Author
Xavier De Kestelier
Bio: Xavier De Kestelier is an academic researcher from Foster and Partners. The author has contributed to research in topics: Regolith & Lunar soil. The author has an hindex of 4, co-authored 7 publications receiving 477 citations.
Papers
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TL;DR: In this paper, the concept of 3D printing technology for building habitats on the Moon using lunar soil, also called regolith, has been evaluated using a particular patented 3D-printing technology, which is the closest to achieving full scale construction of buildings and the physical and chemical characteristics of lunar regolith and terrestrial regolith simulants have been assessed with respect to the working principles of such technology.
523 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a curved-layered Fused Deposition Modeling (CLFDM) based additive manufacturing (AM) approach was applied to large-scale construction process using a scripting environment called Grasshopper.
Abstract: In this paper, a non-conventional way of additive manufacturing, curved-layered printing, has been applied to large-scale construction process. Despite the number of research works on Curved Layered Fused Deposition Modelling (CLFDM) over the last decade, few practical applications have been reported. An alternative method adopting the CLFDM principle, that generates a curved-layered printing path, was developed using a single scripting environment called Grasshopper – a plugin of Rhinoceros®. The method was evaluated with the 3D Concrete Printing process developed at Loughborough University. The evaluation of the method including the results of simulation and printing revealed three principal benefits compared with existing flat-layered printing paths, which are particularly beneficial to large-scale AM techniques: (i) better surface quality, (ii) shorter printing time and (iii) higher surface strengths.
121 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the mathematical and numerical tools needed to project a 3D-printed lunar shelter aimed at overcoming long-term permanence of human beings on the surface of the Moon poses several problems, due both to the health hazards against which it is necessary to take shelter and to the economical sustainability of the mission.
Abstract: Long-term permanence of human beings on the surface of the Moon poses several problems, due both to the health hazards against which it is necessary to take shelter, and to the economical sustainability of the mission. We briefly describe the mathematical and numerical tools needed to project a 3D-printed lunar shelter aimed at overcoming such problems, and we present and discuss the resulting optimized architectural design, provided by Foster + Partners.
26 citations
20 Apr 2011
4 citations
24 Aug 2017
TL;DR: In this paper, the chemical and physical characteristics of lunar regolith and terrestrial regolith simulant were examined and assessed to see if it is a viable construction material for large-scale 3D printing.
Abstract: The research can broadly be divided into two main aspects. The first is mainly related to the technical feasibility of 3D printing with moon dust (or its scientific name: regolith) in a lunar environment. The chemical and physical characteristics of lunar regolith and terrestrial regolith simulant will be examined and assessed to see if it is a viable construction material for large-scale 3D printing. The second aspect of the research, and also the focus of this paper, looks at how printed structures could be used as shielding and how this could be integrated within the overall design of a lunar outpost.
4 citations
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TL;DR: A comprehensive review of the main 3D printing methods, materials and their development in trending applications was carried out in this paper, where the revolutionary applications of AM in biomedical, aerospace, buildings and protective structures were discussed.
Abstract: Freedom of design, mass customisation, waste minimisation and the ability to manufacture complex structures, as well as fast prototyping, are the main benefits of additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing. A comprehensive review of the main 3D printing methods, materials and their development in trending applications was carried out. In particular, the revolutionary applications of AM in biomedical, aerospace, buildings and protective structures were discussed. The current state of materials development, including metal alloys, polymer composites, ceramics and concrete, was presented. In addition, this paper discussed the main processing challenges with void formation, anisotropic behaviour, the limitation of computer design and layer-by-layer appearance. Overall, this paper gives an overview of 3D printing, including a survey on its benefits and drawbacks as a benchmark for future research and development.
4,159 citations
TL;DR: Polymers are by far the most utilized class of materials for AM and their design, additives, and processing parameters as they relate to enhancing build speed and improving accuracy, functionality, surface finish, stability, mechanical properties, and porosity are addressed.
Abstract: Additive manufacturing (AM) alias 3D printing translates computer-aided design (CAD) virtual 3D models into physical objects. By digital slicing of CAD, 3D scan, or tomography data, AM builds objects layer by layer without the need for molds or machining. AM enables decentralized fabrication of customized objects on demand by exploiting digital information storage and retrieval via the Internet. The ongoing transition from rapid prototyping to rapid manufacturing prompts new challenges for mechanical engineers and materials scientists alike. Because polymers are by far the most utilized class of materials for AM, this Review focuses on polymer processing and the development of polymers and advanced polymer systems specifically for AM. AM techniques covered include vat photopolymerization (stereolithography), powder bed fusion (SLS), material and binder jetting (inkjet and aerosol 3D printing), sheet lamination (LOM), extrusion (FDM, 3D dispensing, 3D fiber deposition, and 3D plotting), and 3D bioprinting....
2,136 citations
TL;DR: A review on the latest advances in the 3D printing of ceramics and present the historical origins and evolution of each related technique is presented in this paper. And the main technical aspects, including feedstock properties, process control, post-treatments and energy source-material interactions, are also discussed.
Abstract: Along with extensive research on the three-dimensional (3D) printing of polymers and metals, 3D printing of ceramics is now the latest trend to come under the spotlight. The ability to fabricate ceramic components of arbitrarily complex shapes has been extremely challenging without 3D printing. This review focuses on the latest advances in the 3D printing of ceramics and presents the historical origins and evolution of each related technique. The main technical aspects, including feedstock properties, process control, post-treatments and energy source–material interactions, are also discussed. The technical challenges and advice about how to address these are presented. Comparisons are made between the techniques to facilitate the selection of the best ones in practical use. In addition, representative applications of the 3D printing of various types of ceramics are surveyed. Future directions are pointed out on the advancement on materials and forming mechanism for the fabrication of high-performance ceramic components.
1,082 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the relationship between fresh and hardened paste, mortar, and concrete material properties and how they influence the geometry of the created object is explored and classified by construction application to identify the spectrum of future research exploration in this emerging field.
758 citations
TL;DR: Additive manufacturing (AM) is a technology which has the potential not only to change the way of conventional industrial manufacturing processes, adding material instead of subtracting, but also to create entirely new production and business strategies as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Additive manufacturing (AM) is a technology which has the potential not only to change the way of conventional industrial manufacturing processes, adding material instead of subtracting, but also to create entirely new production and business strategies. Since about three decades, AM technologies have been used to fabricate prototypes or models mostly from polymeric or metallic materials. Recently, products have been introduced into the market that cannot be produced in another way than additively. Ceramic materials are, however, not easy to process by AM technologies, as their processing requirements (in terms of feedstock and/or sintering) are very challenging. On the other hand, it can be expected that AM technologies, once successful, will have an extraordinary impact on the industrial production of ceramic components and, moreover, will open for ceramics new uses and new markets.
691 citations