Development of a generator for percussive ultrasonic drills used in asteroid exploration based on impedance characteristics analysis

Ultrasonics. 2022 Dec:126:106835. doi: 10.1016/j.ultras.2022.106835. Epub 2022 Aug 28.

Abstract

Percussive ultrasonic drills participate in asteroid exploration missions. Since space environments are complex and working loads vary dramatically, it is necessary to design a drive that better matches the percussive ultrasonic drill to make it achieve high-speed drilling with low power consumption. Impedance characteristics under different load conditions and the load varying in one drilling cycle are investigated based on analyzing the working principle of the percussive ultrasonic drill. An ultrasonic drill driver with automatic scanning resonant frequency and digital phase-locked loop frequency tracking control is designed according to the load characteristics. Series capacitance impedance matching ultrasonic drills is experimentally studied. Vibration amplitude and impedance characteristics of the ultrasonic drill driven by the designed driver are measured to evaluate the frequency tracking ability and the impedance matching. Finally, ultrasonic drilling experiments are conducted in room, low, and high temperature environments to investigate the driving performance. Under room temperature and 5 N drilling pressure, the speed of ultrasonic drilling into soft sandstone is 52 mm/min, and the power consumption is less than 70 W. The experimental results indicate that the designed driver can drive the percussive ultrasonic drill to achieve stable and high-speed drilling with low power consumption and low drilling pressure.

Keywords: Control method; Load characteristics; Ultrasonic drill; Ultrasonic drilling experiment; Ultrasonic driver design.

MeSH terms

  • Electric Impedance
  • Hot Temperature*
  • Ultrasonics*