Investigating the use of thrust nozzles in extra-territorial rover applications

Bal Bharati Public School, Gangaram, New Delhi, India

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (email id of the author not available)

Abstract

Rovers exploring extraterrestrial terrains, such as Mars, face significant challenges in traversing loose soil and sand traps, often resulting in immobilization and mission failure. This study proposes a novel emergency system utilizing compressed air thrust to assist rovers in regaining traction and escaping compromised situations, the study aims to find the most thrust effective way to help the rovers regain traction. The system consists of hermetically sealed air containers connected to optimized nozzles, capable of delivering controlled bursts of thrust. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations using ANSYS Fluent were conducted to analyze various nozzle geometries, including dual bell designs, for thrust output, flow rate, and air efficiency. Results indicate that a dual bell nozzle provides the highest thrust (906.7 N) while balancing air consumption, enabling effective recovery with minimal resource expenditure. By providing at least 65% of the rover's weight as additional force, the system ensures traction recovery without complete air depletion. This approach enhances rover survivability, enabling exploration of challenging terrains and reducing mission risks. The study tests a number of nozzles to find the nozzle that exerts the maximum amount of thrust with a set volume of compressed air, the selected nozzle with the best results is an iteration of the bell nozzle with an adapted shape generating 820.16N with the pressure supplied.