Mechanical Analysis and Structure Optimization of Lunar Soil
Coring Mechanism
Qiuyi Fang
1,*
Qin Zhou
2
, Jianguo Lv
2
and Jing Wang
3
1
Sergeant school of CAPF; #377 Tianmu Shan Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang
2
China University of Geosciences, Beijing; #29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing
3
Sinomine Resource Exploration
;
#11 Changchunqiao Road, Haidian District, Beijing
Email: fangxiaoqiu@126.com
Keywords: Coring mechanism, mechanical model, bedding information-keeping, structure optimization
Abstract: The soft bag lunar soil coring mechanism of turning inward type without sliding has the characteristics of
simple structure, low power dissipation and well regolith bedding information-keeping. However, at the
initial coring stage, the large pulling force and torque, which are resulted from the spiral movement of lunar
soil around bit when it enters the holding-pipe, can consequently cause high power dissipation and bad
regolith bedding information-keeping. In the paper, in order to achieve the goal of the minimum of pulling
force and torque, a mechanical model representing the interaction of lunar soil on coring mechanism was
established to analyze effects of structural parameters and drilling parameters on the pulling force and
torque. The structural parameters of coring mechanism and drilling parameters were optimized. The results
show that soft bag thickness and guide head radius have the greater impact on the pulling force and on the
torque respectively. When the guide head radius is 0.5mm and the soft bag thickness is 0.2mm, the rope
pulling force can reach its optimal value of 89N, which can greatly reduce the degree of torsion in the
process of coring.
1 INTRODUCTION
Probing the moon’s material composition has great
significance on studying the origin of the moon and
the earth, the earth's climate, and the phenomena of
tidal waters. Drilling and sampling the surface of the
moon are prerequisite for achieving this research
work (Yan et al., 2004).
There have been some successful sampling
precedents of lunar soil abroad, however, coring
methods and working mechanism of deep lunar soil
coring domestically are still staying at theoretical
and experimental research stage. In the Apollo
program, for example, the core was extracted using a
cemented carbide tube (The Apollo 17 mission” on
http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/history/apollo/). This
device for sampling cores was easily operated but
with poor bedding information (Berry, 1970). In the
Luna24 program, the soft bag coring mechanism of
turning inward type was initially applied and the
core of 250cm depth can be successfully extracted
with good bedding information-keeping
(http://www.zarya.info/Diaries/Luna/Luna.php). Due
to its good performance, such a turning inward type
device will be a great potential, which is well worth
being researched (Zhang, 2010). Some domestic
scientific research units, such as Beijing Satellite
Manufacturing Factory, Harbin Institute of
Technology and China University of Geosciences,
are also carrying out some researches (Duan et al.,
2009). In terms of mechanical model, the mechanics
characterizes of the drill (Li, 2012), the bit 0 Tang,
2012) and other structural joints have been mainly
analyzed (Liu, 2011). The interaction among the
inner parts of the core body, such as the soft bag, the
holding-pipe, the drill rod and the lunar soil, in the
drilling process is rarely analyzed. Little information
is available. In the analysis of lunar soil coring
mechanism mechanics characterizes,Wang Guoxin
and others, from Beijing Satellite Manufacturing
Factory,using a simplified mechanical model, has
not considered the influence of the speed when soft
bag turning in (Zhao et al., 2012). The effect of soft
bag turning on regolith bedding information-keeping
was not analyzed either (Wang, 2012). Although the
researchers of Harbin Institute of Technology have a
comprehensive study on the coring mechanism, the
influence of the structural parameters and drilling
parameters on sampling is not studied