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US 12,298,042 B2Granted
Systems and methods for manufacturing in space environments
AssigneeTrans Astronautica Corporation
InventorsJoel C. Sercel, Philip J. Wahl, James G. Small
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A factory for manufacturing useful products while orbiting is space uses concentrated solar energy, high vacuum, and the low temperatures available in a space environment. Gyroscopic forces from rotating machinery are carefully controlled. Liquids, gases, and solid minerals are separated from asteroid and lunar regolith resources.
Claims22
An orbiting factory in space, comprising:
- a containment vessel configured to contain feedstock material obtained from an asteroid or lunar regolith;
- one or more optical components configured to collect solar energy from the Sun, concentrate the collected solar energy to a power level sufficient to evaporate volatile gases and to cause spalling and fracturing of the feedstock material, and direct the concentrated solar energy to impinge upon a surface of the feedstock materials;
- and
- a plurality of condensation chambers configured to receive the evaporated gasses and condense the evaporated gasses into liquid fractions, the condensation chambers further configured to rotate around an axis of rotation such that the liquid fractions are collected on inner surfaces of the condensation chambers.
1 more element
An orbiting factory in space, comprising:
- a containment vessel configured to contain feedstock material obtained from an asteroid or lunar regolith;
- one or more optical components configured to collect solar energy from the Sun, concentrate the collected solar energy to a power level sufficient to evaporate volatile gases and to cause spalling and fracturing of the feedstock material, and direct the concentrated solar energy to impinge upon a surface of the feedstock materials;
- a plurality of condensation chambers configured to receive the evaporated gasses, the condensation chambers further configured to rotate around an axis of rotation, wherein a fraction of the spalled feedstock materials includes unconsolidated solid particles which are ground into a powder;
- and
- a shaped container configured to compact the powder and sinter the compacted powder into shaped ceramics.
2 more elements
An orbiting factory in space, comprising:
- a containment vessel configured to contain feedstock material obtained from an asteroid or lunar regolith;
- one or more optical components configured to collect solar energy from the Sun, concentrate the collected solar energy to a power level sufficient to evaporate volatile gases and to cause spalling and fracturing of the feedstock material, and direct the concentrated solar energy to impinge upon a surface of the feedstock materials;
- a plurality of condensation chambers configured to receive the evaporated gasses, the condensation chambers further configured to rotate around an axis of rotation, wherein a fraction of the spalled feedstock materials includes unconsolidated solid particles;
- a refractory container configured to receive the solid particles in a vacuum environment, wherein the one or more optical components are further configured to direct the concentrated solar energy to head the refractory container to a temperature sufficient to melt the solid particles;
- and
- a piston configured to apply a pressure to the melt to extrude the melt through a shaped orifice in the refractory container.
3 more elements
An orbiting factory in space, comprising:
- a containment vessel configured to contain feedstock material obtained from an asteroid or lunar regolith;
- one or more optical components configured to collect solar energy from the Sun, concentrate the collected solar energy to a power level sufficient to evaporate volatile gases and to cause spalling and fracturing of the feedstock material, and direct the concentrated solar energy to impinge upon a surface of the feedstock materials;
- a plurality of condensation chambers configured to receive the evaporated gasses, the condensation chambers further configured to rotate around an axis of rotation;
- a crucible configured to hold processed feedstock;
- and
- a form enclosing the crucible and having a shape of a structure to be fabricated.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.