Passive versus active control of weight-on-bit for an ultrasonic percussive drill

Wang, T., Li, X. , Quan, Q., Harkness, P. and Deng, Z. (2024) Passive versus active control of weight-on-bit for an ultrasonic percussive drill. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, (doi: 10.1109/TMECH.2024.3360977) (Early Online Publication)

Abstract

Multiple ultrasonic percussive drill (UPD) cross-drilling anchoring helps to achieve long-term, secure attachment of sampling platforms in extreme environments. UPDs require less weight-on-bit (WOB) and lower power than conventional drills, making them more suitable for asteroid anchoring mission. Choosing a suitable WOB control method is one of the key factors to ensure rapid and stable drilling, but there is little research on the effect of the WOB control method on ultrasonic drilling performance. To address the technical challenges of drilling, this article investigates the effects of passive and active WOB control on ultrasonic drilling performance. First, the mechanical configuration of an UPD is presented and a full-wavelength piezoelectric transducer is designed using impedance analysis and experimental modal analysis. Then, passive control of WOB is implemented using suspended weights, and active control is implemented using a linear actuator. Finally, the effect of the WOB control method on the drilling performance is experimentally verified on rocks with different compressive strengths. Our results show that active control is better suited to WOB variation and rock compressive strength variation. When the WOB is 5 N, the drilling rate of passive control is slightly higher than that of active control, but the difference is not significant. When the WOB is 10 and 15 N, the drilling rate of active control surpasses that of passive control. The Ultrasonic percussive drill's power consumption is less than 60 W. This article provides a technical reference for selecting the WOB method for UPDs in planetary exploration.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 51975139, Grant 51935005 and Grant 52105012, in part by the China Scholarship Council.
• Status: Early Online Publication
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Harkness, Professor Patrick and Li, Dr Xuan
• Authors: Wang, T., Li, X., Quan, Q., Harkness, P., and Deng, Z.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy
• Journal Name: IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics
• Publisher: IEEE
• ISSN: 1083-4435
• ISSN (Online): 1941-014X
• Published Online: 26 February 2024
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2024, IEEE
• First Published: First published in IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics 2024
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy