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BOEING BOEING
Establishing Large Scale Colony
Infrastructure On The Moon\
26th - International Space Development Conference
Edward D. McCullough
Principal Scientist, The Boeing Company,
5301 Bolsa, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
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Goals
Stage 1
Subsurface Large Scale Lunar Base
Stage 2
Domed Surface Ecosystem Over Large
Scale Buried Structure
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Lunar Domed City Structural Feasibility Analysis
• Dome is 25 miles in diameter and
5,000 ft tall.
• Dome needs to be about 17
inches thick.
• Thickness of glass to balance the
upward force is about 10 ft.
• This can be done
Preliminary Analysis
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How Big is a Colony
What pressurized volume is required for 10,000 people?
• Accommodations - (100 m^3/couple x 5,000 = 5x10^5 m^3)
• Utilities - (5 m^3/couple x 5,000 = 2.5x10^ 4m^3)
• Recreation - (10 m^3/couple x 5,000 = 5x10^4 m^3)
• Industrial facilities - (15 m^3/couple x 5,000 = 8x10^4 m^3)
• Business facilities - (10 m^3/couple x 5,000 = 5x10^ 4m^3)
• Transportation facilities - (1 m^3/couple x 5,000 = 5x10^3 m^3)
• Research facilities - (10 m^3/couple x 5,000 = 5x10^4 m^3)
• Assume – Un-pressurized facilities have mass requirements equal to 20% of
the pressurized facilities,
– Long term mass payback ratio is 10,000 : 1
– Bootstrap growth rate of industrial facilities is 30% per annum
• This along with the time to complete allows me to estimate the size of the required energy, processing and manufacturing / production facilities
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Mass Balance for 10,000 People
What resources, in rough sizing, is it going to take for 10,000 people?
• Oxygen - (0.82 x 10,000 = 8,200 kg per day [120,000 m^3 in atms.)
• Nitrogen - (60 m^3 x 10,000 x 0.8 = 480,000 m^3)
• Potable water - (2.6 kg x 10,000 = 26,000 kg per day)
• Total water - (26,000/0.15 = 173,000 kg per day)
• Food - (2 kg x 10,000 = 20,000 kg per day)
• Waste facilities - (4.4 kg x 10,000 = 44,000 kg per day)
• CO2 processing facilities - (1 kg x 10,000 = 10,000 kg per day)
• Animals - (Same total mass as people)– Electric (all that are vectors or likely vectors for pathogens – rodents,
primates, mosquitoes, flies, shellfish etc. or are important for food production like sheep)
– Non electric (everything else – pets, wildlife, some aquatic animals)
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Energy Situation in the Earth’s Gravitational Well
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Energy Situation in the Earth’s Gravitational Well
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Why We Need ISRU and Space
Manufacturing for Colonization
• MATERIAL RESOURCES: - The required quantity ofstructural material resources is far in excess of what can besensibly be launched from the Earth.
• EQUIPMENT RESOURCES: - The required civil andstructural engineering tasks dictate machinery requirements far inexcess of what can be sensibly launched from Earth.
• MANUFACTURING AND CONSTRUCTION: - Evenwith milstock materials and civil engineering capability in hand,there is still the requirement of fabricating the components andbuilding and maintaining the facilities.
