When a colony is established on Mars, what will be the power that will be used? Oil and coal are out of the question and neither is water. What is left - wind, solar and nuclear energy. Analyzing the options
introduction
The sources of energy we use every day are mainly oil, coal, water and nuclear energy and a little solar energy and wind energy. When colonies are established on Mars, what will be the power that will be used? Oil and coal are not taken into account and this is for the reason that it is not clear if there was life on Mars and to what extent, and also whether it is a scope that allows the formation of oil and coal. Water-based power sources are also impossible because for that you need flowing water and the low atmospheric pressure does not allow this. Regarding nuclear plants, even if it is possible, the problems that will arise are of a different kind. In the event of a malfunction, radioactive radiation may leak, and those who will live in the first colony will have nowhere to escape and no one to take them in for rehabilitation and starting life anew. Evacuation to Earth is also impossible for the reason that the evacuation time is critical and the condition of the victims during the flight to Israel may only worsen. Another and no less serious problem is that the radiation may cause severe environmental hazards on the surface of a star and this should be avoided at all costs. We must therefore think about other sources of energy.
solar energy
The first source of energy that must be taken into account is solar energy, for the simple reason that spacecraft operating on Mars or in orbit around it are equipped with solar collectors. The main difference between these spaceships and the colony is that the colony naturally needs a strong power source and for an unlimited period of time. Apparently, the solution is simple. Solar collectors must be spread out on the ground, connect them to the various systems of the colony and you immediately receive a supply of electricity. Since Mars is farther from the sun than the earth, the intensity of the light reaching it is weaker. The constant of the sun on the earth is 1353 watts/m And on Mars it is 583 watts/m43. That is, the solar constant of Mars is XNUMX% of that of the Earth. Massive and economic use of solar collectors requires the placement of a large number of collectors, which will require the allocation of large areas in order to create the desired electrical power. This means that the construction of the power plant will become more expensive. A possible solution is to use lenses to focus the light coming from the sun (Fresnel lenses). Considering the distance of Mars from the Sun it will be necessary to use several focusing stations.
Experience has shown that the lifespan of a solar collector array is 15-25 years. It is likely that this will also be the case on Mars. One of the prominent advantages of solar energy is that maintenance is minimal. There is no need for frequent repairs except for cleaning the panels from accumulated dust. There is an abundance of dust on Mars due to the winds The fierceness blowing in his face. This can be solved in several ways. One way is to install vacuum cleaners on the collectors, a second way is to install wipers on them and a third way is to build the power plant in a modular format, so that it will be possible to dismantle units without harming the function of the station and putting new ones in their place.
The cells of the solar collectors are made of semi-conducting materials. The known semi-conductor is silicon which is taken from sea sand. The latest findings from Mars show that in the past there were large water bodies on it and these were coastlines and we have an independent source of supply for the production of solar collectors. Without having to bring them from Earth. Another source on Mars from which silica can be obtained, apparently of high quality, is the dunes of Mars, of which there are many.
Along with these solar collectors, research should be started for other types of solar shelves, and the reference is to collectors based on the sun's ultraviolet radiation. The intensity of this radiation reaching Mars is smaller than that reaching the ground of the Earth, due to the distance of Mars from the Sun, but on the other hand its atmosphere is thinner. Therefore, the amount of radiation per unit area can be greater than what reaches us. The direction to go is the development and production of solar collectors capable of converting this energy into electrical energy. Due to the health risks associated with this radiation, these receivers must be designed so that no damage is caused to the maintenance personnel.
the energy of the wind
Another source of energy that may serve the needs of the colonies is the wind. The long-term study of Mars showed that strong winds blow on it and their speed can reach 480 km/h. On the face of it, an ideal situation. But here a problem arises. The wind power depends on the third power of the wind speed at the height of the rotating wings. This means that a small change in the wind speed can significantly increase the power carried by the wind. The problematic mine in utilizing the wind to generate electricity is the low air density of the planet, 1% of that of the Earth. This may negate the speed advantage. It is therefore necessary to act for a more intelligent design of wind-based power plants. This requires reference to several variables and they are:
A. In a given geographic unit defined as a farm of turbines, due to the given air density, the arrangement of the turbines will be different from that done in a national farm. This is in order to allow maximum utilization of the air flow, without one turbine overshadowing the other.
B. The size of the blades - the larger the blade, the larger the cross-sectional area it covers in its rotation. It can absorb a greater amount of energy from the wind's energy, and as a result, the amount of electricity produced is greater. However size has a limit. A larger blade is heavier and its tip is further away from the center of gravity and its axis of rotation, therefore stronger torques are applied to the axis that may cause it to twist and the effectiveness of the blade will decrease. It is possible that on Mars due to its small gravity (0.38% of that of Earth), it would be possible to use longer blades. In this way, it may be possible to partially offset the problems associated with the low density of the atmosphere.
C. The configuration of the blades - aerodynamic design of the blades that will allow a stronger "pull" of the wind (a new profession for aeronautical engineers).
D. Construction materials - the blades in wind farms are made of fiberglass reinforced with polyester or epoxy glue for trees. It may also be suitable for Mars. Since these are light materials, they will be light on Mars and this will have meaning in terms of the spirit. However, it is necessary to think about other construction materials that will also be resistant to airborne dust to prevent their rapid erosion due to the high wind speed on the planet. For this, it will be necessary to use composite materials, knowledge that is used in aircraft design and in particular fighter aircraft.
One of the disadvantages of wind energy is the noise of the turbines in particular when strong winds blow. On Mars this disadvantage would be insignificant, since the low thinness of the atmosphere makes it a poor conductor of sound. Another disadvantage is the interference that turbines create for radio signals. They may interfere with the signals transmitted and received from the colonies. It will therefore be necessary to establish the wind farm at a distance from the colony.
A partial solution to the problem of air density to drive the blades is the production of air cleaners that will be operated by the solar collectors. The pumped air will be compressed into channels towards the blades and thus it will be possible to artificially raise the air pressure where the blades are and increase their rotation rate.
Summary
The obvious conclusion is that generating an adequate amount of electricity for the colony will require the construction of an integrated system for generating electricity that will include solar collectors and a wind farm. As part of the preparations for the establishment of a colony on Mars, it is necessary to establish research laboratories that will include wind tunnels to simulate the behavior of the Martian atmosphere.
A collection of Haim Mazar's articles on the Hidan website
https://www.hayadan.org.il/BuildaGate4/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~~~150404021~~~98&SiteName=hayadan
