Investigating the Effects of Percussion on Excavation Forces
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 26, Issue 1
Abstract
Percussive excavation is researched as a viable technology to reduce the shear strength of the dry lunar soil simulant JSC-1A. Experimental tests were conducted in a percussive and quasi-static test bed, which used a replica Surveyor scoop as the excavation tool. The effects of percussion, relative to measured excavation baseline draft forces, are presented in the context of six different variables. The test variables include percussive frequency, percussive impact energy, excavation speed, excavation depth, angle of attack, and relative soil density. It is concluded that percussion reduces the shear strength of dry JSC-1A by removing the effects of soil dilatancy from the internal friction angle along the shear failure boundary layer.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) project “Scientific Exploration Potential of the Lunar Poles” topic area “Excavation and Mobility Modeling.”
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 26 • Issue 1 • January 2013
Pages: 87 - 96
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 30, 2011
Accepted: Feb 13, 2012
Published online: Feb 15, 2012
Published in print: Jan 1, 2013
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