Solar Energy Conversion Using In Situ Lunar Soil

Computer Science – Robotics

Scientific paper

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Solar Energy Conversion, Lunar Soil, Manned Space Flight, Space Probes, Robotics, Moon, Handling Equipment, Materials Handling, Photoconductivity, Absorption Spectra, Photovoltaic Cells, Secondary Emission, Metal Foils, Silicon, Titanium

Scientific paper

The success of future long duration robotic and manned missions to the Moon and a permanently human occupied lunar base depends on the ability to generate electric power on the Moon. It has been suggested that solar cells might be manufactured on the Moon using silicon and titanium extracted from the lunar soil. However, this requires the delivery and operation of materials handling equipment and a fairly sophisticated manufacturing facility. It has been shown that the lunar soil itself is capable of generating considerable electrostatic charge due to changes in illumination and secondary electron emission. These phenomena combined with high photoconductivity, considerable spectral absorption, and the abundant radiation on the Moon, suggest that solar energy conversion might be performed using in situ lunar soil. The possibility of generating electricity from the lunar soil was explored for a hypothetical Schottky barrier photovoltaic cell consisting of an aluminum wire mesh bearing on a thin layer of compacted fine lunar soil underlain by a metallic foil.

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