Free-Mass and Interface Configurations of Hammering Mechanisms

A series of free-mass designs for the ultrasonic/sonic driller/corer (USDC) has been developed to maximize the transfer of energy from the piezoelectric transducer through the horn to the bit, as well as to minimize potential jamming. A systematic development was made producing novel designs of freemass configurations where the impact force is spread across a minimal area maximizing the impact on the bit. The designed free masses were made to operate at high temperatures (500 °C) as on Venus, and they can be made to operate at extremely low temperature, too.