Moon-Based In-Situ Coring Tool with Ultrasonic Drilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lunar drilling faces challenges due to harsh lunar surface environments, such as high vacuum, strong radiation, and large temperature differences, making it difficult to collect, excavate, and transport lunar soil in an in-situ condition-preserved state for sampling.
Innovation Solution
A multi-stage large-depth drilling system and method involving a rotary plate, in-situ condition-preserved coring tool, space frame, working platform, mechanical arm, and camera, with a multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm equipped with a hardness sensor, and mechanisms for ultrasonic shock power and hydraulic drilling, allowing for controlled sampling and coring of lunar soil while maintaining its original state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional drilling methods are used on the lunar surface, then drilling operations can be performed, but the lunar soil samples cannot be preserved in their original in-situ state due to contamination from the drilling process
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling system is divided into two independent mechanisms: an external drilling mechanism for breaking the lunar soil and an internal drilling mechanism for coring. This segmentation allows the external mechanism to perform rough drilling while the internal mechanism preserves the core sample in its original state, resolving the contradiction between drilling capability and sample preservation quality.
Solution Approach 2:
A sealing mechanism is introduced as an intermediary between the drilling process and the sample collection process. The sealing mechanism prevents contamination of the lunar soil samples during drilling, allowing the external drilling mechanism to operate freely while the internal coring mechanism maintains sample integrity, thus resolving the contradiction between drilling operation ease and sample preservation quality.
2Quantity of substance
If single-stage drilling is used, then the drilling system is simpler, but the sampling depth and amount are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling system employs a multi-stage structure with external and internal drilling mechanisms operating at different stages. The external mechanism performs initial drilling to create the hole, while the internal mechanism performs coring to extract samples. This multi-stage segmentation enables greater sampling depth and amount while managing system complexity through functional division.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal drilling mechanism is nested within the external drilling mechanism. The internal coring mechanism is positioned inside the external drilling structure, allowing both mechanisms to operate concentrically. This nesting arrangement enables multi-stage drilling with increased sampling capacity while maintaining a compact overall structure, resolving the contradiction between sampling amount and device complexity.
3Productivity
If mechanical drilling without vibration control is used, then the drilling mechanism is simpler, but the drilling efficiency is reduced due to high friction of lunar soil
Solution Approach 1:
An ultrasonic vibration mechanism is integrated into the external drilling mechanism to reduce friction between the drill and lunar soil. The ultrasonic vibrations create micro-gaps that reduce contact friction, significantly improving drilling efficiency. This vibration enhancement resolves the contradiction between drilling efficiency and mechanism complexity by adding a relatively simple vibrational component to the existing mechanical structure.
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 effective collection, excavation, and transportation of lunar soil in an in-situ condition-preserved state, increasing the sampling amount and overcoming the challenges of lunar drilling environments.
Implementation Method 1
an ultrasonic shock power mechanism, configured to generate a shock
Implementation Method 2
a multi-stage overlapping hydraulic cylinder mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
A moon-based in-situ condition-preserved coring multi-stage large-depth drilling system and method therefor. The system includes a rotary plate provided inside a lander, an in-situ condition-preserved coring tool provided on a surface of the rotary plate, a space frame provided on a surface of the rotary plate, a working platform provided on a top of the space frame, a mechanical arm provided on a bottom surface of the working platform, and a camera provided on the bottom surface of the working platform, the mechanical arm is fixedly connected to the working platform, and the camera is fixedly connected to the working platform. By controlling the mechanical arm to place the in-situ condition-preserved coring tool on the moon surface, and using the in-situ condition-preserved coring tool to sample the lunar soil on the moon surface, the coring operation problem of the lunar soil is solved.