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The New Moon
• There is a major resource opportunity in concentrated volatiles at the Lunar poles
• The south lunar pole has sites in near perpetual sunlight that are thermally benign compared to lower latitudes
• Hydrogen concentration ratios, mid latitudes to poles appears to be 1 to 34
• Expect to see similar effects for other Lunar volatiles. See rough estimates in table to the right
Volatiles in 1 M tonnes of regolith (“Lunar Source Book”)
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Lunar Resources
There are many useful aspects of the lunar environment
• Vacuum- (Science, manufacturing and production, ballistic transfer)
• Heat sources and sinks - ( )
• Exotic atmosphere - ( )
• Volatiles - (Concentrated materials)
• Comminuted basalt and anorthosite - (Most energetic process requirement –crushing and grinding – not needed)
• Cliffs, valleys and craters - (Site location, energy generation)
• Ultra dry conditions supportive of electrostatic effects -(Effects can be incorporated into material handling and classification)
• Fairly still surface - (excellent platform for observatories)
• Face shielded from Earth electromagnetic noise - (Un contaminated location for electromagnetic observatories)
• Slow rotation rate phase locked to Earth - ( )
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The Properties of Lunar Polar Surface Materials
• Lunar regolith -– Similar to highland anorthositic
– Is ultra fine grain
– Has porous particles
– Is sharp at microscopic scales
– Has ~ 40% void fraction
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The Properties of Lunar Polar Surface Materials
• Testing of samples of water impregnated lunar simulants have shown exceptional compressive load bearing capability:
– new building techniques are possible if water resources are higher than expected.
• This result doesn’t bode well for excavation for two reasons
– The specific energy to excavate in highland regoliths
– The abrasion rate on hard surfaced cutting edges on excavation machinery
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The Chemical Process
Whole soil processes are required (take your pick)
• Fluoridation –– Moderately complicated process
– Powerful reactions with hot corrosion issues amongst others
• Chlorination – More complicated that fluoridation
– Less severe corrosion problems
• HF acid leach– Complicated parts count wise with a lot of duplication
– 99.99% of fluorine tied up in benign forms (relative to fluorine or chlorine gas)
– The very small amount of HF in free acid form is easily contained and controlled
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The HF Acid Leach Process Miniplant
• Studied analytically over a period of several years
• Tested in a Skunk Works style lab program over 3 years.
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Process plant excluding power plant mass
P1,2 H2 Reduction of Ilmenite
P3 HF Acid leach
P4,5 Magma Electrolysis
Note. Thorium breeder reactor not shown.
O2 Production rates in T/Hr
P1, 0.00617
P2 0.2
P3 0.23
P4, 0.125
P5 2.86
P6 0.019
Mass Power Relationships of Energy Producing Units and Energy Loads
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ITU Standard is approaching Plug and Play
AON Simplifies Communication SystemsLINK
21 ChannelWDM Demodulator
3
3
Inp
ut
Data
Ou
tpu
t D
ata
LINKFrom FCC2 To FCC2
3
3
3
3
3
FCC1
Navigation 1
COMM 1
Air Data 1
WDM
Actuator
Control 1
PMAD 1
Sensors 1
NxN AWG Passive Switch Fabric
•Insertion loss on 70% of channels ~ 2 db
•Worst case insertion loss < 4.1db
•Nearest neighbor crosstalk <-32 db
•Background crosstalk < -50db
•Connect time (clock recovery) ~ 25 ps
•Dead time between packets 40 ns
•Max packet payload ~ 36k bits
•Max channel data rate 40 GBps
•Near term port count 256
1530 1535 1540 1545 1550 1555 1560 1565
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
Inse
rtion
Los
s [d
B]
Wavelength [nm]
•Scalable
•Fault tolerant
•Extremely low mass
•Dots are cascaded AWGs
•Insertion loss per AWG is ~ 2 dbm
•Furthest node routing loss ~ 14 dbm
•Add drops not required
•Entire mesh is fusion spliced (all clients
are peripheral to the network)
•Supports existing network protocols
(429, 629, 1773, IP etc.) and IVHM
Hyper cube physical topology
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Boeing’s Wavelength Routed All Optical Network
Pallet for the Future X / Pathfinder RC Model
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Biological Models for Geometrical Situational Awareness
These images were scanned from the September 1985 issue of Scientific American and
The Mind’s Eye (Scientific American Publication)
Arachnids Pythons
Eyes: 8
Parallaxes: front and up – 15, sides - 6
Eyes: 28 (2 visual, 26 infrared)
Parallaxes: front – 15, sides - 78
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Multi Parallax Vision Autonomous Ops / Training
During operation, current local geometry is compared to stored geometry from previous training to address a
constraint database. If no constraints are found associated with images which correlate, rover proceeds. If no
correlation with data in memory, rover halts, transmits images and waits for instruction.
