Brushless DC Motor and Resolver for Venusian Environment

In response to the need for motors and actuators that can operate in the harsh venusian environment for extended periods of time, on the order of several hours to days, Honeybee Robotics proposes continued development of an extreme temperature brushless motor and a position feedback device (resolver or tachometer) and a demonstration of both in simulated Venus surface conditions. During Phase I a first-generation prototype motor/resolver will be designed, built, and tested in Venus-like conditions (486oC temperature and mostly CO2 gas environment). Phase I testing will verify the feasibility of the designs and confirm that the motor/resolver combination can operate at 486oC for an extended period of time. Fully developed and optimized versions of this motor/resolver could be used to actuate drills, robotic arms, and other devices outside of an environment-controlled landed platform on the surface of Venus. The device's ability to survive for hours (and potentially longer) in that environment is a major benefit to future Venus science missions. It would permit time for communication ground loops to optimize sampling and drilling target selection as well as allow for multiple samples to be acquired from the subsurface. In a potential Phase II effort, an extreme environment brushless motor/resolver combination will be developed to TRL 6.