Electrostatic cleaner of lunar dust on solar panel and optical lens

Abstract

Because a cleaning system of lunar dust on the solar panel and optical lens is of great importance for the lunar exploration, we are developing a cleaning system of lunar dust utilizing electrostatic force. Although it has been demonstrated that particles can be transported by the traveling-wave electric field formed by the parallel electrodes, some specific issues must be overcome to utilize this system for the lunar exploration. That is, a device must be transparent and highly efficient in the lunar environment. The electrostatic cleaner plate with transparent ITO electrodes was developed and it has been demonstrated that the decrease of the transmission rate of light was reduced only several percent by applying ultrasonic vibration in vacuum even if lunar dust was charged positively or negatively before operating the system. Finally, numerical simulation was conducted and it predicted that the performance will be further improved in the low gravity environment on the moon.