Assessment of DTVC Operation Efficiency for the Simulation of High Vacuum and Cryogenic Lunar Surface Environment

Hyunwoo Jin; Taeil Chung; Jangguen Lee; Hyu-Soung Shin; Byung Hyun Ryu

doi:10.7843/kgs.2022.38.12.125

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2022 Vol.38, Issue 12 Preview Page

Assessment of DTVC Operation Efficiency for the Simulation of High Vacuum and Cryogenic Lunar Surface Environment 고진공 및 극저온 달의 지상 환경 재현을 위한 지반열진공챔버 운영 효율성 평가

31 December 2022. pp. 125-134

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Abstract

The Global Expansion Roadmap published by the International Space Exploration Coordination Group, which is organized by space agencies around the world, presents future lunar exploration guidance and stresses a lunar habitat program to utilize lunar resources. The Moon attracts attention as an outpost for deep space exploration. Simulating lunar surface environments is required to evaluate the performances of various equipment for future lunar surface missions. In this paper, an experimental study was conducted to simulate high vacuum pressure and cryogenic temperature of the permanent shadow regions in the lunar south pole, which is a promising candidate for landing and outpost construction. The establishment of an efficient dirty thermal vacuum chamber (DTVC) operation process has never been presented. One-dimensional ground cooling tests were conducted with various vacuum pressures with the Korean Lunar Simulant type-1 (KLS-1) in DTVC. The most advantageous vacuum pressure was found to be 30–80 mbar, considering the cooling efficiency and equipment stability. However, peripheral cooling is also required to simulate a cryogenic for not sublimating ice in a high vacuum pressure. In this study, an efficient peripheral cooling operation process was proposed by applying the frost ratio concept.

Keywords

Cryogenic temperature

DTVC operation efficiency

Frost ratio

High vacuum pressure

Lunar surface

세계 우주 기관들로 조직된 국제 우주탐사 협력 그룹이 발간하는 글로벌 우주탐사 로드맵에서는 미래 달 탐사 방향과 달 자원 활용을 위한 거주 계획을 반영하는 등 달은 심우주 탐사를 위한 전초기지로 주목받고 있다. 따라서 달 행성 지반 환경 재현 인프라 기술은 미래 달 지상 탐사를 위해 필요한 다양한 장비들의 성능검증에 활용될 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 달 착륙 및 기지 건설 후보지인 달 남극 영구음영지역의 고진공 및 극저온 지상 환경을 재현하고자 하였다. 현재까지 달 지상 환경 재현을 위한 효율적 장비 운용 프로세스는 제시되지 못한 실정으로, 본 연구에서는 파일럿 지반열진공챔버에 인공월면 지반을 조성한 뒤 다양한 진공 환경에 대해 일방향 지반냉각 실험을 진행하고 이를 평가하였다. 냉각효율 및 장비 안정성 측면에서 가장 유리한 진공 환경은 30-80 mbar인 것으로 파악되었으나, 고진공 환경에서 얼음이 승화되지 않기 위한 극저온의 온도를 구현하기 위해서는 주변부 냉각이 추가적으로 요구되었다. 이를 위해 본 연구에서는 동결비 개념을 적용해 효율적인 주변부 냉각 가동 시점을 제안하였다.

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Information

Publisher :The Korean Geotechnical Society
Publisher(Ko) :한국지반공학회
Journal Title :Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
Journal Title(Ko) :한국지반공학회 논문집
Volume : 38
No :12
Pages :125-134
Received Date : 2022-12-14
Revised Date : 2022-12-22
Accepted Date : 2022-12-22
DOI :https://doi.org/10.7843/kgs.2022.38.12.125

Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society ISSN:1229-2427(Print) 2288-646X(Online) 한국지반공학회 논문집

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