Claims
- 1. A method for cleaning lunar dust particles, comprising the steps of:
providing a magnetic field source for attracting lunar dust particles; providing magnetic proximity between said lunar dust particles and said magnetic field source, and collecting said lunar dust particles by said magnetic field source.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein a source of said lunar dust particles are from non-native surfaces being at least one selected from the group consisting of solar panels, pressure seals and friction bearing surfaces.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said lunar dust particles have sizes of less than approximately 45 μm.
- 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of hot pressing said collected lunar dust particles to form articles.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is performed within a lunar living facility.
- 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of brushing a surface with a cleaning apparatus.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein said cleaning apparatus includes a magnetic source therein.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said brushing step is performed in an air shower.
- 9. A method of mining iron from the moon, comprising the steps of:
providing a magnetic field source for attracting lunar dust particles; moving said magnetic field source, wherein said lunar dust particles are collected by said magnetic field source; and removing said collected lunar particles from said magnetic field source.
- 10. An apparatus for the collection of lunar dust, comprising:
a magnetic field source for lunar dust particles; structure for providing magnetic proximity between said magnetic field source and said lunar dust particles, and structure for collecting said lunar dust particles by said magnetic field source.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a source of said lunar dust particles is from non-native surfaces being at least one selected from the group consisting of solar panels, pressure seals and friction bearing surfaces.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said lunar dust particles have sizes of less than approximately 45 μm.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a structure for utilizing said collecting lunar dust particles to produce articles.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a structure for hot pressing said collected lunar dust particles to form said articles.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said apparatus is utilized in a lunar living facility.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a brush for brushing a surface having said lunar dust particles thereon.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said brush includes a magnetic source therein.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said brush is used in an air shower.
- 19. A method for cleaning and collection of lunar dust particles from surfaces, comprising the steps of:
moving a magnetic source in proximity to a plurality of lunar dust particles disposed on a surface, and attracting said lunar dust particles to said magnetic source.
- 20. The method of claim 19, wherein said surface includes a friction bearing surface.
- 21. The method of claim 19, wherein said dust particles have sizes of less than approximately 45 μm.
- 22. A method for cleaning surfaces having extraterrestrial particles thereon, comprising the steps of:
providing a magnetic field source for attracting extraterrestrial particles; providing magnetic proximity between said extraterrestrial particles and said magnetic field source, and collecting said extraterrestrial particles by said magnetic field source.
- 23. A self-cleaning solar cell, comprising,
at least one solar panel having a surface area adapted to receive solar radiation, and a movable structure having a magnetic field source adapted for translation over said surface area to collect particles accumulated on said surface area.
- 24. The self-cleaning solar cell of claim 23, wherein said structure operates automatically.
- 25. The self-cleaning solar cell of claim 23, further comprising at least one sensor for performing measurements, said measurements used to determine when to translate said movable structure over said surface area.
- 26. The self-cleaning solar cell of claim 23, wherein said sensors include an optical sensor.
- 27. The self-cleaning solar cell of claim 23, wherein said particles collected include lunar dust particles.
- 28. The self-cleaning solar cell of claim 23, wherein said self-cleaning solar cell is integrated into a solar power satellite system.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0001] The United States Government has rights in this invention pursuant to NASA Grant No. NAG5-9158 between the United States Department of Energy and The University of Tennessee Research Corporation.