13
2465
7 8
13
2465
7 8
13
2465
7 8
13
657 8
24
Simple
Correlation
List of Pointers
to Close Matches
Command List
Correlation
MatrixStatus / Mode
Mask
Stored Image SetCurrent Image Set
Pointers
Mobile Vehicle With Multiple
Overlapping Points of View
Mission
ProcessorMission
Processor
Vehicle
ProcessorTerabyte Memory
ControllerHuman Controller
Write WriteVehicle
Processor
Offset
Write Constraint entry
During training, current local geometry is stored in a terabyte memory. If Error condition occurs, images
earlier in time are linked into a constraint database which directs the vehicle to alter its trajectory. Error
conditions are indicated by sensors on the vehicle or by an instructor.
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Autonomous Rendezvous Optical Approach
Internal Model Image Set External Image Set
Rendezvous SatelliteTarget Satellite
Fast CorrelatorImage from “Physics Web” Optical data
storage enters a new dimension
http://physicsweb.org/box/world/13/7/7/p
w-13-07-07fig5
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Power Systems
• Dome: - The dome will be roughly 20% neutral grey meaning20% of its surface area will be available for PV cells or othermaterial. Approximately 40 square miles of the dome will have agood view factor the sun at any one time.
• Thorium MSR: Thorium molten salt breeder reactors will beone component of a backup power systems. Each reactor will beabout 200 MW. They are a slight modification of the airbornereactors of the 50s.
• Thermal wells: - Thermal wells will provide heat energy forbackup power and will be used to restore the atmosphere after anemergency condensation. Thermal wells will also be used to cyclethermodynamic airlocks
• Cryo wells: - Cryowells provide the ability to condense theatmosphere under the dome in an emergency. They can also beused for thermodynamic airlocks.
• Distribution: - Power will be distributed via high voltage,beaming or vanadium salts.
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Manufacturing
• Additive: - Milstock rods, wires, tubes, plates and tapes are cutpositioned and joined via welding fastening etc. while variouspowders, wires, liquids and tapes are used for rapid prototyping.
• Subtractive: Various machining techniques are used toremove material from blanks or semi finished components toproduce finished components
• Placement: - Pick and place machines are used to do finedetailed manufacturing of smaller systems.
• Integration: - Manufactured components and subassembliestested, brought into tolerance via final machining and joined tomake final subsystems or systems..
• Quality control: - Where possible, quality control will be builtinto as many aspects of the manufacturing process as possiblehowever, final testing of components under load or functionalitytesting of fluid or electronic systems will be conducted in themanufacturing facility.
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Mobile Equipment
• Operation: - All vehicles man rated and operate completelyautonomously via geometric situational awareness and GPS.
• Function: Units used for excavation, excavated materialhauling, processed material hauling, finished milstock handlingand delivery, finished systems and subsystems handling andmanipulation, transportation and exploration
• Form: - Form follows function. Tracked, wheeled, railed, walkingor climbing required for different functionalities. Common cores(like the power unit on a combine) and interchangeablesubsystems may be useful.
• Power systems: - Vanadium salt fuel cells, reactive metalclosed cycle combustion engines, PV, tethered or rail poweredsystems depending on the application.
• Maintenance: - All maintenance is done autonomously usingLRUs or major renovations. Units can be reconfigured or brokendown and cannibalized for parts with the remainder recycled.
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Construction
• Tasking: - Tasks are issued and executed in conjunction with amodel based construction program which monitors quality.
• Metrology: - Laser or biomimetic based optics are used formetrology depending if the objects in question are in the near orfar field.
• Function: Major specialized units are used to performmetrology, positioning, joining and finishing of major structuralelements (domes, habitats, fluid systems etc.,) to drill andexcavate underground tunnels and caverns and to install fluid andelectrical systems. General purpose units are used for nonspecialized tasks and miscellaneous repairs or maintenance.
