Design of a Modular and Orientable Electrodynamic Shield for Lunar Dust Mitigation

Abstract

Lunar dust is considered one of the main limiting factors for lunar missions of extended duration and the establishment of a sustainable human presence on the moon. The dust is difficult to shield against and remove as it is extremely abrasive, highly cohesive, small, and may be electrostatically charged. In addition to threatening astronaut health, lunar dust issues have also resulted in incorrect instrument readings, vision and optical system obscuration, performance reduction, altered thermal properties, and equipment failure. To address these issues, this paper introduces the Habitat Orientable and Modular Electrodynamic Shield (HOMES). HOMES is a collection of 0.25 m x 0.25 m and 1.1 kg panels requiring 8 watts of power, embedded with Electrodynamic Dust Shielding (EDS) to mitigate lunar dust in a variety of applications. The modular design of HOMES addresses the gap in scalability of current EDS implementations. The EDS within HOMES is a series of 3-phase wire electrodes that induce a traveling wave-like electric field to locomote dust particles in a fixed direction. The fringing electric field generated by the EDS can keep dust particles off spacesuits and nearby objects. HOMES is a scalable modular system with rotationally symmetric panels that can be tiled to fit the desired use case. The panels are orientable to allow for customizable field directions. Among other applications, HOMES can be used to create dust free and self-cleaning work surfaces, floors, and doormats. This technology advances the state-of-the-art by incorporating EDS in a lightweight, modular design that will allow for flexibility in lunar dust mitigation within the context of the Artemis missions and beyond. The paper is divided into the following sections: problem statement and background, where the lunar dust problem and the current state of EDS technology are introduced; project description, where project requirements and design assumptions are detailed; mechanical design, outlining the EDS enclosure capable of sustaining the extreme lunar environment and an astronaut's weight; electrical design, detailing the layout of electrodes and EDS electronics; verification and validation, plan to bring homes to Technological Readiness Level 6; path to flight, discussing the necessary steps to ready HOMES for the moon. Having been awarded funding through NASA's BIG Idea Challenge, future work will focus on the construction, testing, and experimental results of this novel technology.

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