Northern Centre for Advanced Technology Inc'

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Northern Centre for Advanced Technology Inc.
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Sudbury Impact(?) Crater

• 6000 Miners at INCO and Falconbridge
• 750 registered mines
• Open pit to 8000
• Nickel, copper and platinum group metals
• Mining since 1800s

Test Mine
Airport
RadarSat Image
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NORCATs Test Mine (adit)
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Mining Cycle
Exploration
Mining
Refining
Product
Rehabilitation
Photos Courtesy Falconbridge Nickel
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ISRU Cycle
Identification
Mining
Access/Exploration
Product
Processing
Beneficiation
Waste
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In Situ Support Equipment

• Equipment required to support HEDS or long
  duration robotics missions to planetary bodies
• Basic infrastructure construction and maintenance
  equipment
• Tire irons to autonomous road builders

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ISSE Categories
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Mining Support Equipment

• Personnel carriers
• Scissor lifts
• Rock bolters
• Fuel transports
• Road graders and routers
• Utility vehicles
• Explosives loaders

Photos Courtesy Mining Technologies International
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VAMPS Process
Automate
Miniaturize
Planetary Exploration
Redefine Paradigm
Stabilize
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Technology Adaptation
Existing Mining Technology
Planetary Exploration Technology
VAMPS
VAMPS
VAMPS
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Rover Class Deep Drill M10 Size
TRL-4 Demonstration Deep Drill M32 Size
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CSM Bucket Wheel Excavator

• Design Specifications
• Extracted from Design, Construction, and Testing
  of a Small Scale Bucket Wheel Excavator for
  Application on the Surface of Mars by Timothy C.
  Muff (Colorado School of Mines)
• 12 buckets on a 15 cm radius wheel
• 5 cm X 5 cm buckets
• Straight cutting (leading) edge
• 1.5 rpm max bucket
• Max depth of Cut 10 cm
• Side discharge to screw conveyor
• Oscillating excavator to provide a swath for
  rover chassis

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Bucket Wheel Design

• NORCAT Design Specs
• 15 cm wheel radius
• 12 buckets
• 5 cm X 5 cm
• Max depth of cut 10 cm (manual adjust)
• Angle drive train
• 6 N-m max torque (operating)
• 0 - 1.7 rpm at shaft
• Straight cutting edge, radiused sides
• Side discharge with wipers
• 0-75 N max horizontal thrust
• 0- 700 mm/min max horizontal advance

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Bucket Wheel Fabrication
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BucketWheel Test Bed
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Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition
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Lab Testing
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Lab Testing (2)
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Selected Results (sand)