Brickbot is intended as a risk reduction technology demonstrator of a robotic deployed induction furnace with an integrated brick molding nozzle, which will store lunar regolith, melt it, and deposit a brick while molten. Subsequent bricks when poured next to the initial brick will be melded together from residual heat. . This eliminates the need for grout or binders between the bricks. This prevents exhaust gases from intruding underneath the bricks and displacing them. The molding nozzle has independently actuated sides which allow the bricks to be deposited next to a previous brick and by lifting the nozzle wall of the joining side, allow molten regolith to flow around and meld itself to the previous brick. Each brick has a release draft angle with an undercut, it is this undercut which allows the interlocking of the bricks, which are shaped as a lobed rounded hexagonal. The proposed Induction Furnace-Nozzle 2.0 builds on results of our STTR 2021 Phase 1 Induction Furnace-Nozzle prototype 1.0, for development of a method of making in-situ lunar landing pad bricks. Anticipated
Benefits: Lunar and Martian landing pads, roads are the primary proposed application. Any planar surface such as foundations or dust mitigation zones. However any paving application is possible. Different nozzles could be interchangeable with the furnace and that leads to different uses of the bricks. The proposed use of this furnace is to melt high silica containing dust and deposit it in a useful application. However, continued advancement of this technology would allow melting materials to be used for mineral extraction, gas extraction, and other commercial mining applications. Especially in the rare earth mining processes which necessitate extreme heat.
