IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0383894
(2009-03-30)
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등록번호 |
US-8159357
(2012-04-17)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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출원인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
7 |
초록
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Apparatus and a method are described for prospecting for water ice on heavenly bodies with the apparatus consisting of site preparation tools and a water ice detector unit. The apparatus is attached at the end of any robotic arm equipped lander or rover spacecraft; for instance, lander designs such
Apparatus and a method are described for prospecting for water ice on heavenly bodies with the apparatus consisting of site preparation tools and a water ice detector unit. The apparatus is attached at the end of any robotic arm equipped lander or rover spacecraft; for instance, lander designs such as Mars Phoenix or rover designs such as Mars Spirit and Opportunity. Supported on an internal, moveable carriage, the apparatus is also incorporated into smaller, dedicated water ice detection rover spacecraft. The water ice detection unit inserts electrodes into or against a potential water ice deposit and confirms the presence of water ice by making combination impedance and thermal conductivity measurements.
대표청구항
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1. Water ice detection apparatus for prospecting for water ice and accomplishing water ice detection in the vicinity of a surface of a heavenly body, the apparatus comprising: a lander spacecraft, a rover spacecraft or an instrument positioned by an astronaut, the lander spacecraft and the rover spa
1. Water ice detection apparatus for prospecting for water ice and accomplishing water ice detection in the vicinity of a surface of a heavenly body, the apparatus comprising: a lander spacecraft, a rover spacecraft or an instrument positioned by an astronaut, the lander spacecraft and the rover spacecraft being like the Mars Phoenix lander and the Mars Spirit and Mars Opportunity rovers, respectively; the latter with their six bogie-wheel support system and navigation system, the apparatus equipped with a robotic arm or with a moveable carriage, the apparatus including a water ice detection system and test site preparation tools which are used at a prospective measurement site for measurement site preparation and are attached to the robotic arm, moveable carriage or directly to the apparatus, the site preparation tools being a motor driven scraper, a motor driven brush and a motor driven cutter, the test site preparation tools and a water ice detection sensor with water ice detection electrodes and temperature and thermal conductivity probes are parts of the water ice detection system, the test site preparation tools, water ice detection sensor and temperature and thermal conductivity probes attached to the apparatus at the robotic arm's free end in the form of a water ice detection cross structure or suspended from the moveable carriage on extensible arms, the remainder of the water ice detection system being a water ice detection unit fixed in position on the apparatus, the test site preparation tools used to remove overlying material on the surface of the heavenly body to expose a prospective water ice test sample at a test site measurement point for a water ice detection measurement, water ice detection achieved thru measurements of a prospective water ice test sample's temperature, thermal conductivity and variation of total impedance with electrical excitation frequency followed by transformation of total impedance data into complex dielectric values using an algorithm, confirmation that a prospective water ice test sample is water ice when a semi-circular shaped trace is found in complex dielectric space with size in agreement with on-board stored data in an on-board special purpose computer, total impedance data measured by an electronic chip embodied in one form as a Analog Device Model AD5933 Network Analyzer chip and:said water ice detection system mounted on a lander spacecraft, rover spacecraft or in an instrument positioned by an astronaut on the surface of the heavenly body,said water ice detection physically separated into two parts: said water ice detection unit and second part: site preparation tools, water ice detection sensor and temperature and thermal conductivity probes; the first part and second part electrically connected to each other,said water ice detection unit containing a special purpose computer with dedicated algorithims, a controller, data storage, and a communication transceiver,said water ice detection unit mounted in a controlled temperature environment on said lander spacecraft, rover spacecraft or astronaut positioned instrument,said test site preparation tools comprising first, a motor driven scraper, second, a motor driven brush and third, a motor driven cutter wherein: (a) said first scraper, used to remove overlay on the surface of the heavenly body covering the prospective measurement site and the prospective water ice test sample, and(b) said second brush, for cleaning the exposed surface after removing the overlying material, and(c) said third cutter, for making impressions in the cleansed surface into or upon which a portion of said water ice detection sensor is placed,said water ice detection sensor equipped with electrodes that are placed into or upon said cleansed surface of said heavenly body along with the temperature and thermal conductivity measuring probes to make prospective water ice test sample measurements by: (a) using said electrodes to electrically excite said prospective water ice test sample over a range of frequencies at a voltage, and(b) measuring the total impedance of said prospective water ice test sample at each frequency with an impedance measuring device connected to said electrodes; one embodiment of said impedance measuring device being the Analog Device Model AD5933 Network Analyzer chip,said test site preparation tools and said water ice detection sensor mounted at the tip of a robotic arm of said lander spacecraft or rover spacecraft or astronaut positioned instrument if equipped with said robotic arms, or attached to a moveable carriage integral to said lander spacecraft, rover spacecraft or said astronaut positioned instrument if it is without said robotic arm. 2. The water ice detection apparatus recited in claim 1 for said lander spacecraft or rover spacecraft or astronaut positioned instrument with said robotic arm where said test site preparation tools, said water ice detection sensor, and said temperature and thermal conductivity measuring probes are mounted on a water ice detection cross structure at the tip of the robotic arm comprised of several arms wherein: (a) on the cross structure's first arm, is mounted said motor driven scraper,(b) on the cross structure's second arm, is mounted said motor driven brush,(c) on the cross structure's third arm, is mounted said motor driven cutter,(d) on the cross structure's fourth arm, are mounted said water ice detection sensor and said temperature and said thermal conductivity measuring probes with said first, second, third, and fourth arms able to be moved and/or rotated in either the horizontal plane, the vertical plane or in a tilted plane, and(e) with each of the test site preparation tools and water ice detection sensor with temperature and thermal conductivity probes mounted on extensible motor driven mechanisms that separately move each of the tools, water ice sensor and temperature and thermal conductivity probes with respect to the surface of the heavenly body; up, down, against and into the heavenly body surface. 3. The water ice detection apparatus recited in claim 1 for said lander spacecraft or rover spacecraft or astronaut positioned instrument, all without said robotic arms wherein: (a) said test site preparation tools, said water ice detection sensor and said temperature and thermal conductivity probes are mounted on a carriage which is integral to the spacecraft, and(b) said carriage is capable of linear motions and rotational motions with respect to the spacecraft and is driven to place each of said test site preparation tools or said water ice sensor and probes exactly over the test site measurement point in an indexed manner. 4. The water ice detection apparatus recited in claim 1 for said lander spacecraft or rover spacecraft or astronaut positioned instrument, each equipped with said robotic arms wherein: (a) said robotic arm may be moved during measurement site preparation and for said water ice detection measurements, and(b) said movements made to place each of said site preparation tools and said water ice sensor with probes sequentially over and then against said test site measurement point, and(c) then assigned tasks are carried out of first scraping the prospective measurement site, then cleansing it, then cutting impressions in it and then placing the water ice detection sensor electrodes in or against it. 5. The water ice detection apparatus recited in claim 1 for said lander spacecraft or rover spacecraft or astronaut positioned instrument, each spacecraft or astronaut positioned instrument equipped with said robotic arm or said moveable carriage wherein: (a) each of said site preparation tools and the water ice detection sensor is attached to the robotic arm or moveable carriage on a separate mechanism, and(b) each of the separate mechanisms is driven to control the position of the tool, sensor or probes with respect to the surface of the heavenly body so the tool, sensor or probe may carry out its respective task of scraping, cleansing, cutting or water ice detection. 6. The water ice detection apparatus recited in claim 1 for said lander spacecraft or rover spacecraft or astronaut positioned instrument wherein: (a) the position of each tool, sensor or probe is measured with respect to the surface of the heavenly body based on data provided by video cameras which simultaneously view the apparatus and the prospective measurement site, and(b) video cameras may be mounted on the spacecraft tool, sensor or probe and on the robotic arm or moveable carriage and on each mechanism, and(c) position data may also be provided by proximity sensors or from motor revolution counters. 7. The water ice detection apparatus recited in claim 1 for said lander spacecraft or rover spacecraft or astronaut positioned instrument, of the moveable carriage type, wherein: (a) a folded version of said water ice detection cross is attached to said moveable carriage in a way to minimize the vertical height of said lander spacecraft or rover spacecraft or astronaut positioned instrument, and(b) the folded version designed to minimize overturning forces and moments generated on it during heavenly body surface scraping, surface cleansing, surface cutting and water ice sensor electrode insertion into the surface of said heavenly body. 8. The water ice detection apparatus recited in claim 1 for said lander spacecraft or rover spacecraft where smaller versions of these spacecraft, a few feet in length or smaller, are used wherein: (a) these smaller spacecrafts are equipped with stabilizers on their outer extremities, and(b) said stabilizers are inserted on or in the surface of said heavenly body to resist and remove any and all forces and moments induced on the spacecraft during heavenly body surface scraping, surface cleansing, surface cutting or water ice detection measurements. 9. The water ice detection apparatus recited in claim 1 for said lander spacecraft or rover spacecraft or astronaut positioned instrument wherein: (a) said lander spacecraft or rover spacecraft or astronaut positioned instrument is equipped with a communication transceiver, and(b) the communication transceiver operates to send and receive data, control and operational updates, software and videos to and from said spacecraft or said instrument and to and from the earth via relay satellites circling overhead.
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