Handheld Cleaning Tool for Lunar Dust Adhered to Spacesuits Using Magnetic and Electrodynamic Forces¹

Abstract

The removal of lunar dust adhered to spacesuits is indispensable for crewed lunar exploration. A handheld cleaning tool was developed using magnetic and electrodynamic forces. The tool comprises a stationary multipole magnetic roller made of a rare-earth permanent magnet, rotating aluminum sleeve that covers the magnetic roller, screen electrode placed adjacent to the sleeve, and collection bag with a plate magnet. The sleeve is pressed on the dust adhered to the fabric of a spacesuit and pulled in the lateral direction. Magnetic lunar dust is attracted to the magnetic roller and transported via the rotating sleeve owing to magnetic and adhesion forces. The multipole magnetic roller is designed in a manner such that a strong attractive force acts on the adhered dust particles at the portion of contact with the fabric and a repulsive force acts on the trapped particles at an opposite position to the contact portion. When the trapped particles are transported to this opposite position, particles are released from the sleeve. To aid the magnetic release, a high AC voltage is applied between the screen electrode and the sleeve. The dust adhered to the sleeve is captured at the screen electrode and passed through the opening of the screen electrode using electrodynamic force. The captured dust is subsequently collected in the collecting bag; therefore, by sweeping the fabric surface, the tool can continuously capture, release, and collect lunar dust adhered to spacesuits. The demonstrated cleaning rate was approximately 64% by weight for a lunar regolith simulant. However, this rate will be higher for real lunar dust, whose magnetic permeability is higher than that of the simulant.