Regolith Trap

This video of a working scale model clearly shows how the design works: https://vimeo.com/409862252 The Regolith Trap is designed for maximum interior capacity. After studying other designs, I came to the conclusion that the best way to push the fill ratio a lot higher than 50% was to use some sort of trap door. After a lot of thought and tinkering, I believe I found a design that works extremely well, and isn’t too complex. While it is hard to get exact numbers, I believe this drum design can exceed 80% fill capacity and even push 90%. Which also means it would hold over 30 liters - possibly closer to 35 liters. My CAD model uses aluminum for all the main parts, which would put the drum’s weight at 4.5 kg. But if lighter, stronger materials were chosen, walls could be made thicker and stronger. This design has 3 sections offset at 120 degrees from each other. Each section only has one scoop, so the total width of scoops engaged at one time is 115 mm. The scoop is large enough to fit a 5 cm stone. Since I didn’t want a lot of moving parts involved with the trap door, I designed it to be only one part - a durable silicone/rubber material that uses a living hinge to open and shut. This would keep any regolith from interfering with the hinge rotation. The overall diameter of the drum is just under 450 mm, and the length just under 360 mm.