Papers by Keyword: Lunar Soil Simulant

Abstract: The cone index is one of the important indicators that can describe the comprehensive physical characteristics of lunar regolith. Its closely related to the sink and sideslip of lunar rover and also has widely used in prediction the trafficability, adhesion property, tractive performance of lunar rover. Based on component method, a kind of low gravity simulator, the tiltable test-bed has been built. This study has got the stable low gravity along axial direction and measured the penetration resistance characteristics of JLU-2 in different gravity through tests. The results shows that the gravity environment has an obvious impact on the cone index of lunar soil simulant, CI values reduce with the decreasing of gravity environment. Namely, in the low gravity condition, it shows weaker resistance ability for a foreign object to penetrate into. The result has important application value of prepare, optimize and risk assessment in walking mechanism of lunar rover and the sampling mechanism.

Abstract: The lunar soil simulants using for vehicle-terramechanics research on the ground need to expose in air containing water molecules for a very long time. The influence of the engineering properties of lunar soil simulant caused by air moisture should be determined. This paper has obtained the moisture absorption of JLU-1, JLU-2 and SNJ-4 using weighing method. The result indicates that the hydroscopicity of three lunar soil simulant are: SNJ-4>JLU-2>JLU-1, all less than 2%. It shows that even in saturation state, the moisture content of three specimens is very little. The length of storage time of lunar soil simulant in natural environment has little effect on its engineering properties. Lunar soil simulant after be made can be storaged well for a long time in the natural environment, and used for ground foundation test. The results can supply the reference to evaluate the engineering properties and formulate the suitability standards of lunar soil simulant.

Abstract: It is important to analyze mechanical relationship between lunar wheel and lunar soil for studying passing ability of regolith in lunar soil. Mechanical relationship between lunar wheel and regolith could be reflected by these parameters such as sinkage, drawbar pull, driving torque, motion resistance and slip when the lunar wheel moves. Thus, it is necessary to analyze these parameters of lunar wheel by soil bin test. The test results show that, the four parameters increase with slip and loading, except motion resistance of the test wheel which is under 70N at the speed of 25mm/s. The variations of the four parameters are not significantly influenced by velocity. The variations of the four parameters are significantly influenced by loading.

Abstract: The pressure-sinkage characteristics and the shear-strength characteristics of lunar regolith are the important influence factors to the trafficability of lunar rover. The performance curves and parameters of JLU luanr soil simulant were obtained by pressure-sinkage tests and shear-strength tests in the ground gravity-environmental load (1g) and the lunar gravity-environmental load (1/6g). The results show that, for the pressure-sinkage characteristics, the compression-strength of the JLU-1 is strongest, followed by the JLU-3, and the JLU-2 is the weakest. In different load levels, the deformability index n increases as the bulk density increases. The kc increase as the state becoming more and more compact,The k of JLU-1 is the largest of all, followed by JLU-3 next, JLU-2 has the smallest.The load levels have no significant effect to the tendency of n, kc and k. For the shear-strength characteristics, the shear resistance of JLU-2 is the weakest. JLU-1 has the greatest cohesion c of the three lunar soil simulant, followed by JLU-3, the c of JLU-2 is the smallest.The c of the same lunar soil simulant in natural state is greater than it in soft state. Compared with JLU-1 and JLU-3, JLU-2 has the smallest internal friction angle .The influence of the load levels to the the cohesion c internal friction angel is not obvious. The  mesured in the lunar load is wider than it in the ground load. This study will supply fundamental reference and foundation on the research and optimization of the lunar rover traveling mechanism in the authentic lunar environment.

Abstract: The lunar surface is covered with the deposit of regolith which is loose and dry powder. In the earth condition, the mechanical properties of lunar soil simulant from eruption powder will greatly influence the precision and reliability of the rover test results. This article measures the parameters by means of the vertical load which is representing the pressure generated by vehicle wheel, and the formula of vertical pressure-sinkage relationship: p=[k_с/b+k_φ]*zⁿ. It was discussed that the value of n, k_с, k_φ changed under three different velocities and four different radiuses of circular plates. Because these parameters are sensitive to bulk density of lunar soil simulant, the paper could only discuss the range of k_сk_φ and n, and the results of the measurement are n= 0.698~ 1.123, k_с= 0.524~ 5.928, k_φ= 0.124~ 1.926. The lunar soil will make the poor trafficability for lunar rover. This article could provide basis and criterion for evaluation rover behavior at the surface of moon and design the wheel parameters of lunar rover.

Abstract: The powder with size distribution was made from eruption to be used for the simulant of lunar soil. One of the most important factors is shear property, to simulate lunar soil behavior under the rover wheels. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the shear parameters of the simulant. The direct shear detector with controlled sample weight was used for selecting suitable method to obtain the shear parameters of the simulant, and finding effect actors for the measurement. Results found that the parameters changed greatly with the powder bulk density (or unit weight), and the calibration was vitally important for measuring cohesion of the powder.

Abstract: Because the lunar soil is rarely, lunar soil simulant plays an important part in lunar exploration, development and utilization of lunar resources, to establish a lunar base research work. This paper presents a lunar soil simulant production system which is suitable for ground experiment of Lunar Exploration Project. The system consists of five parts: rough machining equipment, fine machining equipment, air classification equipment, mixing machine and pre-prepare equipment. The lunar soil simulant with different particle size produced by the equipments has the similar characteristics to the real lunar soil. This research has great significance on moon exploration and the lunar surface environment simulation.

Abstract: The simulation system between smooth rigid wheel and lunar soil by Discrete Element Method (DEM) was established and validated. Three section structures of smooth rigid wheel, including flat, concave and convex structures were designed. The effects of these three different wheel section structures on dynamic mechanical behaviors of lunar soil simulant were simulated by PFC2D^®. The simulation results indicated that the concave section structure of smooth rigid wheel has the best anti-sinkage ability, the convex section structure has the good anti-sinkage ability, and the flat section structure has the worst anti-sinkage ability.

Abstract: The continuum/discontinuum multiscale analytical system of the interaction between rigid wheel and lunar soil by coupling discrete elements and matrix module was established. The DEM parameter of lunar soil particles was confirmed by the biax-test. The mesoscopic dynamic behaviors of lunar soil simulant subjected to rigid lugged wheel with different structures were simulanted and analysized by the multiscale method. Comparing the simulation results with the soil-bin test results, the multiscale model not only satisfied the computation accuracy, but also had the much higher computation efficiency.

Abstract: The survey shows that the bulk density of lunar soil increases with the depth. The compaction of lunar soil also differs in the depth. The lunar soil mechanical condition plays an important and non-negligible roll on the mobility of the rover. It is important to make research on the change of the mechanical parameters at different lunar soil conditions, and it is also important to research the trafficability of rover on different lunar surface condition. The presented paper simulates the lunar soil with different depth by means of three kinds of lunar soil simulant on different compact condition. Based on the direct shear apparatus, it was researched that the cohesion, internal friction angle, bull density of lunar soil simulant on different compaction conditions, including loose, normal, and compressed. The measurement results show that the bulk density and cohesion of the lunar soil simulant increase with the compact conditions in general. The bulk density changes within a narrow range from1.1 g/cm³ to 1.4 g/cm³. The cohesion increases, and changes significantly, which varies from 0 kPa to 0.5 kPa. The internal friction angle changes without regularity within a range from 30 deg to 40 deg. The measurement results can be used to explain the different trafficability of wheels after repeatedly passing the same lunar surface. Also it will be of significant to the evaluation of the rover mobility at different lunar soil condition.