{"id":247261,"date":"2025-04-14T20:08:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T00:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/noticias\/a-university-of-texas-at-dallas-engineer-develops-a-simulator-for-metal-welding-on-the-moon\/"},"modified":"2025-04-15T08:24:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T12:24:12","slug":"a-university-of-texas-at-dallas-engineer-develops-a-simulator-for-metal-welding-on-the-moon","status":"publish","type":"noticias","link":"https:\/\/inspenet.com\/en\/news\/a-university-of-texas-at-dallas-engineer-develops-a-simulator-for-metal-welding-on-the-moon\/","title":{"rendered":"A University of Texas at Dallas engineer develops a simulator for metal welding on the Moon."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dr. Wei Li, a professor of mechanical engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas<\/strong> ( UTD<\/em> ), has begun developing a virtual platform for metal welding on the Moon.<\/p>\n\n

The challenge of metal welding on the Moon<\/h2>\n\n

The lunar surface presents three major technical challenges for construction: extreme temperatures<\/strong> ranging from -200\u00b0C to 130\u00b0C, a near-absolute vacuum<\/strong> due to its very thin atmosphere, and gravity reduced<\/strong> to about one-sixth that of Earth’s. These conditions can induce defects such as cracks and fractures in metal joints if the welding process is not precisely controlled. <\/p>\n\n

Dr. Li was one of six researchers nationwide selected to receive a 2024 NASA Early-Stage Innovations Program<\/strong> annual grant. The grant, worth up to $750,000 over three years, will allow him to develop a digital simulation platform<\/strong> based on multiphysics modeling. This tool will recreate the lunar thermal<\/strong> , mechanical<\/strong> , and gravitational<\/strong> conditions for testing various welding processes: electric arc, laser, and electron beam. <\/p>\n\n

The virtual simulation will be supported by practical testing in the terrestrial environment using a custom directed energy deposition<\/strong> ( DED<\/em> ) machine, a technology commonly used in metal additive manufacturing. Li will also explore applications in fused deposition modeling (FDM), with the potential to print non-metallic parts for space missions. <\/p>\n\n

The UT Dallas team will work closely with researchers at NASA<\/strong> ‘s Marshall Space Flight Center<\/strong> , such as Dr. Fredrick Michael, to validate the results through testing in controlled environments and supported by historical data, including data from experiments conducted during Skylab missions.<\/p>\n\n

Since establishing conventional welding workshops<\/a><\/strong> on the lunar surface<\/strong> is unfeasible, a viable alternative would be to transport metal components from Earth and assemble them using advanced welding techniques.<\/p>\n\n

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