Extraction Methods for Frozen Lunar Water Ice?

[sanman]

You want to think about technology you can patent? Come up with a way to extract frozen water ice in the shadowed craters on the Moon, which are at temperatures approaching absolute zero. He who controls the lunar water, controls the future of human colonization on the Moon.

Given that this frozen water could very well be the most precious commodity on the entire lunar surface, then people would pay an arm and a leg for a convenient way to extract and harvest it.

How do you grab ice that may be frozen at some ridiculously low temperature, in an area also at the same low temperature?

Microwave cutting? Simple hot knife?
How to grab any pieces you've chopped free?
What kind of apparatus would you use?

There's no way to suction anything in a hard vacuum. Is it better to pound on the ice and create ice chips, to then scoop them up like gravel? Would a jackhammer suffice?

What is the best way to grab this stuff and handle it, especially if you're doing it at the bottom of a deep cavity?

Should there be an X-Prize competition for this?

 

[Wetmelon]

Haha. That could be interesting. Simply because if you hot-knife a block, it will almost instantly re-freeze... requiring you to somehow remove the melted water immediately.

 

[sanman]

On the other hand, maybe extracting the traces of adsorbed water from the regolith may be easier than going down into some deep shadowed crater to extract the ice.

But what I don't understand is how you evaporate volatiles in their vapor phase and avoid losing them to the hard lunar vacuum. To me, that requires heating your solids in a sealed chamber, which imposes a batch process over a continuous one.

Is there some way to use electrical or magnetic fields to corral the water vapor? Is there some regenerative catalytic process that could be used? What's the cheapest, most efficient way to do this to gather large amounts of water?

 

[sanman]

Oh, another thought - perhaps you could leverage the day-night cycles on the Moon, since the transition between night and day would see the water approaching its sublimation/frost point, so that you'd then be able to harvest more easily while expending less energy.

 

[alphy]

As a scientist, the first step in developing an extraction method for frozen lunar water ice would be to thoroughly analyze the composition and properties of the ice in the shadowed craters. This would involve conducting experiments and simulations to determine the best approach for extracting and harvesting the ice.

One potential technology that could be patented for this purpose is a laser-based extraction method. The laser would be used to heat up the ice and create fractures, allowing for easier extraction. This method would be more precise and efficient than using a hot knife or jackhammer, as it would not require physical contact with the ice.

To address the issue of handling the ice in a vacuum, a robotic arm could be designed to scoop up the ice chips and transfer them to a storage container. This arm could also be equipped with a heating element to prevent the ice from refreezing during the transfer process.

Another important factor to consider is the location of the extraction site. To reach the bottom of deep craters, a specialized drilling apparatus could be developed. This apparatus would be able to withstand the extreme temperatures and conditions of the lunar surface, while also being able to navigate through the rough terrain.

In terms of a potential X-Prize competition, this could be a great way to incentivize innovation and accelerate the development of new extraction methods. It could also generate public interest and support for lunar colonization efforts.

In conclusion, developing a laser-based extraction method, a robotic arm for handling the ice, and a specialized drilling apparatus could be potential technologies to patent for extracting frozen lunar water ice. These methods could not only provide a solution for harvesting this valuable resource, but also pave the way for future human colonization on the Moon.