Vibration Transport of Lunar Regolith for In Situ Resource Utilization Using Piezoelectric Actuators with Displacement-Amplifying Mechanism
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 33, Issue 3
Abstract
In situ resource utilization on the Moon increases mission capability in lunar exploration and colonization. Lunar regolith is the most promising substance that can be used as a building material; its chemical composition includes metals, oxygen, helium-3, and water. Because the transportation of regolith is an essential and intricate part of its utilization, the author investigates a vibration transport system that uses a piezoelectric actuator combined with a displacement-amplifying mechanism. Although the load capacity of the piezoelectric actuator is substantially high, its movable displacement is low. Therefore, the displacement of the piezoelectric actuator was amplified approximately five times in the direction normal to the extending direction of the piezoelectric actuator to generate a high magnitude of vibration. A vibrational acceleration of approximately 7 g of the conveyor was achieved by optimizing the structure of the displacement-amplifying mechanism. The system has no frictional parts and does not require complicated controls or a significant amount of power; thus, it is compatible with space applications. We demonstrated both a flat and an inclined transport path through a small conveyor tube with a 26-mm inner diameter and 300-mm length. The results indicated a mass flow rate of approximately of the lunar regolith simulant at a reasonable speed () through the tube on the horizontal conveyance and a maximum conveyance tilt angle of 24° in Earth conditions. In addition to the regolith transport, large particles in the regolith were observed to be susceptible to a downward fall in the tube, given the Brazil nut effect, and this feature was proposed to be used as a beneficiation system.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some data and models used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request, including the data in Figs. 2–7.
Acknowledgments
The author would like to express his gratitude to Koki Hamazawa, Hayato Ogawa, Hiroaki Kaku, Yuki Takeda, and Dai Yunda (Waseda University) for their support in conducting the experiment. A part of this work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant No. 17K06276 and the Iwatani Naoji Foundation.
References
Adachi, M., K. Hamazawa, Y. Mimuro, and H. Kawamoto. 2017a. “Vibration transport system for lunar and Martian regolith using dielectric elastomer actuator.” J. Electrostat. 89 (Oct): 88–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elstat.2017.08.003.
Adachi, M., H. Moroka, H. Kawamoto, S. Wakabayashi, and T. Hoshino. 2017b. “Particle-size sorting system of lunar regolith using electrostatic travelling wave.” J. Electrostat. 89 (Oct): 69–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elstat.2017.08.002.
Adachi, M., R. Obata, H. Kawamoto, S. Wakabayashi, and T. Hoshino. 2018. “Magnetic sampler for regolith particles on asteroids.” J. Aerosp. Eng. 31 (2): 04017095. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000797.
Breu, A. P. J., H.-M. Ensner, C. A. Kruelle, and I. Rehberg. 2003. “Reversing the Brazil-nut effect: Competition between percolation and condensation.” Phys. Rev. Lett. 90 (1): 014302. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.014302.
Elsisy, M., Y. Anis, M. Arafa, and C. Saleh. 2015. “Displacement amplification using a compliant mechanism for vibration energy harvesting.” In Proc., ASME 2015 Int. Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, IMECE2015-51904. New York: ASME.
Fateri, M., A. Gebhardt, R. A. Gabrielli, G. Herdich, S. Fasoulas, A. Großmann, P. Schnauffer, and P. Middendorf. 2015. “Additive manufacturing of lunar regolith for extra-terrestrial industry plant.” In Proc., 30th Int. Symp. on Space Technology and Science. Kobe, Japan: International Symposium on Space Technology and Science Organizing Committee.
Gabrielli, R. A., J. Seelmenn, A. Großmann, G. Herdich, S. Fasoulas, P. Schnauffer, P. Mmiddendorf, M. Fateri, and A. Gebhardt. 2015. “System architecture of a lunar industry plant using regolith.” In Proc., 30th Int. Symp. on Space Technology and Science. Kobe, Japan: International Symposium on Space Technology and Science Organizing Committee.
Großmann, A., R. A. Gabriell, G. Herdrich, S. Fasoulas, P. Schnauffer, P. Middendorf, M. Fateri, and A. Gebhardt. 2015. “Overview of the MultiRob 3D lunar industrial development project.” In Proc., 30th Int. Symp. on Space Technology and Science. Kobe, Japan: International Symposium on Space Technology and Science Organizing Committee.
Güttler, C., I. von Borstel, R. Schräpler, and J. Blum. 2013. “Granular convection and the Brazil nut effect in reduced gravity.” Phys. Rev. E 87 (4): 044201. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.87.044201.
Kanamori, H., S. Udagawa, T. Yoshida, S. Matsumoto, and K. Takagi. 1998. “Properties of lunar soil simulant manufactured in Japan.” In Proc., 6th Int. Conf. on Engineering, Construction and Operations in Space, 462–468. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Kawamoto, H., A. Shigeta, and M. Adachi. 2016. “Utilizing electrostatic force and mechanical vibration to obtain regolith sample from the moon and mars.” J. Aerosp. Eng. 29 (1): 04015031. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000521.
Kawamoto, H., and K. Shirai. 2015. “Electrostatic transport of lunar soil for in-situ resource utilization.” J. Aerosp. Eng. 25 (1): 132–138. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000094.
Kawamoto, H., M. Uchiyama, B. L. Cooper, and D. S. McKay. 2011. “Mitigation of lunar dust on solar panels and optical elements utilizing electrostatic traveling-wave.” J. Electrostat. 69 (4): 370–379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elstat.2011.04.016.
Lee, K. A., L. Oryshchyn, A. Paz, M. Reddington, and T. M. Simon. 2013. “The ROxygen project: Outpost-scale lunar oxygen production system development at Johnson space center.” J. Aerosp. Eng. 26 (1): 67–73. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000230.
Ling, M., J. Cao, Z. Jiang, and J. Lin. 2016a. “Theoretical modeling of attenuated displacement amplification for multistage compliant mechanism and its application.” Sens. Actuators, A 249 (Oct): 15–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sna.2016.08.011.
Ling, M., J. Cao, M. Zeng, J. Lin, and D. J. Inman. 2016b. “Enhanced mathematical modeling of the dis-placement amplification ratio for piezoelectric compliant mechanisms.” Smart Mater. Struct. 25 (7): 075022. https://doi.org/10.1088/0964-1726/25/7/075022.
Lucey, P. G. 2009. “A lunar waterworld.” Science 326 (23): 531–532. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1181471.
Mantovani, J. G., and I. I. Townsend III. 2013. “Planetary regolith delivery systems for ISRU.” J. Aerosp. Eng. 26 (1): 169–175. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000248.
McKay, D. S., G. H. Heiken, A. Basu, G. Blanford, S. Simon, R. Reedy, B. M. French, and J. Papike. 1991. “The lunar regolith.” In Lunar sourcebook, edited by G. Heiken, D. Vaniman, and B. M. French, 285–356. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Platts, W. J., D. Boucher, and G. R. Gladstone. 2014: “Prospecting for native metals in lunar polar craters.” In Proc., 7th Symp. on Space Resource Utilization. National Harbor, MD: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Quinn, J. W., J. G. Captain, K. Weis, E. Santiago-Maldonado, and S. Trigwell. 2013. “Evaluation of tribocharged electrostatic beneficiation of lunar simulant in lunar gravity.” J. Aerosp. Eng. 26 (1): 37–42. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000227.
Ruess, F., J. Schaenzlin, and H. Benaroya. 2006. “Structural design of a lunar habitat.” J. Aerosp. Eng. 19 (3): 133–157. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0893-1321(2006)19:3(133).
Sanders, G. B., and W. E. Larson. 2011. “Integration of in-situ resource utilization into lunar/mars exploration through field analogs.” Adv. Space Res. 47 (1): 20–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2010.08.020.
Sanders, G. B., and W. E. Larson. 2013. “Progress made in lunar in situ resource utilization under NASA’s exploration technology and development program.” J. Aerosp. Eng. 26 (1): 5–17. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000208.
Scröter, M., S. Ulich, J. Kreft, J. B. Swift, and H. L. Swinney. 2006. “Mechanisms in the size segregation of a binary granular mixture.” Phys. Rev. E 74 (1): 001307. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.74.011307.
Sullivan, T. A., E. Koenig, C. W. Knudsen, and M. A. Gibson. 1994. “Pneumatic conveying of materials at partial gravity.” J. Aerosp. Eng. 7 (2): 199–208. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0893-1321(1994)7:2(199).
Trigwell, S., J. Captain, K. Weis, and J. Quinn. 2013. “Electrostatic beneficiation of lunar regolith: Applications in in situ resource utilization.” J. Aerosp. Eng. 26 (1): 30–36. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000226.
Walton, O. R. 2014: “Wells for in-situ extraction of frozen volatiles from subsurface lunar (or planetary) regolith.” In Proc., 7th Symp. on Space Resource Utilization. National Harbor, MD: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Zacny, K., et al. 2008. “Drilling systems for extraterrestrial subsurface exploration.” Astrobiology 8 (3): 1–42. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2007.0179.
Zacny, K., et al. 2013. “LunarVader: Development and testing of lunar drill in vacuum chamber and in lunar analog site of Antarctica.” J. Aerosp. Eng. 26 (1): 74–86. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000212.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 33 • Issue 3 • May 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 15, 2019
Accepted: Nov 15, 2019
Published online: Mar 10, 2020
Published in print: May 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Aug 10, 2020
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.