Chapter 526 Yes, it is this big
By using tracks, the off-road performance of the vehicle can be improved, making it easier to pass through some depression-like structures.
However, this design concept has been rejected in previous lunar rovers.
Because the gravitational acceleration is only one-sixth of that on the earth, the gravity of the same object on the moon will be very small.
In this way, the sand on the moon can more easily enter the mechanical devices of the lunar rover, making the lunar rover more prone to malfunctions.
Without anyone on board, if the lunar rover breaks down, it cannot be repaired.
Tracked rovers are relatively less flexible than wheeled rovers and are more likely to roll over when passing obstacles.
This can also easily lead to mission failure.
Another reason why tracked rovers are not used is that they are often very heavy.
Due to the limitations of current rocket carrying capacity, wheeled rovers with smaller mass are easier to send into outer space.
Of course, even with these limitations, it does not mean that the tracked planetary vehicle is definitely not suitable for application.
Xu You connected his brain to the quantum computer, performing various calculations at a rapid speed, and trying out the various possibilities of the new structure of the planetary rover.
"If it is this kind of structure...these problems can be solved!"
After a series of calculations, Xu You finally found a new direction.
That is to combine the advantages of wheeled structure and tracked structure to design a planetary vehicle with a wheel-track composite structure.
When dealing with different situations, the mode can be switched so that the lunar rover can adapt to a variety of road conditions.
After several days of intensive work, Xu You finally designed a plan that satisfied himself the most.
In the brain simulation, this new lunar rover performed very well. It was not only able to operate stably on the lunar surface for a long time, but also able to perform various simple collection and analysis tasks.
Among them, although the information from SAM Space Agency did not directly help Xu You in designing the lunar rover, it provided Xu You with a lot of valuable data.
These data will allow Xu You to better simulate the environment on the moon and test the lunar rover under nearly real conditions.
After completing the design of the new lunar rover, Xu You immediately notified everyone to go to the conference room for an emergency meeting.
Upon learning that Xu You had completed the design of the new lunar rover, everyone was very curious about how Xu You designed the new lunar rover this time.
"Due to time constraints, let's just get straight to the point."
Just like before, Xu You did not hesitate and directly displayed the design drawings of the new lunar rover on the big screen.
When everyone saw the design of the new lunar rover on the screen, they were a little surprised at first.
"The new lunar rover designed by Professor Xu... is it this big?"
Everyone’s first impression of this design drawing is that the lunar rover is too large.
According to their impression, the size of the lunar rover will be kept relatively limited, otherwise it will be difficult to send it to an alien planet via a carrier rocket.
However, since this design came from Xu You, no one would easily doubt that there was something wrong with Xu You's design.
Over the years, Xu You's achievements in the field of scientific research have always refreshed everyone's cognition, and in the end they all proved that Xu You was right.
Xu You must have his reasons for making such a design.
Xu You saw everyone's confusion and said quickly:
"I know that when you first see my design, you will definitely think that this lunar rover is a bit too big. Don't worry, please listen to me and explain the reason."
As he spoke, Xu You calmly explained his design concept.
"First of all, it is the design direction of the crawler lunar rover. I know that before this, there has never been a tracked planetary rover that has actually landed on an alien planet, but this does not mean that the tracked structure is an abandoned direction. If we want to conduct in-depth exploration of the moon, this is a breakthrough that must be made."
Given the current terrain structure of the moon, tracked rovers are obviously more suitable for long-distance missions on the moon.
"Please note that this new lunar rover is not a complete track-type structure, but a composite structure of wheels and tracks. If necessary, the new lunar rover can switch to a structure very close to wheels, which can increase its running speed on flat roads."
As he spoke, Xu You opened another interface.
This is an interface under simulation state. At this time, the new lunar rover has just passed the rugged and bumpy road and entered a relatively flat road.
Next, the new lunar rover's drive and telescopic mechanism drove the two swing arms to lift the tracks at both ends.
At this time, only the wheels under the track driving wheels are in contact with the tracks, and the entire structure is converted into a structure similar to a wheel.
The speed of the new lunar rover also increased significantly due to the mode change.
"As you can see, this special structure maximizes the advantages of tracked and wheeled structures while avoiding the defects of the two structures. The Fulong system it carries can also intelligently switch modes based on the data from the new lunar rover's sensors. We don't need to remotely control it in real time, we just need to set the destination and it will automatically go to the target location."
After listening to Xu You’s explanation, everyone’s impression of the new lunar rover was greatly improved.
At least in this aspect of design, Xu You has indeed made great innovations, and they have great application value.
"Next, it's about energy. Because of its increased size, the new lunar rover will definitely consume much more energy than previous lunar rovers. Therefore, in terms of energy storage, we used a battery structure similar to the Fulong mobile phone. With a high-density energy storage method, the new lunar rover can achieve long-term endurance without energy supply."
There is also day and night on the moon because the main source of energy is solar energy, and there is no energy supply at night.
At this time, the energy storage system becomes particularly important.
"In addition to energy storage, we have also made a unique design for the solar panels of the new lunar rover. Please take a look here first."
As he spoke, Xu You controlled the computer and let the new lunar rover simulate the process of deploying solar panels in the software.
"Here, we use special flexible materials to allow the solar panels to be unfolded to the maximum area. With sufficient sunlight, it only takes 4-6 hours to fully charge the battery."
