Project number
25029
Organization
UA School of Mining & Mineral Resources
Offering
ENGR498-F2024-S2025
Constructing a habitable lunar base is a significant step in the advancement of space exploration. In situ resource utilization is one of the best options for obtaining water safely and economically. LARP is a multi-year project that presents a solution for water acquisition in a lunar base by using the ice present on the lunar surface.
The system is composed of two separate units: a mobile excavation unit (MEU) and a stationary extraction unit (SEU). The MEU uses a bucket elevator to excavate and collect regolith and store it in a load bed. It utilizes an Arduino-based microcontroller with an on-board Wi-Fi chip to allow for user control on a phone app graphical user interface. The user can control the height of the bucket elevator and load bed via linear actuators and the speed of the wheels and elevator using DC motors.
The MEU deposits regolith into the SEU’s heating chamber through a funnel and motorized ball valve. Here, pipe heating tape heats the regolith until the water inside evaporates into the condensation subsystem. The steam passes through a heat exchanger, condenses back into water, and drips into a storage container that can be removed for water collection and later use. The team’s proof-of-concept system can produce 0.5 L of water per day and can be scaled up to provide more as needed.
The system is composed of two separate units: a mobile excavation unit (MEU) and a stationary extraction unit (SEU). The MEU uses a bucket elevator to excavate and collect regolith and store it in a load bed. It utilizes an Arduino-based microcontroller with an on-board Wi-Fi chip to allow for user control on a phone app graphical user interface. The user can control the height of the bucket elevator and load bed via linear actuators and the speed of the wheels and elevator using DC motors.
The MEU deposits regolith into the SEU’s heating chamber through a funnel and motorized ball valve. Here, pipe heating tape heats the regolith until the water inside evaporates into the condensation subsystem. The steam passes through a heat exchanger, condenses back into water, and drips into a storage container that can be removed for water collection and later use. The team’s proof-of-concept system can produce 0.5 L of water per day and can be scaled up to provide more as needed.