lunar 3d printing: launch less by launching more

LUNAR 3D PRINTINGLaunch Less by Launching More

Dan Nevius - [email protected]

Wednesday, February 27, 13

lunar 3d printingmotivation

the space game

why we don’t live on the moon (yet)

what is 3d printing

adapting for the moon

lunar 3d printing current state

work still to do

the future to work toward


space explorationwhy we should go why we shouldn’t not go



science



understand our placein the universe



technology spinoffs



jobs



because we can



to inspire



limited resources



population growth



killer asteroids


why is this conference not taking place on the moon?

then now

~40 yrs


the space game

technology

economics

politics

nationalcommercial


the space game

technology

economics

politics

nationalcommercial

POLITICS


the space game

technology

economics

politics

nationalcommercial

POLITICS

jobs fear

(fear)


the space game

technology

economics

politics

nationalcommercial

POLITICS ECONOMICS

jobs fear

(fear)


the space game

technology

economics

politics

nationalcommercial

same concerns, different rules

POLITICS ECONOMICS

jobs fear

(fear)sustainability


so why no moon colony?

government

technology:

economics:

politics:

limited budgets

little visionlittle motivationstatus quo easy


so why no moon colony?

government commercial

technology:

economics:

politics:

limited budgets unproven marketshigh costs

little visionlittle motivationstatus quo easy

adapting regulationsproving technology


problems to focus on

costsafetyperception/

markettechnology

return on investment

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

design goals: safe, cheap + functional

delay astronaut involvement

loss of life = worst

launch = large cost

minimize launch mass and size

make sure it works

cool not crazy


traditional space construction

futron corp

SpaceX

NASA

NASA


ideal lunar structure construction

safety

lower cost

functional

automated

use local materialsreduce equipment mass + size

gets the job donebonus: has terrestrial

applications


3d printing

Yan & Gu 1996

materials- thermoplastics- metals- ceramics- food (pastes)- biological material

digital representation

slice into layers

build instructions

layer deposition


3d printing techniquesa) selective laser

sintering (sls)

b) inkjet printing with a binder

c) laminated object manufacturing

d) fused deposition modeling (fdm)


build examplestools fashion art architectural models

instruments medical devices 3d printers


large scale 3d printing


Ceccanti et al. 2010

Khoshnevis 2004

Lim 2012

large scale 3d printing

Lim 2012


3d printing for space

• solves problems:

• automated = safety, limited boots on the ground

• cost = low mass, uses local materials, one launch creates many structures

• complexity = free


adapting for spacespace conditions:

vacuumreduced gravity

ionizing radiation

dust

temperature extremespower considerations

micrometeorite impacts

habitat requirementsprinting on a large scale


adapting for space

Adapted from Williams et al. 2011


current lunar 3d printing technology state

materials research: lunacrete, lunar glass

lunar 3d printing projects: khoshnevis + NASA dini + foster & partners + ESA


can we do better?

cheaper, safer?improvement leads to increased overall feasibility and likeliness of

it actually happening

lower the launch mass

heavy gantry system - get rid of itmobile robotics - minimize it


cambridge research: launch instead of extruding

reduce mass further by using stationary system


research focusdrop impact- angle and impact speed

depend on drop location- surface conditions- build material properties

Ideal drops:- uniform building blocks- significant height- drop shape independent of angle and impact speed- ability to support additional layers


test materials

newtonian


test materials

viscoplasticnewtonian


test materials

viscoplasticnewtonian

dilatant


impact behavior resultsnewtonian:

viscoplastic:

dilatant:

no stacking without curing first

bouncing/rebound

diameter independent of velocity and angle

splashing at high velocityspreading

wetting - small drop height

diameter dependent on velocity

stacks unreliably

stacks when dry

has significant drop height

wetting - small drop height


• getting dilatant/viscoplastic impact properties from lunar material

next steps

• maintaining drop impact behaviors in lunar conditions -- outgassing, evaporation

• material prep process + launch process


• short term (though not soon)

• bulk material + radiation/impact cover

• reduction of launch mass for lunar missions

• increasing safety

• limited functionality

implications

• long term

• technology more advanced

• starts make more sense to manufacture space hardware in space than on Earth

• used to build tools, parts, infrastructure, circuitry etc.

• manufacturing on the moon for other missions to solar system destinations

• less energy required to launch from the moon than from Earth

• combine with lunar mining, h3 fuel depots


Summary

designing for the space industry

lunar 3d printing

• overlapping national and commercial playing fields

• share 3 concerns: politics, economics, technology

•overcome by designing safe, cost-effective and multi-functional technology

• 3d printing = increases safety, decreases launch mass and therefore cost

• scaling and adapting earth 3d printers leads to large bulky gantry systems or mobile robotics

• launching material instead of moving printer head extruders = further reduction of mass and energy consumption

• much more work to be done

launch less hardware by using a 3d printer that launches more material


[email protected]@dnevius

Questions?


lunar 3d printing: launch less by launching more

Technology

space exploration

space space conditions

d printing launch

d printing adapting

d printing motivation

d printing lim

d printing projects

d printing techniques