WIND ENERGY FOR ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION ON MARS AND OTHER PLANETS

摘要

This paper presents an alternate viable solution to the problem of reliable power supply in interplanetary missions by evaluating the efficacy of harnessing wind energy to power remote installations. Although initially conceived for use in powering a manned Martian base, this paper shows that the technology is potentially viable on Venus and hence transferable to other extraterrestrial planets and moons that have an atmosphere and differential heating. A meta-analysis of existing publications investigating Martian and Venus atmospheric conditions provided a theoretical model which was used as the framework for the operating conditions of a vertical axis wind turbine. After exploration of existing wind and ocean turbine technologies, vertical axis wind turbine design theory was applied and developed for use on Mars and Venus. A prototype of the vertical axis wind turbine design was subsequently prepared and tested to determine its viability for providing sustainable power. Consideration was given to the volatile nature of both the Martian and Venusian climates as well as to the ease of deployment, storage, and transport of the vertical axis wind turbine system. The vertical axis wind turbine design allowed the conception of an innovative deployment technique which facilitated low launch mass and volume.