WITH JASMINE HAGERTY, JESUS BADAL, DANIEL GAINES, AND DR. QIUSHI CHEN, GLENN DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
NASA’s Artemis program aims to establish a long-term presence on the moon for on-site investigations. To accomplish this, advancements in in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) must be developed. The objective of this research is to investigate the current state of knowledge of bio-inspired drilling technologies and design an ISRU/icy lunar regolith drill. Extensive literature review has revealed some of nature’s solutions to burrowing and drilling in a terrestrial environment. Of these methods, two highly efficient bio-inspired solutions may work well for lunar applications. These include the wood wasp-inspired dual reciprocating drill (DRD) and the razor-shell clam dual- anchoring system. Both mechanisms were modeled in SolidWorks, a 3D design software, and tested using EDEM, a discrete element method (DEM) modeling software. The DRD concept may work in lunar applications because it requires zero net insertion force and minimal overhead force. The design consists of two drill bits that use the force generated by each other to penetrate, like a wood wasp. The razor-shell clam inspired drill features a shaft encased with two valves that rotate outward and propel the cone-tipped shaft down. This valve extension anchoring system decreases soil stress surrounding the tip which may be useful for drilling into compacted substrate. Bio-Inspired Drilling into Lunar Regolith
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