• Technique: - Joining of standardized and customsubcomponents, measuring, cutting, placing and joining ofcomponents made from rolls or pieces of milstock materials.
• Anchoring: - Anchors to take tangential and normal tensileloads are integrated into bedrock.
• Logistics: - Movement of materials and components, staging,scaffolding (to 5,000 ft) etc. is performed by mobile systems
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Industrial Mass Transport Requirement
• Assume – All the constituents of the lunar regolith are utilized meaning the
aluminum and iron are used for structural metals,
– Calcium, Magnesium and titanium with associated oxygen are used as ceramics
– Silicon and titanium are used as ceramics or taken to metal to access the associated oxygen for propellants
– Un-pressurized facilities have mass requirements equal to 20% of the pressurized facilities,
– Long term process mass payback ratio is 10,000 : 1
– Bootstrap growth rate of industrial facilities is 30% per annum
• This along with the time to complete allows me to estimate the size of the required energy, processing and manufacturing / production facilities
BOEING BOEING
Lunar Domed City Structural Feasibility Analysis
• Dome is 25 miles in diameter and
5,000 ft tall.
• Dome needs to be about 17
inches thick.
• Thickness of glass to balance the
upward force is about 10 ft.
• This can be done
Preliminary
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Dome Requirements
• Maintain large scale Earth like environment withpressurized ecosystem with climate control
• Automated maintenance and repair of dome andrelated systems
• Atmospheric recovery system to minimize loss aftermajor damage
– Cryo-condensers
– Sub Domes
• Personnel emergency management systems
– Long term pressurized habitats and systems forrecovering from catastrophic failures
– Distributed emergency equipment and shelters
• Vacuum proof services and utilities
• Surface and underground transportation system
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Dome Construction
• Size: 25 miles in diameter / 5,000 ft tall
• Main components:– Dome
– Anchoring system
– Maintenance
– Catastrophic repair facility
• All assembly is via autonomous robotics
• Basic unit is a hexagonal pentagonal surface patch of glass / S –Glass composites with a titanium frame which interlocks withsimilar units
• Dome hold down system is anchored to bedrock
• Shield glass is 2 to 3 meters thick
• Internal and external lattice work along with scaffolding forassembly.
• 16 inches of S - Glass carries hoop loads. S – Glass is shieldedfrom moisture by an inner glass membrane and a moisture gettersystem
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Dome Construction
• Interlocking hexagon frames designed absorb highfrequencies in a shock impulse to prevent it’spropagation into and damaging the next cell
• Maintenance system built into the dome
• Track and rail system
• One maintenance unit for every 1 % of the structure
• Mobile maintenance and repair units on inside andoutside
• Electrical power, management and distribution builtinto the dome
• Instrumentation system is distributed through thedome
• Microwave emitters and radio receivers are distributedacross the dome to make a radar, a power beamingsystem, a phased array communication system and aradio telescope
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Dome Maintenance
• IVHM system in the dome structure detectsdegradation of dome major glass and metalliccomponents and schedules maintenance or unitreplacement or repair
• Main cause for maintenance is to addressmicrometeorite damage to the shield glass whichprotects the S – Glass from the space environment viarefurbishment or change out
• The S – Glass load carrying membrane must beprotected from water. The plenum between the S –Glass and the inner membrane has distributeddesiccants to trap humidity
• Spare hexagon units are distributed across the dome
• Living spaces and habitats distributed across thedome
• Transportation system incorporated into the dome
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Dome Repair
• Dome is designed to prevent the propagation ofdamage from a surface patch blowout
• The system must repair the blow out and limit the riskto personnel on the ground poised by falling debriswhich includes pieces of glass 2 meters thick
• Glass must fall 2 to 5,000 feet to the ground
• Impactor will loose energy during collision and not hitthe ground at orbital speeds
• All material falls under lunar gravity
• Blow outs sealed by exterior repair machine whichstretches over and can seal several cells
• Spare patches installed from the dome outside
• Damaged material carried away by systems on theinner surface
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Dome Repair
• Additional repair equipment is capable of using cablesto bridge and patch a break larger than several cells(like platelets)
• Major cryo condensers at 30 deg. K beneath the domefloor in the bedrock are capable of condensing someor all the atmosphere depending on the nature of thedamage and how early the threat was detected
• Emergency personnel systems convey colonists to theunderground city or safe harbors all of which canwithstand vacuum.
• Mobile systems will seek out and vacuum protectpeople caught out in the open on the surface, on thedome or outside the habitat
• Depending on the design approach, it may benecessary to keep the dome pressure above a certainthreshold in which case an atmospheric reservoir isrequired
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Underground Habitat Requirements• A fully pressurize able city and transportation system
is where the colonists live with vacation, recreational,office, scientific work destinations on the surface
• This city will have subterranean life support systemscapable of maintaining the population indefinately
• This city will have an extensive pressurizedunderground rail unit
• The city will have massive cryo cold thermal sinks foratmospheric storage along with massive thermal wellsfor heat storage. The atmosphere is purified by cyclingit through this system to cryo trap contaminants andCO2.
• All access to the surface outside the dome will be fromthe subterranean city.
• All high value data processing, scientific, life supportetc. equipment is duplicated and distributed in theunderground city.
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Underground Habitat Construction
• The underground facilities will begin as habitationmodules constructed in place in trenches ordepressions suitably located for electrostatic sluicingof lunar fines to provide radiation shielding.
• Once a suitable industrial infrastructure is built up,thermodynamic acoustic disrupter tunneling machinesand ancillary equipment will be constructed and putinto operation.
• The tunneling machines will construct galleries forhabitats and utilities, cryo traps for the atmosphere,thermal wells, transportation systems trains and otherassorted tunnels.
• Habitats and other pressurized systems will be built inplace, integrated into the bedrock where appropriateand tested
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Underground Habitat Construction• The tunneling machines will be maintained and once
put into operation, they will be continuously expandingthe facilities.
• The pressurized facilities will be designed for flexibilityand safety in anticipation of emergency conditions
• Access to the surface outside the dome from thesubterranean city will be able to accommodate verylarge scale vehicles and systems such as landers (a la2001 a Space Odyssey) through very large cryogenicairlocks and suitable tunnel networks.
• Vacuum proof safe harbors will be built in remoteareas of the underground complex and at emergencyaccess points from the domed area.
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Underground Habitat Construction
• The tunneling machines will be maintained and onceput into operation, they will be continuously expandingthe facilities.
• The pressurized facilities will be designed for flexibilityand safety in anticipation of emergency conditions
• Access to the surface outside the dome from thesubterranean city will be able to accommodate verylarge scale vehicles and systems such as landers (a la2001 a Space Odyssey) through very large cryogenicairlocks and suitable tunnel networks.
• Vacuum proof safe harbors will be built in remoteareas of the underground complex and at emergencyaccess points from the domed area.
• All high value data processing, scientific, life supportetc. equipment is duplicated and distributed in theunderground city.
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How Much Silica is Required
• Mass of dome in tonnes 1.64 x10^10
• Mining requirement in tonnes 3.46 x10^10
• Regolith mining rates 10,000 TPH
• Regolith mining units 25
• Required time in years 15.78 years
• This mining rate will produce about 1 tonne per year of He3.
• This can be done in conjunction of the evolutionary expansion of the lunar facilities.
• At current projections, this facility is at least 25 years away.
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How Much Nitrogen is Required
• Radius of dome - 20.8 km
• Area under dome in square km - 1363
• Volume of a 3,156 m cylinder – 4.3 x10^12 m^3
• Mass of the atms in tonnes at STP- 4.3 x10^9 mt
• Required tonnes of regolith 4.3 x10^13 mt
• Volatile mining rates 10,000 TPH
• Volatile mining units 3300
• Required time in years 14.88 years
• Nitrogen in regolith is 100 ppm. Even if there is a 10 to 1 concentration at the poles, it would take 330 mining and processing units.
