Blade And Chute Drum

grabcad

Humans employ a stainless steel blade and chute drum to force regolith through and up an HDPE chute, depositing it into a collection chamber. The stainless steel blades and chute counteract each other's forces, canceling out any reactive force in the drum. Dust kicked up by the blades' motion is contained within the soil, chute, and collection chamber. Rims to which the blades are mounted lie submerged below the regolith, further aiding dust containment. No dust, no reactive force: a simple, easily manufactured design. Blades made from stainless steel ensure abrasion and wear resistance. A 1mm gap exists between the blades and HDPE chute; fine regolith falls into this gap to form a protective wear layer. This drum achieves a 90% fill ratio at 20rpm, weighing in at 5kg. Emptying involves lifting the drum at 30 degrees, rotating the blade wheel in reverse. At this angle, side walls reach 40 degrees, exceeding the regolith's friction angle for smooth unloading. If clumping occurs, an agitator blade above the outlet opening can be activated. The blade wheel is riveted together; blades are replaceable when worn. Self-tapping screws secure the collection chamber, while the hub is bolted to the arm through this chamber. Material remains secure in the drum even at standstill and will stay inside in zero-gravity conditions. The drum holds approximately 20 liters of material, filling with four rotations when blade pockets are full.