Numerical simulations of regolith sampling processes
- Author(s)
- Christoph Schäfer, Samuel Scherrer, Robert Buchwaldt, Thomas Maindl
- Abstract
We present recent improvements in the simulation of regolith sampling processes in microgravity using the numerical particle method smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH). We use an elastic-plastic soil constitutive model for large deformation and failure flows for dynamical behaviour of regolith. In the context of projected small body (asteroid or small moons) sample return missions, we investigate the efficiency and feasibility of a particular material sampling method: Brushes sweep material from the asteroid's surface into a collecting tray. We analyze the influence of different material parameters of regolith such as cohesion and angle of internal friction on the sampling rate. Furthermore, we study the sampling process in two environments by varying the surface gravity (Earth's and Phobos') and we apply different rotation rates for the brushes. We find good agreement of our sampling simulations on Earth with experiments and provide estimations for the influence of the material properties on the collecting rate.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Astrophysics
- External organisation(s)
- Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Airbus Deutschland
- Journal
- Planetary and Space Science
- Volume
- 141
- Pages
- 35 - 44
- No. of pages
- 10
- ISSN
- 0032-0633
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2017.04.015
- Publication date
- 07-2017
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 103003 Astronomy, 103004 Astrophysics
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Astronomy and Astrophysics, Space and Planetary Science
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/e66ced28-8148-4ece-b601-fd201a0875b0