Digging and pushing lunar regolith: Classical soil mechanics and the forces needed for excavation and traction

There are many notional systems for excavating lunar regolith in NASA’s Exploration Vision. Quantitative system performance comparisons are scarce in the literature. This paper focuses on the required forces for excavation and traction as quantitative predictors of system feasibility. The rich history of terrestrial soil mechanics is adapted to extant lunar regolith parameters to calculate the forces. The soil mechanics literature often acknowledges the approximate results from the numerous excavation force models in use. An intent of this paper is to examine their variations in the lunar context. Six excavation models and one traction model are presented. The effects of soil properties are explored for each excavation model, for example, soil cohesion and friction, tool–soil adhesion, and soil density. Excavation operational parameters like digging depth, rake angle, gravity, and surcharge are examined. For the traction model, soil, operational, and machine design parameters are varied to probe choices. Mathematical anomalies are noted for several models. One conclusion is that the excavation models yield such disparate results that lunar-field testing is prudent. All the equations and graphs presented have been programmed for design use. Parameter ranges and units are included.