• Fortunately, regolith is not the only source of nitrogen on the moon
• The extent of the lunar sub surface nitrogen or other gasses is not known.
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GEOTAIL Lunar Pickup Ions
• HEP-LD scatter plots of mass groups obtained on November 11 and 15, 1992. Curves from left to right: H, He, CNO, Si-Fe. Note that the CNO group and also the Si-Fe group are enhanced on November 11, 1992 (upper panel) during the lunar flyby.
Source
http://www-ssc.igpp.ucla.edu/IASTP/79/
Si-Fe
CNO,
He,
H,
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• Measures (mass spec) the species present in the extremely tenuous
lunar atmosphere.
• “Discovered a dramatic increases to saturation in the abundance of these
masses with the passing of the sunrise terminator: “
– 15-16 (methane or atomic oxygen),
– 28 (diatomic nitrogen or carbon monoxide )
– 44 (carbon dioxide )
i.e. gaseous species cold trapped on the lunar night side were being
expelled by solar heating.
• So both direct (Lunar Prospector) and indirect (LACE) evidence suggests
that the lunar polar cold traps contain volatiles, and these volatiles are
derived from sources which contain biogenic elements.
From Lucey (Potential for pre-biotic chemistry at the poles of the Moon, Paul G. Lucey, Hawaii
Institute of Geophysics & Planetology, Univ. of Hawaii, 2525 Correa Rd., Honolulu, HI 96822)
The Lunar Atmosphere Composition
Experiment (placed by Schmitt and Cernan)
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• Using radioactive radon 222 and polonium as tracers, the
Apollo 15 and 16 orbital alpha-particle experiments obtained
evidence for the release of gases at several sites, especially in
the Aristarchus region [Gorenstein and Bjorkholm, 1972].
• The Lunar Prospector Alpha Particle Spectrometer (LP APS)
searched for lunar surface gas release events and mapped
their distribution by detecting alpha particles produced by the
decay of:
– Solid polonium-218 (6.0 MeV, 3 minute half-life),
– Solid polonium-210 (5.3 MeV, 138 day half-life, *
• Aristarchus crater had previously been studied by ground-
based observers as the site of transient optical events
[Middlehurst, 1977].
• The Apollo 17 surface mass spectrometer showed that 40Ar is
released from the lunar interior every few months, apparently
in concert with some of the shallow moonquakes that are
believed to be of tectonic origin [Hodges and Hofman, 1975].
Lunar Out Gassing
* MAPS OF LUNAR RADON-222 AND POLONIUM-210.
S. L. Lawson ET AL
http://lunar.lanl.gov/pages/spectros.html
http://www.space-technology.com/projects/lunar/
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Conclusion
• Dome is structurally possible.
• Dome mass and construction requirements dictate thatthe system be constructed by fully automatedconstruction equipment using lunar materials.
• Dome will be completed 15 years after the processingcapability of a large scale industrial facility areavailable.
• 10 units at 10,000 tonnes per hour for 15 years arerequired to finish the dome.
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Conclusion
• Ingenuity cannot improve the yield of the 100 ppmnitrogen in the lunar soil. It will take 10,000 years tocollect the atmosphere if the same excavationequipment is used
• The lunar Atmosphere Characterization Experiment(LACE,) the Apollo command module, the Geotailsatellite and the Lunar Prospector all confirm the outgassing of the moon including some nitrogen.
• The source of the nitrogen out gassing from the moonshould be located and characterized.
• If sufficient quantities are found, the large scaleunderground facilities and the domed habitat can bebuilt.
