DUST SEAL High Temperature and Dust Resistant Vacuum Seal Mechanism
2020 - 2021 | ESA
Development of a vacuum seal mechanism for future ISRU applications, compatible with dust and high temperature.
The project High Temperature and Dust Resistant Vacuum Seal Mechanism aims to design, manufacture and test on representative conditions a reusable seal compatible with high temperatures and dust presence. The objective of this project is to develop a sealing mechanism for future In-Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU) reaction chambers, compatible with up to 10 open and close cycles. ISRU is a critical technology for future missions to the Moon, as it allows to process lunar regolith to obtain valuable consumables, such as oxygen. The key challenges in the design of this seal mechanism are the presence of lunar dust, highly abrasive and hard to remove, and the extremely high temperatures of the ISRU processes, above 1000ºC in some cases.
The project involves requirements assessment, design, manufacturing and verification. AVS leads the project, thanks to its key heritage in the design of vacuum systems for harsh environments and space mechanism for exploration. It is supported by Open University, which provides inputs on ISRU user needs and simulant selection based on their wide experience in the use of lunar regolith and simulants, and Airbus Defence and Space, who supplies inputs about other lunar mission seal mechanism needs, heritage of seals in space and future recommendations for development of a sealing mechanism thanks to their background in developments for Moon missions.
Photo(s) and/or 3D’s: Picture shows proposed test set-up for verification of seal performance.