Lunar Helium-3 Mining, LLC

Paul A Beatty

Chris Salvino

Andrew Dummer

Drew F DeJarnette

Drew Dejarnette

Described is a particle filtration system that protects a gas segregation region from lunar regolith dust by using, among other filtration elements, an integrated electromagnetic and electrostatic dust repelling system. The system includes a particle intake chamber with a particle repelling screen comprising a planar array of conductive wires energized with phase-shifted alternating current to generate a time-varying magnetic field. This field repels iron-rich dust particles laterally. An ionizing element located between the particle repelling screen and the gas segregation region. The ionizing element generates one or more electron curtains that charge neutral dust particles, which are then drawn to paired conductive plates via electrostatic attraction. A final-stage ULPA mesh filter captures any remaining particles, ensuring only gas enters the gas segregation region. This design enhances dust mitigation, improves gas collection efficiency, and protects sensitive components in harsh extraterrestrial environments.

Particle repelling arrangement

Described is a particle filtration system that protects a gas segregation region from lunar regolith dust by using an electrostatic filter arrangement. An ionizing element (screen or bar, for example) generates one or more electron curtains that charge neutral dust particles, which are then drawn to paired conductive plates via electrostatic attraction. The system operates efficiently in vacuum conditions, leveraging field emission from sharp triangular apexes of the ionizing element/s to create high-density electron streams. A final-stage ULPA mesh filter captures any remaining particles, ensuring only gas enters the gas segregation region. This design enhances dust mitigation, improves gas collection efficiency, and protects sensitive components in harsh extraterrestrial environments.

Electrostatic filtration arrangement

Described herein are embodiments directed to collecting vaporize gas via a CPC arrangement. The CPC arrangement generally comprises a transporter that carries around a cover with one or more cryogenically cooled plates (or some other cryogenically cooled surface) therein. A plurality of CPCs dispersed on the transporter each have a concave reflective bowl that captures and directs sunlight through a fiberoptic cable where the sunlight is focused on regolith in an internal environment defined within the cover when resting atop the regolith. The focused sunlight heats the regolith and liberates the gas from the regolith, which is trapped in the internal environment. The gas in the internal environment condenses on the cooled plates where it can be collected and processed.

Compound parabolic concentrator arrangement

Described herein are embodiments directed to a heat recovery arrangement for collecting vaporized gas trapped in regolith. The heat recovery arrangement generally comprising a rover that carries heat recovery elements that cooperate with a primary heat source. The heat recovery elements include a preheat contact element that preheats a region of regolith before the region is brought to high heat by the primary heat source. As the rover moves forward, the preheat contact element receives heat collected from the high heat region via a heat recovery sled that moves in contact with the high heat region. Heat is transferred between the heat recovery sled and the preheat contact element via a heat transfer medium that circulates through the heat recovery sled and preheat contact element.

Heat recovery arrangement

Disclosed is a gas separation arrangement for separating and containing various types of gas received from a collection chamber. In certain embodiments, the gas separation arrangement is envisioned to assist in mining select gases from the Moon. The arrangement includes plurality of progressively chilled separation tanks that successively separate out different species of gas. The separation tanks are connected to and receive the various gas species from the collection chamber. Each separation tank can have an independent heat exchanger that maintains the respective separation tank at a temperature that selectively liquifies/precipitates out a target species of gas allowing the remaining gas to move to a successive separation tank. Ultimately, He-3 and He-4 are separated from one another to be collected, like the other gas species.

Progressively chilled gas separation tanks

Described herein are embodiments directed to a particle repelling helmet having particle mitigation system that keeps dust particles from going into the interior of the helmet. The helmet comprises a face vent that provides an unobstructed pathway between an external environment and a wearer's eyes, nose and mouth. A spacer arrangement connected to an inner side of the helmet provides a channel between the wearer's head and the inner helmet side. A fan blows air through the helmet, across the wearer's head and out the face vent and head receiving opening in the bottom of the helmet. Electrodes disposed along the edge of the face vent produce an electrostatic barrier that spans the face vent thereby further preventing charged dust from going into the helmet. The helmet can also comprise an ionizer that generates ions, which charges neutral dust particles that can be blocked by the barrier.

Dust mitigation headgear

Disclosed is a gas separation arrangement for separating and containing various types of gas from a collection chamber based on their different atomic masses. The chamber is connected to an ion diverter via a valve that when open permits the various types of gas to migrate from the collection chamber to an ionizer where the gas is ionized. The ionized gas is accelerated through an ion accelerator and dispensed into an ion deflector. The ion deflector comprises a magnetic field within a channel defined by a pair of split-pole magnets. The trajectory of the ions is based on the mass of the ions, which separates the ions. Multiple collectors are positioned at different locations on an exit side of the ion deflector to receive the different ions traveling along their respective trajectories.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

Paul A Beatty