Lunar dust consists of extremely fine particles and exhibits electrostatic
charging properties and electrostatic adhesion. These characteristics cause
lunar dust to be highly susceptible to mobilization during lander touchdowns,
rover traversals, and human activities, forming widely distributed dust clouds.
Lunar dust contamination not only abrades spacecraft and equipment to impair
their performance but also poses a threat to astronauts’ safety. To verify the
impact of the lunar dust environment on exploration equipment components, a
simulation mechanism adaptable to the thermal vacuum test environment was
designed. This mechanism is integrated into the lunar environment simulation
system and uses a vacuum stepper motor to drive a ratchet mechanism, enabling
precise vibrational injection of simulated lunar dust. It mainly consists of a
pretreatment mechanism, a particle sedimentation mechanism, a shielding
mechanism, and an ultraviolet (UV) irradiation system. Considering the vacuum
operating environment, alternating high and low temperature conditions, as well
as the strict requirements for the mechanism’s compact size and high
reliability, this paper analyzes in detail a series of problems encountered
during the development of the mechanism and their corresponding solutions.
Stainless steel and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were selected as the main
materials for the mechanism. Meanwhile, active temperature control measures were
adopted to actively regulate the temperature of components such as the motor.
Ultimately, the mechanism can withstand alternating high and low temperatures
ranging from -150°C to 150°C and a vacuum environment of 5 × 10^–6 Pa.
Under this environment, the mechanism can achieve vibration frequency adjustment
within the range of 1-5 Hz, and realize the sedimentation of simulated lunar
dust particles with a particle size of less than 200 μm over an area of 150 mm ×
150 mm. After sedimentation, the simulated lunar dust particles can be charged
through the photoelectric effect.