cables and stabilize the cables. A utilization device travels the cables and utilizes the terrain.