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Mobile Systems for Mining Tar Sand
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7,000 TPH Bucket Wheel Reclaimer
Power - 25,000 Volt AC extension cord
Capacity - 7,000 tons per hour
Mobility - Crawling
Height - ~ 180 ft
Motors - Delta Delta resistor start AC induction motors
Slew - Rotating bridge and counter weight on thrust bearings
Tracks - O&K Crawlers with AC induction motors
Conveyors - Wheel, Bridge and offload with AC motors
Wheel - ~ 21 ft in diameter with AC motors
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7,000 TPH Bucket Wheel Reclaimer
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Bucyrus Erie 80 yard Walking Dragline
Power - 20,000 HP
Power Supply - 25,000 Volt AC cord
Capacity - 80 cubic yards
Mobility - Walking
Height - 200 ft
Controls - Ward Leonard
Motors - 28 7 ton series wound DC
Generators - 28 series wound DC generators connected directly to motors
MG Sets - 4 5,000 HP motor generators with 7 generators each
Slew - Revolving frame on roll path with 8 DC motors
Shoes - Powered by 4 DC motors through an eccentric
Lift drum - 8 DC motors
Drag Drum - 8 DC motors
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• Dragline # 4 (Bucyrus Erie) at Syncrude
• The house is 13 stories tall
Bucyrus Erie 80 yard Walking Dragline
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Bucyrus Erie 80 yard Walking Dragline
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Bucket Wheel System IssuesItem System Elements Issues
1. Energy Transformers
Circuit breakers
Conductors / Insulation
Slip rings
Controllers
Load Centers
Heaters / Coolers
Cooling, contamination (dust and volatiles,) alteration of
material properties, vacuum welding, thermal
management, circuit interruption capability
deterioration, heat rejection to the lunar surface ( 251
deg. F at lunar noon) or to space.
2. Traction O&K Crawlers
Hydraulic steering system
Brittle fracture, vacuum welding, wear due to dust
contamination, thermal management, lube system
failure, contamination of other systems via off gassing
lubricants, mismatch between traction system design
and environmental reality
3. Suspension Damped spring system on yoke Brittle fracture, thermal management
4. Lubrication Central point lubrication system
Lubricants shed to the environment
Gear box oil must be maintained
Lubricated every few shifts
Hydraulics systems serviced
Loss of lubricants to environment, failure of improperly
specified and certified lubricant system, central point
lube system simplifies servicing but complicates
assembly and is subject to damage, lubrication scheme
must take a totally new approach, lubrication paradigm
must be re-evaluated with new approaches to
refurbishment of worn parts instead of lubrication,
function requiring lubrication should be eliminated if
possible.
5. Vehicle Geometry Mast, bridge, crawler slew system
Mast elevation systems
Off load bridge elevation
Failure of boots and bellows on hydraulic systems,
maintenance of the hydraulic system, contamination of
bearings, sliders and slip rings with dust or volatiles,
vacuum welding of bearings, sliders and slip rings,
dynamic instability during motion.
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Bucket Wheel System IssuesItem System Elements Issues
6. Drive Train Delta / delta resistor start induction
motors and controller
Direct drive through lubricated
reduction gear system
Induction motors require AC distribution system and
resistor interruption system to start. DC systems
require commutators, slip rings etc. Entire prime mover
system approach needs to be re-evaluated. Issues
associated with lubrication efficiency in 1/6 th G and in
the thermal environment
7. Maintenance Repair
Refurbishment of worn or spent parts
and materials
Preventative maintenance
Almost all repairs will be dangerous for the astronauts
so autonomous repair will be required (no touch labor,)
refurbishment will require disassembly or advanced in
place manufacturing techniques and the number of
preventative maintenance tasks (replacement of worn
parts prior to failure etc.) will be high.
8. Conveyance systems Bucket wheel, conveyors Fall rates on the moon are lower due to the 1/6 g
conditions while inertia is the same, tractional
acceleration on conveyor belts will be lower by a factor
of 6, material falling off of conveyors or wheel buckets
will follow shallower trajectories making transfer more
difficult, charged material will lift off of belts and adhere
to structures.
