Electrostatic Sampler for Large Regolith Particles on Asteroids
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 30, Issue 3
Abstract
The authors have developed an electrostatic sampler for the reliable and autonomous collection of regolith particles on asteroids. The sampler, which employs Coulomb and dielectrophoresis forces to capture regolith particles and transport them to a collection capsule, can collect a lunar regolith simulant containing particles of various sizes less than approximately 1.0 mm in diameter in a low-gravity environment. However, there might be large particles with diameters of 1.0 mm or larger on asteroid surfaces. The authors conducted a numerical calculation and a model experiment to confirm whether the sampler can collect particles larger than 1.0 mm in diameter in a low-gravity environment. The numerical calculation, performed using the distinct element method, predicted the effect of the particle diameter on the sampler performance, indicating that particles 1.0 mm in diameter or larger could be successfully sampled in a low-gravity environment. Glass particles 2 mm in diameter were experimentally sampled in a environment reproduced by a parabolic aircraft flight, and rocks 4 mm in diameter were agitated under and successfully sampled under microgravity.
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Acknowledgments
The authors express their gratitude to Yuki Maezono, Takumi Kojima, and Tomoki Sakata (Waseda University) for their support in conducting the experiment. The present work was supported in part by the Program for Leading Graduate Schools, Graduate Program for Embodiment Informatics of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 30 • Issue 3 • May 2017
Copyright
©2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 28, 2015
Accepted: Aug 24, 2016
Published online: Oct 28, 2016
Discussion open until: Mar 28, 2017
Published in print: May 1, 2017
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