Auger Drum

The internal bucket is static while the auger rotor is connected to the scoops and they spin together in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. When going clockwise (digging mode) the scoops pick up the material and they transfer it to the internal bucket where the auger continuously pushes and keeps the material inside. The auger also addresses the issue of dealing with cohesive materials, by maintaining the collected regolith in continuous motion thus preventing it to form internal clogs. When reversing the spin direction the auger pushes the material out mechanically which drastically increases the purge speed by relying less on gravity. This design is very pragmatic, it focuses on function over form. It does not require any additional or fancy mechanisms other than those already existing in RASSOR, the auger shaft connects directly to the arms using standard shaft couplers while the bucket can be attached using a simple mounting plate. The auger is a common and efficient bulk material conveying mechanism used extensively by the mining industry. The short DEM serves as proof of concept (short due to limited computing capabilities at home) Features: -Weight is 4.5 kg. (Ga 16 and Ga 12 aluminum sheet) -Standard 1.5" AL pipe size -Standard manufacturing methods (metal forming, lathe, welding) -Self-lubricating shaft bearings -Fill ratio is approximately 0.9 with a maximum bucket capacity of 19.8 L -Simple seals (material to be picked as to resist temperature and radiation conditions) Optional: -A polymer lining can be added to the bucket to reduce friction with auger -Auger itself can be made of a polymer