Vibration Control of Lunar Rover Drilling System in Harsh Environments

초록

Rover systems designed to extract water resources on the Moon for space exploration generate inherent operational vibrations. In the Moon's vacuum environment, the absence of air damping prevents natural dissipation of these vibrations, leading to sustained oscillations. These sustained oscillations increase the risk of mechanical failure and performance loss. Therefore, developing effective vibration control methods for drilling systems in vacuum environments is crucial. This study includes the vibration characteristics of drilling systems for icy water extraction in a vacuum and proposes effective control strategies. First, the natural vibration modes of the drilling systems were precisely measured under vacuum conditions, and the distribution of vibration energy across these modes was analysed. Subsequently, various vibration control technologies, including electromagnetic dampers, tuned mass dampers, and active control methods, were evaluated to design an optimal structure for lunar environments. This research provides a technical foundation applicable not only to lunar drilling tasks but also to addressing vibration issues in other vacuum environments. By enhancing reliability and efficiency, this study contributes to the advancement of space exploration and resource utilization.