Advanced Mining Technologies - RASSOR Bucket Drum

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Human: Here is NASA RASSOR Bucket Drum Design Challenge's AMT RWTH Aachen University Student Project Team’s design draught. This innovative design features three distinct compartments and a shovel in each compartment. The main concept behind this design utilizes supercritical and under-critical rotational speeds during loading and unloading processes. During excavation and drum loading, the supercritical rotational speed generates a high centrifugal force, overpowering gravitational forces and causing excavated regolith to stick to the bucket drum's peripheral walls. As a result, the fill ratio during loading is exceptionally high, provided the target filling of 75% of the total drum volume based on dynamic filling process efficiency. During discharge, rotational speed decreases below critical levels, allowing regolith to fall off walls and exit the bucket by gravity force, effectively unloading the drum. To aid in unloading, one or more simple discharging wings are attached to the inner drum periphery adjacent to the entry scoop. This design boasts simplicity and functionality, making it ideal for remote operations with minimal maintenance requirements. The initial drum material selected is titanium for shell and side plates, while hardened steel is used for the cutting edge due to its high hardness and abrasion resistance. Each drum has a total mass of approximately 4.7 kg and a loading volume of around 33 litres. The drive configuration offers two options: a conventional RASSOR drive or a gearmotor drive located at the end of the ranging arm, concentrically aligned with the drums. CAD-Files provided show an integrated gearmotor, but it can be easily replaced with a shaft. Additional information and a complete description can be found in the attached pdf document. Technical specifications for the current design status include: maximum total scoop width engaged at any given time: 120 mm; maximum bucket drum mass: 4.7 kg; maximum bucket drum diameter: 450 mm; bucket drum length: 360 mm; number of compartments per drum: 3; number of scoops per compartment: 1; variable drum rotation with charging rpm approximately 43 rpm and discharging rpm approximately 15 rpm; target volume of regolith captured (total RASSOR, 4 drums): overcritical rotation approximately 132 litres; stop of rotation approximately 100 litres.