Mike
Space Pioneer
Posts: 82
|
Post by Mike on Jun 24, 2017 9:58:29 GMT
Despie wide use, Solar Panels are not very efficient. And further from sun, they will be even worse. Mars have frequent sand storms, which further dimnish their usefulness. But I am guessing, they will be easy to produce (3D print) on site.
|
|
petrv
Space Pioneer
Posts: 93
|
Post by petrv on Jun 24, 2017 22:12:02 GMT
agree but there is no substitute for them now. They just testing the new rolling panels on ISS.
|
|
petrv
Space Pioneer
Posts: 93
|
Post by petrv on Jun 24, 2017 22:23:09 GMT
just to be more precise: Scientist of MIT compared solar and nuclear powering options and found solar arrays best source.
It would appear that a large solar panel array can match nuclear generators, only if they are situated at a latitude of 0-40° north of the Martian equator. Southern latitudes have much less solar energy available for most of the year. Mars mission should be able to transport several 2 metre-wide rolls of thin-film solar panel arrays. Rolling out an array of these thin-film rolls could supply ample energy to a colony. For example, if the array is positioned at 25° north, measuring 100×100 metres, 100 kilowatts can be generated. The MIT researchers even calculated it would take two astronauts 17 hours to construct the array (alternatively they could get a robot to do it).
Colin Pillinger, planetary scientist with the Open University, UK (and head Beagle 2 scientist) said the solar array’s old foe — dust — shouldn’t be too much of a problem after all. “Dust storms tend to start in well-known places in the southern hemisphere as it warms up, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to avoid them.”
www.universetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/spirit_panels.jpg
|
|