RASSOR Bucket Drum Design Challenge Submission

Last crawled date: 1 year, 11 months ago

Please note that my submission is a working prototype, not a final design. I modelled it with 3d printed and wooden parts in mind, which results in some unnecessarily heavy components. In addition to that I specially designed it so that I can exchange parts easily and try different variations (this approach added over 50 screws and nuts).

What makes my approach special, is the use of organic forms. They add strength and can safe weight. Since the main force is applied to just a few parts (mainly the "Rails"), all the other parts can be made very thin and light, especially the inner structure.

The estimated fill ratio I figured out lies around 60%. I wasn't able to hit this number with my model, because with getting fuller the pressure on the unfortunately rather big gaps in my models increased and the sand was escaping quicker than the drum was able to fill in new.

Pros:
-no intersections inside the bucket
-the estimated capacity is higher than the current design
-better grip on surface when used as a wheel
-once captured the regolith stays inside while the bucket isn't turning in the opposite direction

Cons:
-the estimated weight is higher
-the design is more complex which can lead to impracticality since repairing could be more difficult

For the model I built I sized down all the components to 50%, so the wall thickness of most components is one millimeter, not two.